All the Slivers of Red

Chapter 10

Kelsie's dance recital turns out to be moderately attention-holding, much to my surprise. She is in two dances, one where she is dressed as a bee and the other as a toy doll. There's no denying that it's cute and even funny when one of the little kids misses a step or stumbles or something like that.

After the recital, we go out for an early dinner. Kelsie gets to choose the restaurant because it is her big day- we end up eating at Wendy's. I'm anxious to get home, back to my microscope, so close to finding something amazing I can almost taste the glory of a Nobel Prize for finding a cure for sickle cell disease.

When we finally get home, I immediately check the slide. Still normal, yes! I call Linny at her new phone number, in her new home, surrounded by a new town, with new people, new doctors, new everything, and take a deep breath right before she picks up.

"Linny,ohgosh,IthinkIfoundsomethingthisiscrazyIcan'tbelieveitohmygoshIputmysampleinthemicroscopeandaccidentallyleftitandohmygoshLinnyIthinkIdiditthebloodcellsthey'renormalnowwhatdoIdothisisinsaneIcan'tbelievethisohmygosh," The words come out all in a rush, and I was so happy to finally be telling her that I was almost crying.

Linny laughs, "Hunter, slow down, I can't understand a word you're saying!"

"Microscope. The light. Linny, they're, they're, they're normal!" I suck in big gulps of air, trying to talk slower.

Thankfully, Linny knows me well enough to decipher my gibberish. "So what you're saying is, the light from your microscope turned your sickle cells normal?" she clarifies, incredulous.

"Yes!" I scream.

"Oh, god, Hunter, what are you going to do now?! This is incredible, you finally found it!"

I falter, "...yeah, Linny, I finally found it. I made a promise to you, and I kept it..." I trail off.

We're both silent for a minute, but then Linny speaks again, as always. "Hunter, thank you. After all these years I can't believe you did it, but at the same time it's so believable that you did. I mean, you were always the smart one," she laughs again. "And when you win a Nobel Prize I'll be able to say I knew you before you were famous!"

I smile. Linny always knows just what to say. "Thanks Linny. Well? How are you doing? Anything new?"

"Um, not too much. I've started hydroxyurea, and I know you had a really bad experience with that, but it's been fine for me so far, and my hips are doing better so they can probably hold off on those hip replacements for a couple years, they said."

"That's great! Oh, Linny! I have a new roommate."

"Really? A guy or a girl? Sickle Cell?"

"Yeah, this guy Trevor. Actually, I don't know. I don't think we're gonna get along. He called my science journal a freaking diary!"

"Aw, come on, Hunter," she laughs. "You have to try! I know all about your social issues, but this is a perfect opportunity for you."

I roll my eyes, "Okay, fine, whatever."

"I should probably go, it's dinner time here."

"Okay, bye Linny, I miss you."

"Ditto. Good luck with whatever you do next with that cure!"