When Bianca entered the hospital exam room she was met by an unexpected sight.

"David?" she exclaimed.

"Hello Bianca." he said with smile.

Bianca blinked realising she was starring.

"I'm… um… sorry. It's just that I was expecting Frankie."
"Well you were my patient first. I wanted a chance to check your progress."

"Of course." said Bianca moving to the examination table to prop up her crutches before unfastening her jeans.

David had his back turned slightly to give her some privacy as she stripped down to her underwear and climbed awkwardly onto the bed.

"So have you been experiencing any problems?" David asked as he turned around to begin the medical exam.

"My left hip feels uncomfortable." said Bianca as she lay back on the bed.

David's hands were warm as he began to feel around her hip bone.

"Could you describe the sensation for me?" David asked as he manipulated the joint.

"It's a dull ache." said Bianca, but then she winced as he lifted her knee.

"When did this start?" he asked.

"A few weeks ago."

"Does it come and go or is it constant?" he asked as she watched his hands work the muscles further down her left leg where she couldn't feel it.

"It's constant and it's getting worse. I've had to go back to using two crutches."

"Yes I had noticed you'd taken to using one."

"It was easier." explained Bianca. "This is probably me own fault isn't it. I was late taking my meds some days what with everything that was happening at the Miranda Centre. And everyone was telling me I was overdoing it. I should have listened. I'd been living with the discomfort for a while now, it didn't really register as pain until after the flight to L.A. and then I had three days without the physio..."

"Pain?" said David cautiously. "Pain is very different to discomfort, Bianca. Which is it?"

"Pain." said Bianca quietly. "A stabbing pain, when I put weight on it. I'm fine sitting or lying down, its just when I walk really."

David began making a much more thorough exam of her leg, working from the knee back up to the hip.

"Have you taken part in any new or vigorous activity recently?" he asked matter-of-factly.

"Nothing that affected my hip." said Bianca her cheeks turning red. Why did it have to be David?

"Bianca. I'm the doctor. I'm the one that tells you if it's relevant information or not! So..?"

"Um… well… Marissa and I…" Bianca stammered unsure how to broach the subject of her recent 'vigorous activity' while her girlfriend's father was feeling his way up her inner thigh.

She realising she just had to say it.

"I had sex…" she blurted out, self-consciously. "We've been having sex."

David hands froze and he looked suddenly as awkward as she felt.

"But you don't believe this contributed to your injury?" he asked slowly.

"It's just been the last two nights… and we took it gently last night and this morning…" spluttered Bianca trying to smother her embarrassment. "But the pain in my hip started long before that so I don't think… well maybe it did a little but it was more to do with everything else… like this afternoon I've been on my feet for an hour helping out at Krystal's…" Bianca tailed off realising she was babbling, "…which probably hasn't helped."

David gave an uncomfortable cough before continuing.

"Well there is some swelling around your knee and ankle, and signs of strained muscles." said David as her manipulated her hip once more making her wince again. "It might mean you have to go back to using your metal brace. These other supports are clearly putting too much strain on you joints. And I think it would be best to use both crutches from now on Bianca."

She nodded.

"Is this where you prescribe a week of bed rest?" said Bianca with a nervous laugh.

"Well I want to examine the rest of you first and then we shall work out the best way to deal with this leg pain."

Bianca nodded. The monotonous routine of the check-up was something she could now do almost on auto pilot.

They engaged in a little small talk as David began examining her right leg; Bianca asking about baby Charlie and Leora and David telling her how pleased he was that thing were going well with her and Marissa and asking after AJ.

David worked his way down Bianca's leg, flexing the joints, asking her to bend her joint and hold positions. He seemed pleased with her reactions.

"Right now your arms," said David turning to grab some equipment. "I want to compare the readings from your last check up."

Bianca nodded. The device David was plugging in was to measure the strength of her grip. Frankie always called it the 'Star Trek' moment.

"We shall start with your right hand first." said David passing her the squeezable handle and turning on the reader. "You know the routine."

David pressed a button, a tone sounded, Bianca squeeze as hard as she could, the tone sounded again and she stopped and a graph popped up on the screen.

"Excellent." He said. "One more and then we shall measure your left."

David pressed a button, the tone sounded, Bianca squeeze as hard as she could, the tone sounded and she stopped.

Then she changed hands.

David pressed the button, when the exercise was over, there was a hint of concern in David's eyes.

"We will go again," he said, "And remember to squeeze as hard as you can…"

The tone sounded.

Bianca screwed up her face with effort as she tightened her grip with all her might until the tone sounded to stop.

"Once more." said David surreptitiously checking the cable connections. "This time give it all you've got!"

"I did." protested Bianca trying to get a look at the graph. "What's wrong?"

"Please just humour me okay?" said David resetting the monitor.

David pressed the button. At the tone, Bianca put everything into her grip but then her hand started shaking uncontrollably. She dropped the handle and quickly covered the tremor with her right hand.

David noticed.

"It comes and goes. It'll be fine in a moment." said Bianca trying to smile away his concern.

"You've had these tremors before?" asked David. This was news to him.

"My left arm has always been weak, ever since I over did it searching for AJ." explained Bianca.

"And this?" David asked, he was feeling along her forearm, examining the extent of the trembling muscle.

Bianca didn't answer right away.

"Bianca!" prompted David.

"It first happened in the court room during JRs hearing. It gets worse when I overdo it or I'm feeling stressed and then afterwards it goes a bit numb… like pins and needles, but it usually doesn't last long."

"This isn't in your medical notes." said David going back to the computer screen. "Bianca, how can we treat you if you don't tell us the symptoms?"

"We are usually just so focused on my leg. I figured what was going on with my arm was just part of the territory."

David frowned.

"How often would you say you've have these tremor attacks?"

"Two or three times." said Bianca quietly.

"Which is it?" said David firmly.

Bianca realised she needed to be honest.

"Eight, maybe ten times," Bianca admitted "But it lasts barely a second usually. It just comes on unexpectedly; I smashed a tray of mugs today because of it. It's more inconvenient than anything else."

"Let me guess it's also why you started using one crutch instead of two."

Bianca nodded guiltily.

David gave Bianca a long hard look and then began to feel his way along her neck around the site of the gunshot wound.

"This began after JR assaulted you?"

"I guess." stammered Bianca, suddenly nervous that this was something much more serious than she had been willing to acknowledge.

David stopped his exam to look Bianca in the eye once more, only Bianca couldn't quite bring herself to meet his gaze.

"And is it getting worse?" he asked.

"It's getting more frequent," admitted Bianca. "The numbness… it spreads. Sometimes it's my whole arm… sometimes up passed my shoulder… just for a moment."

Bianca finally had the courage to meet David in the eye. He looked worried.

"We need to admit you." He said softly.

"But it's only the briefest moment and then I'm fine again…" protested Bianca. "It's not serious."

"Bianca you have a damaged nervous system." said David "Any change in your condition is serious. There is significant loss of strength in your left hand and these tremors… I need to examine you properly. I may even need to put you back onto the Orpheus treatment. We never really understood what happened to your body and how it healed itself."

"But I feel fine; most of the time I feel fine."

"We need to find out what is happening to you Bianca before it gets any worse."

David stroked her cheek, she looked so worried.

"I promise not to keep you away from Marissa and your kids any longer than necessary."

Bianca looked at her left hand, now the tremor had subsided she could already feel the numbness beginning to spread.

"Do you want me to call her?" David asked.

Bianca nodded, not sure how to face Marissa. She had made a promise not to lie, when all this time, deep down, she knew she had been lying to herself.

…

Sorry guys the angst is back – but hey, there will be a happy ending… eventually!