Chapter 12: On White Leash

Dr. Alex Wolfow went into the cafe with his colleagues, laughing over something. They sat down at a table in the corner where the whole room was in view from if people sat on the right seat, "Gaby? Will you get me a cheese salad and my usual water? I need to go and see somebody over there," he said when he noticed one of his patients in the cafeteria.

Christian was in animated conversation with his wife stopping only long enough to sip a little from some kind of bottle of flavoured water. He slid his hand down her arm and took hold of her hand gently while leaning close kissing her ear and whispering something in it to which she smiled. His eyes were devouring her and the sides of his mouth quirked up in that signature grin he had when women were involved. Alex knew it so well from way back when they were collegues at the university. However undoctorlike attitude it was, he couldn't help feeling some little bit of satisfaction having him under his care, Christian finally needing him and playing a subordinate role comparing to him. Alexander Wolfow, from a Russian heritage, had quite a lot of trouble adjusting to American society as his parents didn't even speak English, there were plenty of isolated communities where they could live and didn't need to learn the language. Given the situation his cultural differecies showed in every area of his social life, not to mention women, so he used to spend all his time nerdylike, trying to use his brains to advance. Christian on the other hand, even though he had no family, seemed to be to the liking of everyone, well, women in particular. Intelligent he was, but he didn't need to study that much either. His friend and still partner Sean McNamara did that for him, helping him at the exams and Alex had no idea why to the current day. What did Christian have he didn't? Meeting him again was a suprise and Christian seemed to be fully giving himself over to his expertise. If only his case wasn't confusing a little. He was brought in with dramatic presentations of apparently severe illnesses, ileus, Crohn's disease, yersinosis, but after an initially credible impression they eventually came to nothing, or almost nothing. Yes, they had found the bacteria in his samples, but it was too little to cause such pressing symptoms unless it was accompanied and made worse by Crohn's. Reported symptom patterns and his history fit the diagnosis perfectly and were like a textbook presentation. Weight loss, generalized fatigability, crampy or steady periumbilical pain. But there were't any real malabsorption indicators apart from some mild anaemia, no antibodies to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae commonly found in Crohn disease, no low grade fever even in the presence of leucoytosis, that could've actually only been there because of steroid treatment. There were no abcesses or deep ulcerations, both transversely and longitudinally, that would've resulted in a cobblestone appearance of the intestines. There was no way to check on the inheritable factor for the development of the disease either. In other words, there was no reason why Christian wasn't getting better after the antibiotic treatment. If he did have Crohn's, this was the dormant faze of the disease, but he doubted it. The infection was mild, the intestinal leasions also. He could've only verified his hunch by having him in a controlled environment for a long time, but that was hardly possible. He was anxious about having missed something important and would've wanted to ask for more tests, endoscopic ultrasonography amongst other things. Unless there was nothing to miss. Unless he made it all up somehow. But why would a person in his successful position with a loving wife, friends, an exemplary carrier and an impecable appearance would do such a thing. It didn't make any sense, but he was going to keep a close eye on the situation.

"Hey! I see you are feeling better," he commented arriving at their table.

Christian looked up and let go of Kimber, ""um…yeah. I feel great. I can not stop myself staring at Kimber's food. And I'm so ready to go home. Thank you so much for all what you did," he said, a bit reserved.

"Well, everything's fine, so I don't see why you couldn't try that banana she left for after. But I want an elimination diet with one new food introduced each day in case it's some kind of allergic reaction you've been suffering from the whole time. Other than that enteral feeds straight from the cup just now. Going home well, if you can tolerate the main food groups over the next few days. But now that you're up for it I was thinking of some tests, obtaining biopsy tissue to help differentiation of other diseases."

"Why? Is there a problem?" Kimber started worrying again.

"Just wanna make sure, then he's going to be discharged," Alex gave his doctor smile, "a good day," he went back to his table.

"Why does he want more tests?" Kimber hoped for a better explanation from Christian.

Her husband was staring into the void, worried himself whether he had been playing his game too long and whether it became suspicious.

"Christian! What is wrong?"

The louder voice snapped him out of his inner world, "well, I should've started improving a lot sooner," he told the truth, "and that's why he wants to check. Cause he's not me and doesn't personally feel how much better I am. The steroids seem to be working."

"And there's no underlying other illness?"

"Sweatheart, they would've found that by now. You worry to much, it will give you wrinkles and I'll have to fix that."

Kimber smiled. She would not really relax till these tests were done. "I can see you're better, but there's a test I can think of that could show me that."

Christian on the other hand was inteding to declare himself fit for home long before the medical tests. So far they couldn't prove he was lying and they were not going to. "In that case we are going back to bed right after this banana."

"We are? It's your hospital bed."

"Come on Kimber, do we even need a bed?"

tbc