The next morning, Monica and Tess drove to Holy Cross Memorial Medical
Center, and entered the large building. Andrew had wanted to come with
them, but he had been pulled away a few hours before on an assignment. As
the two angels walked toward the elevator, the younger of the two couldn't
help the small shiver that ran up her spine. She was more than a little
worried about what she would experience inside the doctor's office. But,
she chalked it up to the fact that she had never been to a doctor before as
a patient, and put her worry out of her mind.
Tess pulled open the door to suite 221 and ushered Monica inside. The waiting area was warm and inviting, not at all like the antiseptic environment of a hospital. Padded chairs lined the walls, and there were various magazines lying on the low tables in the center of the room. There was a large window in the far wall, and a nurse dressed in pastel-colored scrubs sat behind it doing paperwork.
"Why don't you sit down, baby, and I'll check you in," Tess told her charge, gesturing to one of the chairs before heading towards the window to speak with the nurse. Monica sat in the chair Tess had indicated, and took in her surroundings. A few other people sat in the room, but for once in her existence, Monica didn't feel like starting a conversation with anyone.
Tess stood in front of the window, and the nurse looked up at her with a smile, sliding the panel aside to greet her. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm here with my friend Monica. She has an appointment at 11:30."
"OK, if you'll just fill these out, we'll be right with you," the nurse handed Tess a clipboard and a pencil. "We'll also need a copy of your insurance card for our records." Tess handed the nurse the insurance card that the Father had provided for them and began to fill out the forms. As soon as she finished, she handed them back to the nurse, and returned to her friend.
A few minutes later, another nurse came out and called for Monica to come with her. Monica shot worried eyes to her supervisor, "Will you come with me?"
"Of course I will, baby," Tess said, wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulders.
They followed the nurse down the hall to an examination room. Monica was told to sit on the exam table, and Tess was given a chair. After the nurse left, Tess looked at Monica. "Don't worry angel girl. Everything's going to be fine. We just want you to get better fast, that's the only reason I made this appointment."
Monica smiled, and was about to speak when the door opened and a woman entered the small room. "Hello," she said, looking at the chart she held in her hand, "Monica? I'm doctor Stanton. I understand you've been feeling a little under the weather recently."
Monica nodded, "I can't seem to shake this flu. I've had it for about four days now."
"I see. Any fever or anything?"
"She's had a pretty high one for the last 3 days," Tess interjected.
Dr. Stanton nodded as she walked to the cabinets on the other side of the room. Opening a drawer, she removed a digital thermometer. "OK, Monica, I want you to put this under your tongue for a minute." Monica opened her mouth, and the doctor inserted the thermometer, holding it there until it beeped before removing it. "102.5. that is pretty high, but nothing too serious," she said, throwing away the disposable mouthpiece and putting away the thermometer.
She stood in front of Monica and felt around her neck, pushing down gently in spots. "Any pain here?" She asked.
"A little, but not bad."
Dr. Stanton nodded and continued feeling around on Monica's neck and upper chest. "Your lymph nodes are a little swollen. I want to have you lie down for me, so I can check something else." Monica did as the doctor asked, and Dr. Stanton placed one hand over the other on the angel's lower abdomen, and pushed down. Monica gasped as the doctor pressed. "I'm sorry, Monica, just hang on for a sec. I'm almost done." She released the pressure and Monica sat up again. "Your spleen is enlarged too, which can signal a lot of things. I'm going to order some blood tests, just so we can figure out what's going on, ok?"
"Is something wrong, doctor?" Monica asked worriedly.
"I don't know yet," the doctor replied, "let's just get the blood tests done and then we'll see where we are, OK?" Monica nodded slightly, and the doctor left the room.
Once Dr. Stanton left Monica's examination room, she took the chart to the nurses' station in the center of the office area. "Patty, can you come over here for a sec?" When the nurse responded, Dr. Stanton handed her Monica's chart. "Can we get a CBC on this patient? And tell the lab to rush this, and put a note to check the WBC counts specifically. I'm expecting to see a high count. And we're probably going to have to set up a bone marrow biopsy."
The nurse looked at the chart. "You're thinking Leukemia?"
Dr. Stanton nodded, her eyes looking back in the direction of Monica's room, knowing that when the lab results came back, her patient's life was going to change drastically.
Tess pulled open the door to suite 221 and ushered Monica inside. The waiting area was warm and inviting, not at all like the antiseptic environment of a hospital. Padded chairs lined the walls, and there were various magazines lying on the low tables in the center of the room. There was a large window in the far wall, and a nurse dressed in pastel-colored scrubs sat behind it doing paperwork.
"Why don't you sit down, baby, and I'll check you in," Tess told her charge, gesturing to one of the chairs before heading towards the window to speak with the nurse. Monica sat in the chair Tess had indicated, and took in her surroundings. A few other people sat in the room, but for once in her existence, Monica didn't feel like starting a conversation with anyone.
Tess stood in front of the window, and the nurse looked up at her with a smile, sliding the panel aside to greet her. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm here with my friend Monica. She has an appointment at 11:30."
"OK, if you'll just fill these out, we'll be right with you," the nurse handed Tess a clipboard and a pencil. "We'll also need a copy of your insurance card for our records." Tess handed the nurse the insurance card that the Father had provided for them and began to fill out the forms. As soon as she finished, she handed them back to the nurse, and returned to her friend.
A few minutes later, another nurse came out and called for Monica to come with her. Monica shot worried eyes to her supervisor, "Will you come with me?"
"Of course I will, baby," Tess said, wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulders.
They followed the nurse down the hall to an examination room. Monica was told to sit on the exam table, and Tess was given a chair. After the nurse left, Tess looked at Monica. "Don't worry angel girl. Everything's going to be fine. We just want you to get better fast, that's the only reason I made this appointment."
Monica smiled, and was about to speak when the door opened and a woman entered the small room. "Hello," she said, looking at the chart she held in her hand, "Monica? I'm doctor Stanton. I understand you've been feeling a little under the weather recently."
Monica nodded, "I can't seem to shake this flu. I've had it for about four days now."
"I see. Any fever or anything?"
"She's had a pretty high one for the last 3 days," Tess interjected.
Dr. Stanton nodded as she walked to the cabinets on the other side of the room. Opening a drawer, she removed a digital thermometer. "OK, Monica, I want you to put this under your tongue for a minute." Monica opened her mouth, and the doctor inserted the thermometer, holding it there until it beeped before removing it. "102.5. that is pretty high, but nothing too serious," she said, throwing away the disposable mouthpiece and putting away the thermometer.
She stood in front of Monica and felt around her neck, pushing down gently in spots. "Any pain here?" She asked.
"A little, but not bad."
Dr. Stanton nodded and continued feeling around on Monica's neck and upper chest. "Your lymph nodes are a little swollen. I want to have you lie down for me, so I can check something else." Monica did as the doctor asked, and Dr. Stanton placed one hand over the other on the angel's lower abdomen, and pushed down. Monica gasped as the doctor pressed. "I'm sorry, Monica, just hang on for a sec. I'm almost done." She released the pressure and Monica sat up again. "Your spleen is enlarged too, which can signal a lot of things. I'm going to order some blood tests, just so we can figure out what's going on, ok?"
"Is something wrong, doctor?" Monica asked worriedly.
"I don't know yet," the doctor replied, "let's just get the blood tests done and then we'll see where we are, OK?" Monica nodded slightly, and the doctor left the room.
Once Dr. Stanton left Monica's examination room, she took the chart to the nurses' station in the center of the office area. "Patty, can you come over here for a sec?" When the nurse responded, Dr. Stanton handed her Monica's chart. "Can we get a CBC on this patient? And tell the lab to rush this, and put a note to check the WBC counts specifically. I'm expecting to see a high count. And we're probably going to have to set up a bone marrow biopsy."
The nurse looked at the chart. "You're thinking Leukemia?"
Dr. Stanton nodded, her eyes looking back in the direction of Monica's room, knowing that when the lab results came back, her patient's life was going to change drastically.