Heartbreaker in Training

Chapter 4 - I'm Allergic to Bees

Chapter 4 - I'm Allergic to Bees

“How are you feeling today, Ms. Lori?” Dr. Rork asked me, just like he has been every day for the past week. My mom has made me go every day since last Saturday. He told me there was a tumor already forming inside my body and that treatment would be necessary to keep it small, or even get rid of it.

“You mean other than the cancer coursing through my lungs, fine.” I said back, making everyone laugh. Lesley has been staying with me and coming to the doctor since I was diagnosed, and she doesn’t go home. She only goes for clothes. It doesn’t phase her mom though. Her dad left when she was eight and didn’t come back, which killed her mom. She’s been an alcoholic/ drug addict since then. She’s either not home, or doesn’t even know when Lesley is there.

“Ha ha, very funny. Now how have you REALLY been feeling?” he asked sarcastically.

“Well, pretty normal really, considering its only been a week. But it’s been harder to breathe, of course.” I replied matter-of-factly.

 

                                                              - - -

 

“Right this way.” the nurse said, showing us to the test room. “Okay, I’m just going to take your blood. This will only feel like a bee sting.” she smiled a little, taking the needle out, making me shudder.

“I’m allergic to bees.” I give the nurse a blank, condescending look, making her obviously uncomfortable. She shook a bit as she came over to me, but was very still when I cringed as the needle entered the inside of my elbow.  Seeing blood, period, made me nauseous, but seeing my own blood taken out of my own arm made me light-headed.

My mom must have noticed because she said, “You alright, darlin’?”

“Yeah, all good.” I said back, rolling my eyes a bit so I can’t see the needle anymore.

“Okay, all done.” The nurse took the needle part off of the syringe and set it down on the metal table near her clipboard.

“You’re going to have to get used to it, you know.” My mom said, nodding over to the syringe.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” I rolled my eyes again at her. Dr. Rork walked into the office after the nurse had left with my blood sample.

“Today we are going to give you a CT scan. This will help us detect where exactly in your lungs the cancer is.” Doctor said, and I must have had a puzzled look on my face because he lightly touched his hand to my back and led me to a big machine in a huge white room. He took me over to it and I studied it.

“Here, lay down. Get comfortable because while you’re in here, you can’t move.” He gestured to the bed and I layed down and put my hands behind my head. I closed my eyes as the bed went through the spinning part of the machine. I must have fallen asleep because the doctor was shaking my arm, asking me how I felt.

“Fine, just tired.” I answered, rubbing my eyes. “How long was I in there?”

“Only an hour. You did great. We will let you know the results when we get them.” Dr. Rork answered back nonchalantly. He directed me to a bathroom and handed me my clothes since I had to change into a hospital ‘dress’.

“Hey.” I said to Lesley, waving at her as I walked into the waiting room her and my mom were sitting in looking bored as ever. They talked like regular adults would. They were both at least partially sophisticated in public and had a nice conversation. Me, on the other hand, was quiet and fidgety like a little kid.

“Hey, what’d they say?” my mom asked me as soon as I walked out into the room they were in.

“We’ll get the results when they do. Everything is over the computer so we’ll have to wait.” I answered.

“What about treatment? Anything about that?” She kept asking questions. I put my hand up to her mouth.

“Mom, we have to wait. Calm down. Dr. Rork doesn’t seem too worried about waiting so stop worrying yourself.”

“I’m sorry but she’s right, Ms. Bennett.” Lesley butt in.

“I know, I’m just-” I cut her off.

“Worried. You’re worried. Just calm down. Okay?” I said. I shifted my weight to my left foot.

“Alright, alright.” she put her hands up in a sign of defeat. Finally.

We got in the car to go home. Tomorrow is Sunday which means a day of homework that I’ve put off. My teachers didn’t give me much because of my current condition. All I have is an English paper free-write, which I am writing about my Sunday breakfast instead of anything serious. Tomorrow was my morning to cook, so there’ll be LOTS of food because I’m normal and eat like my stomach is a bottomless pit.

We don’t really have anything planned for today but “-there is a carnival downtown that I’m dying to go to!” I complained to my mom.

“Okay, okay. We’ll go. Is that alright with you, Lesley?” my mom replied and asked Les.

“Perfectly fine.” she said with a smile, knowing there would be cute guys. We looked at each other deviously and laughed. Mom just gave us a funny look in the car mirror and laughed along with us, knowing exactly what we were thinking. We didn’t bother going home to change, I already looked great! Sarcasm implied.

Mom drove us across town to the carnival, gave us each twenty bucks, and left us there. Woop woop.

We walked in after we payed for our tickets, and went directly to The Eclipse. It’s a huge red and black ride with twists and sharp turns and it takes you upside down and the ride is like five minutes long, it’s perfect!

We finally got to our group to get on the cars. We picked on in the middle and no one sat in the car with us. Predictable. The ride started and I held on to the bar in front of me tightly and my knuckles turned white.

We didn’t get far into the ride, probably only a minute and a half in and my heart was beating faster than usual. Adrenaline, I thought to myself. And then it hit me, my lungs can’t take this much. I grab for Lesley’s hand, fumbling at first, then finding it and squeezing it harder than I thought. She looked over and screamed happily, but when she saw my distressed face, she looked worried.

“Only a couple more minutes, two at the most.” I managed to hear her say over the wind. She squeezed my  hand back and I held on tight. When the ride was over and we left the ride’s platform, I stumbled over to a bench near where we were.

“Lori, are you okay?” I heard a deep voice ask me. I knew it wasn’t Lesley, obviously. We both looked up. Garyn knelt down in front of me and held my wrist carefully.

“You’re as pale as a ghost and your pulse is racing as fast as the ride you were on.Are you okay?” he asked me again. I was surprised at the fact he cared.

“I, uh. I’m, uh. I’m fine. I’m fine. Just a little tired, that’s all.” I said, stuttering with every word. He punched my arm lightly, laughing as he got up and walked away.

“Wow, that was weird.” Lesley and I said in unison. We laughed and looked at each other. Okay...