Short stories

Medical experiment

She bit her nails until they bled as she waited impatiently for the doctor to give back the results of his examinations. The nervousness was on her face. She was so concerned for her poor daughter. What else could she do than consulting a doctor for the umpteenth time to find out what was wrong? She wanted more than anything in the world to have confidence in modern medicine, but she doubted very much now that doctors discovered what her daughter suffered. Caught in her thoughts, she didn't notice the shadow that stood before her. Dr. Paige Nathan closed his fingers on his pad, trying to smile.

"Mrs. Blake? Can you follow me, please?"

The woman simply nodded, speechless. She just got up and followed the doctor in his office. The door closed softly. Dr. Nathan invited her to sit before she did the same.

"As you know," she started, "we conducted a series of tests again to understand the harm your daughter suffered."

Tears were already streaming down the cheeks of the mother. She hid her head in the sand, unable to accept the truth. Now, she couldn't deny the facts. Her daughter of just six years old screamed almost every night. Something was wrong, but what did she suffer from? Her imagination ran at full speed. She feared that the doctor discovered a brain tumor the size of a grapefruit, something impossible to operate.

"The tests revealed nothing abnormal, but..."

"Stop avoiding to answer," the woman asked, "and tell me what is wrong. Please..."

"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Blake."

"It's easy to say..."

"Physical examination revealed no abnormal mass within the skull, but the radios have demonstrated a large black spot in the frontal lobe."

"Which means...?"

"A blood clot that may have formed and then burst."

"A... a... blood clot...?"

Dr. Nathan nodded reluctantly. She waited a moment before continuing her explanation. Mrs. Blake wasn't listening, having started to sob.

* * * * *

Groping, she tried to find the small plastic bottle containing capsules that were normally on her nightstand. Her hands were shaking terribly. Once her fingers closed on the bottle, she tried to open it as soon as possible. In her haste, the capsules fell on the floor near the bed. Damn… She turned on the bedside lamp and knelt down to pick up everything, but her legs buckled. She fell hard on the ground. Her vision blurred and suddenly she felt strength leaving her body. When she was about to collapse completely on the ground, arms lifted her.

“Anna? Do you hear me?”

Mike, her husband, was standing over her, looking worried. He got used to her nocturnal seizures. In general, he didn’t pay any attention. She suffered much and he couldn’t do anything. But this time, the situation was quite different. She suffered from such an extent that he grabbed the phone to contact the emergency. It wasn’t an ordinary crisis. The emergency services responded to his call an ambulance and transported her to the hospital. The doctor on duty examined under the worried gaze of her spouse. He asked him questions with a dully tone, as if it was a single migraine attack.

“Is this the first time it happens?”

“Yes. Normally, she has time to take a capsule.”

“Has she consumed too much alcohol or drugs?”

“She was asleep when it happened.”

“Before going to bed, did she ate or drank something?”