The Mule

Chapter 27

"Where's Marissa?" Gael asked as they sat down to supper.

"Upstairs", Irene replied. "She said she was tired." Marissa hadn't wanted to tell her mother that she wasn't feeling well so as to not worry her.

"She knows the rule", he stated irritably as he got up and walked to the bottom of the stairs "Rissa! It's suppertime!" The rule he was referring to was that everyone came to the table at suppertime unless they were sick, injured or attending to a farm animal in need. And they all had to eat *something*, even if just a little. He returned to his place at the table to wait for his tardy offspring. They heard the sound of a toilet flushing, then of running water.

"Way to go, Dad - interrupt someone at a sacred time", Terry teased, which caused a round of laughter to erupt from the table. Patsy, sitting next to him, tousled his hair. They heard the sound of the elevator and a moment later, Marissa appeared and took her place.

"Are you all right, honey?" Irene asked, concernedly.

"Yes, Mama, just a little tired." It was partly true - she *was* tired.

"That is normal for someone in your situation, Marissa", Gideon told her, not wanting to mention her cancer at the dinner table. "But you look a little pale. Are you sure it's not something else?"

Marissa gave him a weak smile. "I'm okay, Dr...er, Gideon." She was so used to calling him Dr Maynard, it was hard to get used to not doing it.

Gael said the blessing and they dug in. Marissa wasn't hungry but she put a little on her plate. She knew the house rule about having something. Adults were not exempt. She wasn't as "okay" as she was pretending to be. Her pain was pretty bad, she was sure she was going to pass a stone, but she didn't want to ruin anyone's holiday weekend.

When she was told she wasn't needed for clean-up, Marissa headed upstairs after telling Gael she'd be down in a bit for the jam session. She lay down for a few minutes but then her stomach committed mutiny and she went to the bathroom to throw up.

Downstairs, her demeanour had not escaped her family or their guests. "I'm going up to check on Rissa", Gael told Irene. "I don't think she is 'okay' at all. She only turns coffee down when she's sick." Marissa had not wanted her usual after-dinner cup of java.

"Let me go, Gael", Gideon offered. "I'd like to take a look at her, if she will let me." He went up and checked the bedrooms, but Marissa wasn't in any of them. The door to one of the bathrooms was closed. He knocked on it.

"I'll be out in a couple minutes", she called out.

"Marissa, it's Gideon. Are you all right?" He was sure he heard the sound of retching. Then the toilet flushing and water being run. The door opened and Marissa appeared. She didn't look good to him at all. "Come lie down", he said as he guided her to her room.

"That's your room, Gideon. I'm down the hall."

"You can lie down in here for a bit." She lay on the bed and Gideon sat down beside her. "What's going on?" he asked.

"It's just my kidney stones, I think I'm going to pass one." He noticed beads of sweat on her forehead.

"I want to take your temperature to make sure you aren't sick." Gideon opened his suitcase and took out a thermometer he'd brought with him. He never went anywhere without the basic medical tools.

"It's just some pain, I'll be fine."

"You let me be the judge of that. Open up." Marissa obediently opened her mouth and he placed the thermometer under her tongue. When it beeped, Gideon looked at the reading. "No fever. Good. Now I'm going to take your blood pressure." He reached for his stethoscope and cuff. When he had the reading, he said "It's a bit high, but not unexpected, given you are in pain."