After checking in at the reception desk, Ezra took a seat next to Josiah in the waiting room. Surprisingly, there was only one other patient there. At past appointments there had always been more, and he hoped that boded well for a short wait. He wanted to get through the appointment and just get home and into bed. He was under no delusion that he'd be going back to the office this afternoon or any day soon which meant his report for the case they just closed would have to wait. For a brief moment, he looked at that as the silver lining of his probable illness.
The optimistic feeling didn't last for long. He may not have Nathan's extensive medical knowledge, but he knew enough to know that if he were right about having mono, it would be several weeks until he was fit enough for even desk duty. It could well be months before he'd be cleared to be in the field again. That would mean his team would be down a man during that time and would have to either have to bring in someone to temporarily fill his spot doing undercover work, or Team Seven would be relegated to backup and routine cases. Neither choice was very attractive. To bring in a replacement meant Team Seven would be working with someone they weren't familiar with and might not have the necessary comfort level. However, if all they did was backup and routine cases, they'd soon start to chafe at the bit. It was a Catch 22, and he would be the cause of it.
"Whatever you're thinking about, Ezra," Josiah said breaking Ezra's train of thought. "It's not your fault."
Ezra looked over to Josiah, surprise plain on his face. "What makes you say that?"
"I can see it in your eyes. You're stewing over something and whatever it is, you think you're guilty."
"I can assure you, Mr. Sanchez," Ezra began to sputter but was quickly cut off by his friend laughing. "What's so funny," he demanded.
"You. You think you're so good at hiding your emotions and you're always so surprised when your friends know what you're thinking."
"I," Ezra began hotly intending to contradict Josiah. Instead, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "I suppose you're correct." He let out a sigh and shrugged. "I was just thinking about how my absence will impact the team.
As a nurse came into the waiting room and called Ezra's name, Josiah patted him on the shoulder. "It'll all work out." He pointed to the nurse. "She's calling your name."
Ezra nodded and stood up. He started to walk to the nurse then stopped and turned back to Josiah ready to admit a weakness. It was one of the things he still had difficulty doing despite his friends often reminding him there was no fault in doing so. Maude had drilled into him that he should never show weakness, and he'd never been able to shake the idea.
"What do you need?" Josiah asked sensing his friend's difficulty.
"I was wondering if you'd mind coming in with me," Ezra asked as he stared at the wall just above Josiah's right shoulder. There was a note of embarrassment in his voice. He pulled in a deep breath and let it out. "I'm so tired," he admitted. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to remember everything I should be letting the doctor know...and I'm not sure I'll be able to understand and remember what he says."
"Of course, I'll come in with you," Josiah responded. He could have reminded Ezra of how easy it was to just ask but didn't. It was more important to offer the support his friend needed than to point out how he'd overcome his usual reluctance.
The two men followed the nurse into one of the exam rooms. While Josiah took the chair against the wall, she had Ezra sit on the exam table as she took his vital signs. When she was through, she asked him to run through the symptoms he'd been having. It was at this point that he was grateful that Josiah was with him as he forgot some of what he'd told Nathan earlier. Josiah was there to fill in the missing blanks for him.
Once the nurse had finished taking his vitals and patient history, she assured them Dr. Putnam would be in in a few minutes then left.
As the door closed behind the nurse, Ezra slumped where he was sitting. Josiah got up to stand near his friend and rubbed his shoulder. "Why don't you lie down until he gets here." To his surprise, Ezra didn't argue, just nodded, and leaned over to lie on his side with his head pillowed on his arm. Josiah reached down to help him get his legs on the table, then took off his coat and folded it for Ezra to use as a pillow instead of his arm. "Hopefully, it won't be too long." Ezra's only answer was a small nod.
There was silence in the exam room as Josiah resumed his seat and Ezra fell into a light doze where he lay. About ten minutes later there was a soft knock. Hearing it, Ezra's head jerked up. He recognized the woman who entered as the phlebotomist at the practice. "Dr. Putnam wants me to draw blood for some testing," she explained. As Ezra started to sit up, she put her hand on his shoulder keeping him place. "You can stay where you are."
"I'd feel much better sitting up," Ezra said. Lying down made him feel like he was yielding any control he had over the situation. As much as he just wanted to curl up where he was, he wasn't ready to give up all control
"Whatever makes you comfortable," the woman said. She went about her work quickly and by the time she was done, Dr. Putnam was knocking on the door and coming in. "Let me know the results on the rapid mono test as soon as it's ready, Josie," he said as the phlebotomist left. He greeted Ezra then started in on a physical exam. Again, as Ezra faltered answering Dr. Putnam's questions, Josiah filled in any blanks.
The doctor was just finishing swabbing Ezra's throat when there was a soft knock on the door and the nurse came back in and handed a paper to him then left. "Your rapid test came back positive for Mono. I'd still like to check for strep as well and I'll also have an EBV antibody test run for confirmation." He smiled reassuringly at Ezra. "I'll be back in a few minutes with the strep results."
"Thank you, Dr. Putnam," Ezra said softly. He waited until the doctor left before letting out a sigh.
"Almost done," Josiah reassured.
The two men lapsed into silence until Dr. Putnam returned. "Strep is negative," he said. "The results from the EBV antibody test should be back in about three days. I have no doubt it will also be positive, but I'd like it for confirmation." He handed the papers he'd brought in with him to Ezra. "This outlines the treatment plan for mono. Basically, it needs to run its course. I'd recommend that you get as much rest as possible...and your body's not going to give you a choice in that. You can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for fever and discomfort, and you'll want to stay well-hydrated."
Ezra took the papers and nodded. "How long until I can go back to work?
"You should start seeing improvement in two to three weeks, although the fatigue is likely to hang on longer. I'd like you to refrain from anything physical for at least a month. I did feel some slight enlargement of your spleen and you want to avoid the risk of a rupture."
Hearing the treatment plan, Ezra hung his head and let out a sigh. Although he wasn't completely surprised, he'd been hoping for better news. It would probably come as a surprise to most, but he considered force inactivity something akin to torture. Yes. He did enjoy sleeping in and he'd often joked that he wasn't cut out for menial labor, but his work was important to him. His exercise program was a way for him to relax. Now, he was being told he couldn't do any of that. As tired as he was and as difficult as that was making it for him to concentrate, he doubted he'd even be able to keep his mind occupied by reading.
"I know it doesn't sound great right now," Dr. Putnam commiserated, "but this will pass. You're just going to need to give it time."
"I know." Ezra shrugged and half-smile quickly appeared. "I guess I'm already tired of being tired and it's only been a couple of days."
"Well, as I said, you're just going to have to give it time." The doctor looked between Ezra and Josiah. "Do either of you have any questions?" he asked. When both men indicated they didn't he walked them to the waiting room, letting them know they should call if there were any questions or if there was any change in Ezra's condition.
The two men thanked the doctor then made their way to Josiah's Suburban. Once settled in the vehicle, Ezra handed Josiah the papers Dr. Putnam had given him. "Other than sleeping and no physical activity, I'm afraid I didn't really register anything else."
"Ibuprofen or acetaminophen for fever and pain," Josiah reminded as he took the papers and scanned through them. "There are suggestions for helping with the sore throat: lozenges, gargling with salt water. He also said to make sure you stay hydrated. You'll probably get tired of just drinking water, so you'll want some juice or something." He saw the look that crossed Ezra's face and guessed he didn't have most of the suggested things. "How about I drop you off at home and run out and pick up anything you need?"
Ezra took back the papers and started to fold them. "Um...I'd appreciate it. I was going to get some groceries but..."
"You've been tired," Josiah finished for him. "It's ok. I'm happy to help. Let's just get you home for now."
M7 M7 M7 M7 M7 M7 M7
They'd barely left the parking lot of the medical building when Josiah heard a slight thump and noticed that Ezra had fallen asleep with his head against the window. He saw him shiver and pulled over, reached into the backseat for a blanket he kept there, and tucked it around his friend. Shrugging out of his coat, he bunched it up and slid it between Ezra's head and the window. Surprisingly, the sleeping man never stirred.
Once Josiah had made Ezra as comfortable as possible, he pulled back onto the road. He did his best to keep the twenty-minute drive to Ezra's townhouse as smooth and quiet as possible. Once he pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine, he reached over to rouse his friend.
"Mmmm...wha..." Ezra mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. He sat up a little straighter looking around until his location penetrated his sleep-fogged brain. "Home?"
"We are." Josiah lightly slapped Ezra's arm. "Let's get you inside and into bed." He got out of the Suburban and went around to the passenger side where Ezra was slowly getting out. He put out a hand to steady him when he didn't seem very sure of his balance then the two walked to the front door.
Ezra fumbled with his keys as he tried to unlock the door, eventually dropping them on the ground. He stood staring down at them as if he thought they could somehow float back up to his hand.
"How about if I do it," Josiah said as he bent down to scoop the keys from the ground. He quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open, letting Ezra go in before him. He shut the door behind him, then turned to where Ezra was still standing in the foyer as if he wasn't sure what to do. "Give me your coat and I'll hang it up," he said as he reached to help Ezra off with his coat. He tossed it on the coat tree in the corner then guided Ezra into the living room and gave him a little push in the direction of his bedroom. "Go on and get into something comfortable and I'll get you something to drink."
"There should be some chamomile tea in the cupboard over the stove if it's not too much trouble. I seem to have a bit of chill."
"No trouble at all. Now go and put on something warm."
"Thank you." Ezra turned to go to his bedroom. Along the way, he stopped to check the thermostat regretting that he tended to put it down to 62 when he wasn't home. He bumped it up to 70 hoping it wouldn't take too long for the house to warm up. Usually, he found 65 to be sufficient in the winter, but he really was quite chilled.
Josiah watched as Ezra shuffled to his bedroom. It seemed that now that he had a definitive diagnosis and no longer needed to be "on" for the case, he was wilting rapidly. He hoped the next couple of weeks wouldn't be too hard on him.
He opened the indicated cupboard and pulled out the box of chamomile tea then set the water to boil. While he waited, he checked the other cupboards and the refrigerator and found that Ezra was in serious need of groceries. He knew his friend didn't normally stock up since he never knew when he may be gone on an assignment for an extended period, but even for him this was lacking. Josiah wondered just how long he'd been under the weather and hiding it.
Grabbing a pad of paper and pen off the counter by the phone, he started to put a list together of basic staples that would make it easier on Ezra over the next days and weeks. The water had just boiled when he finished the list.
He was pouring water into a mug with one of the teabags when Ezra came into the kitchen. "Just in time," Josiah said as he looked up. He saw that Ezra was now clad in a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, thick socks, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Over that he'd put on a thick navy-blue terry cloth robe. Once he was seated at the table, Josiah set the mug of tea down in front of him as well as a bottle of honey. He waited until Ezra doctored his tea to his liking before sliding the pad with the shopping list over to him. "I put together a list of some stuff you might need. Let me know if I missed anything."
As he sipped at his tea, Ezra looked the list over. It didn't seem as if Josiah had missed anything, and he was embarrassed by how little he had on hand. "It doesn't appear you've missed anything I'd need. The only thing I'd add is some cans of cat food for Kenny. I believe she's running low." He slid the list back over to Josiah. "She's not particularly fussy, so any brand will do." As if conjured by her name being said, the cat appeared and hopped up on the chair by her human.
"I'd been wondering where she was." Josiah took the list back and added in cat food.
"I believe this is her usual nap time. She was probably in the office. There's a patch of sunlight there this time of day that she seems to favor," Ezra said as he scratched the back of Kenny's neck. He suddenly froze and pushed away from the cat. "Do you think it's contagious to her?"
Josiah laughed gently at Ezra's sudden concern. As much as he tried to insist that he and former stray cat 'merely cohabitated,' everyone knew how attached he'd become to her. "I'm sure she's safe. I've never heard of a cat catching something a human has."
Having been reassured, Ezra started petting the cat again. "You must think me silly. I just wondered if, perhaps, it would be safer for Kenny to seek other lodging for the duration of my illness."
Josiah came around to where Ezra sat and gave the cat a quick scratch. "I think she'll be perfectly fine here." He straightened up and speared Ezra with a no-nonsense look. "Now, when's the last time you had something to eat."
"I had some toast this morning. Really, I don't have much of an appetite." Ezra wrapped both hands around the mug of tea and raised it to his lips. "The tea is fine."
"You need to put something in your stomach," Josiah said with a frown. "You have a couple of eggs. How about I scramble them for you. That should be mild enough for you."
Ezra let out a sigh and nodded. "I honestly don't have the fortitude to argue with you at the moment."
While Josiah busied himself making the scrambled eggs, Ezra nursed his cup of tea. When he didn't resume patting Kenny, she hopped into his lap and batted at his chest with her head. Absently he reached down and started scratching her behind her left ear earning a loud purr of approval. Ezra looked down when he heard the purr and smiled. "I suppose you'll be demanding a lot of this." The only response was a louder purr. "Hmm…I thought so."
Once the eggs were ready, Josiah set them in front of Ezra. "I'll keep you company while you eat, then I'll go get your groceries."
"I take it you don't trust me."
"Nope," Josiah said with a wide smile. "Just don't want you eating alone." He pointed to the plate. "Eat up."
Ezra poked at the eggs then put a small bite in his mouth. "If you don't mind, there should be a bottle of ketchup in the back of the refrigerator on the top shelf."
Josiah got up to get the requested condiment but couldn't help laughing as he handed it to Ezra.
"You think it's funny I have ketchup?" Ezra asked before coming to his own conclusion for Josiah's mirth. "Ah yes. The refined Ezra Standish. I'm sure you probably thought the only condiments you'd find in my kitchen would be truffle oil, and Dijon mustard." He opened the ketchup and poured a good-sized amount on his scrambled eggs then mixed it in. "If ya'll only knew."
"I didn't think the ketchup was funny. What I did think was funny was that you were sharing the eggs with Kenny. You reminded me of a naughty child who didn't want to eat his dinner."
Caught in the act, Ezra looked down at Kenny who was licking her whiskers. "She happens to enjoy scrambled eggs. I always share them with her before I season them."
Josiah shook his head slightly and smiled. "You're a good man, Ezra. Now eat."
Ezra managed to eat half of the eggs on the plate before pushing them away. "I'm sorry. I really don't have much of an appetite."
"At least you ate something." Josiah took the plate away, then brought over two Tylenol and a glass of water. "This should help with the fever and headache, then you should go to bed."
Ezra swallowed the two tablets with water, wincing as they irritated his raw throat. "I believe I'll stretch out on the couch for a while. I have a feeling I'll be seeing quite a bit of my bedroom in the days to come." He got up, holding onto the table for a second to be sure he had his balance, then made his way to living room with Kenny following behind.
Josiah finished cleaning up in the kitchen then checked the list he'd put together one more time. He went into the living room to let Ezra know he was going to head to the grocery store and would be back in a little while. He didn't bother saying anything when he found Ezra stretched out on the couch. The TV remote was in his hand and an old black and white movie was on the TV, but Ezra wasn't watching it. He'd already fallen asleep.
Josiah took the blanket that was folded over the back of the couch and tucked it in around his friend. He was careful not to put over Kenny who'd curled up on the end of the couch at Ezra's feet. "You keep an eye on him," he whispered to the cat as he gave her head a quick scratch. Then, after finding where Ezra had left his house keys, he quietly went out the door to head to the grocery store. Hopefully, he'd be back before JD came with Ezra's Jag.