Chapter 13

"How'd you do?" Ray asked as he stepped into the exam room, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Well my head didn't spin around and I managed to keep the split pea soup at bay," Emily answered sarcastically from her perch on the table.

"See? That's called progress!" Ray answered in the same tone. "Anyway, we've probably got some time to wait," he said, taking the seat he'd had before.

They sat in silence for several moments. Then Emily began tugging at her gown and tapping her feet against the table, while Ray started alternating between inflating his cheeks with air and clacking his teeth together. They both continued until their fidgeting began to annoy one another. They looked at each other. Ray let out the last of the air in his cheeks, and Emily quickly smoothed her gown.

A knock at the door interrupted the silence that had once again washed over them. They both turned as the door opened and Dr. Morgen came in.

"It's been a while since I've seen you guys," she said pleasantly. Dr. Morgen was tall with straight brown hair and in her late thirties. She'd become Emily's pediatrician several years ago when Emily outgrew the Highlights magazines in her old doctor's waiting room. "So Dr. Barnett, how's the ER treating you?" she asked turning to Ray.

"Like a full moon every night, but it's great," he joked

"I bet. All your referrals are great for business!" she laughed. "All right Emily, so mono, huh?" Emily nodded. "Okay, well we can handle that." She slipped her stethoscope off from around her neck and slid it just under Emily's gown to listen to her heart. She then moved it to her back and listened to her lungs.

"What about a sore throat?" she asked.

"Um," Emily hesitated. "A little."

Ray looked surprised. "Really? Why didn't you mention it?" Emily shot him a look.

"I didn't really think about it, because it's not that bad," she explained, "I get them from time to time."

"A sore throat can be a sign of strep throat, which can be a complication of mono," Dr. Morgen explained. "We're going to draw some blood anyway, so we can see if it's strep. If it is, there are antibiotics that'll clear it up."

The rest of the exam was uneventful, exactly like the ones Emily had endured all throughout her childhood. Dr. Morgen examined her abdomen, feeling for any abnormalities.

"Your spleen is enlarged," she said.

"Is that bad?" Emily asked.

"No, it frequently happens with mono, but usually, it's not enough to feel. You'll need to be very careful to avoid any trauma that could rupture it, because it's very fragile," she paused when she saw the look on Emily's face. "Rupture is really rare, though. But if you feel any pain in your abdomen, it's really important to tell someone, okay?" Emily nodded.

"When will it return to its normal size?"

"Within about four weeks," she answered, standing up. "Okay, any more questions?" she asked, looking first at Emily, then at Ray. They both shook their heads. "Good, then I'll send Jessica in for your blood test, and we'll call you with the results," she said, ending with a smile.

"Thank you," Ray said standing up, offering his hand.

"No problem," she answered, taking it. "And keep sending those ER patients my way!" she joked.

"Will do," he said with a laugh.

Once Dr. Morgen left, Ray turned to Emily. "Not bad, right?" he asked her. She shook her head slightly, suddenly staring very determinedly at the floor. "What's the matter?" he asked stepping closer to her. She looked up at him and he could see her jaw working and the hint of a tear in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh Em," he said giving her a hug. "I promise it'll be really quick."

"You must think I'm a real baby," she said with a laugh.

"Hey, look, I get it!" he said, leaning next to her against the table. Who d'you think used to help mom hold you down when you were younger? This needle thing, it runs in the family, you know. Once when I was little I ran away from the nurse, and ended up tearing through the halls in my underwear. I would've made it out the door if they hadn't caught me!" Emily laughed. "And, just so you know, I haven't exactly outgrown that running thing yet. Last year I had to have Abby 'surprise' me with a flu shot because I wouldn't get one otherwise."

"Okay, so that's my goal: to be able to get a flu shot without having to have a coworker jump me with one!" They both laughed.

"And, hey, look. I'm kinda relieved that you have this one ah—insecurity. You've been so awesome and fearless during this whole thing, it's nice to know that you've still got one area that you could use my help in," he finished, kissing her forehead.

"Careful, you're not about to break into song or anything now, are you?" Emily teased. "You never know, with those tender moments we have!"

The door slid open, announcing Jessica's arrival. She was carrying a tray, which she set on the counter. "All ready?" she asked, pulling on a pair of gloves. Emily made a noise that sounded like a combination of the word "yes" getting stuck in her throat and a whimper. Ray squeezed her hand.

Jessica gently extended Emily's arm and cleaned it with antiseptic then tied a tourniquet to her upper arm. When the needle was slid in, Emily squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on how she had been when Neela had done it. She also didn't ignore the images of Colin Farrell that popped in as well.

When the tourniquet and needle were removed and a band-aid applied, Emily congratulated herself on another blood draw well done. Jessica left the room and Emily turned to look at Ray.

"Let's get the hell out of here."

"Right there with ya, babe!"