Leave The City (Book 8 of Adopted by the Josephs)

12. Samantha

"What are you doing here?" Uncle Brendon said when the doctor came in to go over the bloodwork and whatever else was done while I was unconscious.

When I woke up, I was out of it and felt pretty crappy. Aunt Sarah was by my side the second I opened my eyes and explained what had happened. I'd spiked a fever, had a seizure, which they said was because of the fever and not because I still have seizures occasionally.  My fever was already coming back down from what the nurses and doctors have already done.

Now the doctor in charge of my case came in and Aunt Sarah and Uncle Brendon looked like they'd seen a ghost, but one they weren't upset to see.

"I could, I should, ask you that same thing," the doctor said, hugging the two of them. "I didn't expect to see you again. Not here, anyway. Who do we have here?  Did you adopt again?"

The doctor seemed nice, and he smiled at me as he spoke with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Brendon. I just lay there feeling miserable and confused.

"No, we didn't. This is Samantha. The daughter of friends of ours who is spending her senior year here in California with us," Uncle Brendon said.

"I see. It's very nice to meet you Miss," he checked my chart. "Joseph."

"Hi," I said.

"I'm Dr. Roberts. I'm an internal medicine and infectious disease specialist. Don't let that scare you, I'm not here because we think you have something horribly infectious. I'm on call and I'm internal medicine. So you get me tonight."

"Okay," I said.

"We promised her parents we'd call when you came to tell us what's happening. Do you mind if we include them?"

"Of course not, if Samantha is alright with it. I see you're 18?"

I nodded.

"But yeah. Please call Mom and Dad," I said to Uncle Brendon. He smiled as he pulled out his phone.

"Hello?" Dad said when Uncle Brendon called his phone.

"Good morning. Am I speaking with Mr. and Mrs. Joseph?" Dr. Roberts asked.

"Yes. We're Samantha's parents," Dad answered.

"Hi. So, I'm here with Samantha and your friends," he said.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad," I said. Man did my voice sound weak. 

"Hi baby!" Mom cried out. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess," I said.

"Doc, what's going on?" Dad asked.

"So, we've done some blood work and an x-ray. Samantha's going to be just fine. We might not even have to admit her to a unit. Her fever is coming back down, she's awake and conversant."

"But what happened?" Dad asked.

"Samantha has the flu. Just a regular flu but she's going to be okay. Her lungs are a little congested so we'll prescribe an inhaler for now. It's a virus, so there's not much more we can do but make sure she stays hydrated, rested and I've prescribed no school for at least this week,"

I laughed and knew Dad would hear me in the background.

"That sounds like it's mostly good news?" Dad said.

"It is. Samantha is going to be alright. She's an incredible young lady. And your friends did the right thing bringing her in.  Her fever was very high but she's on the mend."

"Mommy, Daddy, Sammy okay?" I heard a little voice in the background ask. It was obviously Rosie, and I listened as Dad explained to her what was happening.