ALLY:

I took an uber home and in the car, I rated my doctor's visit. Doctor Moon, when I met him, I was very taken aback. He was young, yet he was so professional, intelligent and skilled. Not to mention, he was very caring and a generally nice guy. And he was very attractive.

So attractive. To an extent where he was sexy. I was so glad he had given me his card, too, so I could contact him. When I got home to my apartment, I went in the elevator. The doorman, Bob, was spraying Lysol around the entire lobby and he was wearing a surgical flu mask. I coughed into my elbow again and I croaked,

"Bob, just I'm sick. Why are you spraying the entire lobby?"

He told me,

"It's not just you who's sick, Ally. It's freakin' flu season in Miami right now! And I'm scared shitless of those little assholes known as germs!"

I had to say he was right. It was flu season in Miami. And this was the worst time of year for Bob, because he was the epitome of a germaphobe. He also had eight jars of hand sanitizer on his desk. I went into another coughing and hacking fit again.

"OK then,"

I said. I went to my apartment. At least my son of a bitch sharp ass abdomen pain, and need to retch were gone, or at least my abdominal pain was. But my cough and throat were still horrible. But I knew what I had to. Look at the visit summary.

It said to have liquids, try throat lozenges, gargle salt water and eat cold food. I had only just met Doctor Moon, and I already knew I could depend on him. He was young, in fact probably the youngest Doctor I had ever met, but he sure as hell knew what he was doing. I lay down on my bed, also known as Trish's, Jace's and my pullout couch, under my three furry blankets, and as I was reading the visit summary with why I was there and how to help my tonsillitis, I noticed my cell phone was ringing. It was my mom, requesting to FaceTime.

My phone was a gold iPhone 5s covered in a cream colored case with pink roses. I went into another fit of coughing and hacking, and I answered hoarsely,

"Hi, Mom."

My mom saw me.

"Hi, sweetie."

I went into another coughing and hacking fit.

"Ally, you look and sound like you're sick."

I said hoarsely,

"I am. I'm going to be honest as hell here. I've been feeling sick for the past three days. I've been coughing like nobody's business and it's at its worst at night, my throat hurts, I have a fever, I have chills and I threw up blood and had sharp abdominal pain this morning."

My mother looked at me with discernible sympathy.

"Your poor baby."

I was twenty-two years old, yet my mom still called me poor baby when she felt sorry for me.

"Sweetie, did you see Doctor Bryant today?"

I said,

"Doctor Bryant resigned and moved back to New Jersey…."

I was cut off by a coughing and hacking fit.

"Remember?"

"Oh right. Well, please tell me you saw another doctor."

"I did. I happened to really like him."

I went into another coughing fit.

My mom asked,

"What's he like?"

"He's young. He's about my age, but he knew what he was doing. He's smart-"

I started coughing again.

"Sorry. He's smart, skilled, professional, caring, and I think I'm falling for him."

My mom smiled.

"That sounds like an interesting pair. A doctor with a model, a singer-songwriter and fashion, makeup and perfume entrepreneur who works at Tiffany part time. On another note, what did he diagnose you with?"

I said,

"Tonsillitis. I've had five throats, six if you count this one, and he said I need tonsillectomy."

She looked at me.

"You have gotten some really awful sore throats, sweetie."

I went into yet another coughing and hacking fit. I now felt the need to throw up again. I ran to the bathroom and heaved in the toilet. I pulled it out. One hundred and one point nine. I said,

"Sorry, mom. I just needed to vomit."

My mom said to me,

"It's OK, honey. You know what you need?"

I said,

"Doctor Moon told me that I need a lot of rest and fluids."

My mom's face lit up in epiphany.

"Doctor Moon? That sounds familiar. Was this doctor by any chance… Austin Moon?"

I said,

"Yes, in fact it was."

I coughed again and I asked,

"How do you know Doctor Moon?"

My mom was a wildlife biologist and she was a professor in Nature Studies at University of Miami.

My mom said,

"He once gave one of my classes a lecture about how dangerous snake and bug bites can be. I remember a time when I was preparing to take some of my students on a field trip to the Everglades, and he gave me a first aid kit in case anything happened, and he gave us a lecture about what to do if a poisonous snake attacked you. He was young, he graduated from high school as early as the end of his sophomore year, and he graduated from college when he was nineteen. But son of a bitch, did he know his stuff."

I suddenly got another call. It was from Trish. I told my mom,

"Mom, I need to go. I'm getting a call from Trish. Thanks for checking in on me."

My mom smiled,

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I hope you feel better."

I coughed more and I said,

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye."

I answered the call from Trish. I said,

"Hey, Trish,"

and went into a very thick coughing and hacking fit again. I could see my childhood best friend's evident sympathy toward me, because she said,

"Aw, you're sick as a dog."

I said,

"Yeah, being sick is such a dickhead."

Trish said,

"Sounds like it. What did your doctor say?"

I said,

"Doctor Moon said that I had tonsillitis."

"Doctor Moon? I thought your doctor was Doctor Bryant."

I coughed again.

"Doctor Bryant moved to New Jersey, remember? Her dad has cancer."

"Oh yeah. I forgot. I'm sorry you have tonsillitis. Anyway, I called to let you know, I'm going to Safeway to go grab some groceries. Do you need anything?"

I said,

" Can you get me some chamomile tea, honey and progresso chicken noodle soup?"

I heard her say,

"Yeah, sure. I'll be home in like a half hour. Feel better, mamacita."

Trish at times could be a bit on the snarky side, she was hot tempered towards the people who stomped on her and at times she cursed like a Seth from that very funny movie Superbad or Gordon Ramsay from Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen, but she had a very sweet, thoughtful and almost motherly side that she showed towards the people she loved most, and she was always there when the people she loved needed her. And right now, I was seeing that side to her. I went into a coughing and hacking fit again and I asked Trish,

"Trish, can I tell you something?"

"Sure. What else are best friends for?"

I said,

"Doctor Moon said I needed my tonsils out. What I'm worried about is that I won't be able to sing anymore if it doesn't go well, or I may not sing the same again."

Trish told me,

"It's for the best. All you need to do is stay positive. And besides, if you get your tonsils out, afterward you get all the ice cream you want! That's the best part."

I said,

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Trish."

She said,

"No problem, Ally. I'll be home in a half hour."

I said,

"OK. See you then."

We hung up. I went into a coughing and hacking fit again. Trish came home in fifteen minutes and when she walked in, I had another coughing and hacking fit. She looked at me with sympathetic eyes and cooed,

"Aww, you poor baby. You want your tea or soup or both?"

I croaked,

"Can I have both?"

Trish said,

"Of course. Let's check your temperature first."

I said,

"Good idea. I hope it's gone down at least a little."