Fluke

Part 4

"We have the results of your biopsy."

Maria swallowed nervously. Please God, she prayed, not cancer. Please - not cancer!

The doctor handed Maria a flimsy sheet of paper. Maria looked down at it, trying to focus on the columns of numbers, trying to make sense of them. "The good news is that it's not cancer."

Maria felt her spirits lift. Thank you! She looked up at the doctor, smiling at her. "That's a relief."

"Maybe," said the doctor. "But there is still something wrong with you. The results showed that you have some kind of parasite - a fluke. It has attached itself to your liver."

Maria put up her hand. "I'm sorry: a parasite? But how could I have one of those?"

"We thought you might be able to tell us. Have you eaten any strange food recently? Had lunch somewhere new? Been abroad, perhaps?"

"I don't think so," Maria began.

The doctor interrupted her. "You don't think what? That you've been abroad?"

"N-no." Maria felt intimidated by the doctor's sudden, aggressive questioning. "I know I haven't been abroad. I haven't eaten anywhere different. And I don't think I've eaten anything strange, but then how would I know? The amount of stuff that people put in food these days, how does anybody know?" Her voice became shrill with frustration and panic.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to ... Look, have a tissue." The doctor held out a box of sterile wipes and waited until Maria had taken one. "It's just that this could be a public health issue. We need to know where you might have got the parasite from, so that we can find other potential victims."

"What about me?"

The doctor sat down next to Maria and looked her in her eyes. "We'll need to take you in for a scan, to see exactly how the fluke has attached itself to you. If it's attached itself to a major blood vessel, then there might be complications. But there are options. If we can't operate, then we can always try chemotherapy or radiation therapy. We will get rid of it, Maria. Don't worry."

Maria tried to sound hopeful. It was difficult, but she felt that she had to try - as much for her own sake as for the doctor's. "You can cure me though?"

"Almost certainly." The doctor picked up a manilla folder from the consulting room desk. "I'll see if we can get you a bed for the night. The sooner we can get started on your treatment, the sooner you can be well again."

A burning sensation on her abdomen sparked a thought for Maria. "What about the skin condition?"

"It's probably a side effect of the parasite: an immune reaction to it. I'll bet that as soon as we get rid of that thing inside you, your skin will clear up and you'll be just as good as you ever were." The doctor took her mobile phone from her pocket and selected a number from her contacts. "I'll talk to the hospital now, and see how quickly we can get you admitted - alright?"

"Thank you, doctor," Maria said, forcing a smile. "Let's do this, then."