A Coincidence||Fionn Whitehead

79

Once again Dotty had a visit to the hospital. That caused for an early rise from both her and her mother when it was still only dark. Despite her lack of love for sleep, the girl found it difficult to get out of bed. At 5am Emma came into her room, clad in her pyjamas, ready to wake her daughter who was cuddled up in her duvet.

Emma paused for a moment, seeing her daughter asleep scared her. She could see Dotty breathing but she looked so calm; too calm. There were no worries on her face and, if anything, she looked younger. Emma was petrified. The thought of losing her daughter was playing on her mind and she hoped she should never have to see her child die. Her and Chris struggled to have a child and so adopting was their only choice. When she first held baby Dotty in her arms was the best day of her life. She couldn't bare to lose her baby. Not now. Not ever.

"Darling, wake up," she whispered, gently rocking Dotty.

Dotty grumbled, "five minutes."

Emma chuckled, "no, Dot, you need to get up now. It's unlike you to want to sleep in."

Dotty groggily opened her eyes, wiping them with a frown on her face. "I don't want to go."

"I know, darling, but you have to in order to get better."

"But what if I don't?" Dotty asked her mother as she sat up in bed.

Emma shook her head, "don't speak like that, Dotty, you will get better. Now, hurry up otherwise I'll eat all the bacon!" Emma kissed her head and hurried out of the bedroom holding back her tears. She didn't want to hear what Dotty was saying. How could she say that? She won't die. She can't! Can she?

Dotty sighed and hauled herself from the bed. She didn't bother making it because there was no point if she was going to sleep in it again. Checking her phone she saw a text sent to her late last night when she was asleep.

Fionn 🦈
Good Luck beautiful.
You won't need it but
I'll say it anyway.
Love you lots 😘

Smiling, Dotty replied to him and headed down the stairs. Emma has started to cook some bacon which she didn't always do for breakfast because normally Dotty would have toast or cereal but it was a treat.

Dotty got herself a drink and slumped at the table looking through some notifications on Facebook. Most of it was of Anna's recent night out which made Dotty feel sick. Thankfully her mum put her breakfast on the table which snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, Dotty."

* * *

Waiting. A bane of life. There are many forms of waiting but the worst has to be the hospital waits. Especially in British hospitals. Dotty and Emma sat waiting in the waiting area for two hours despite their appointment time before Dotty was asked in. Her doctor (Dr Cody) was very apologetic but still, the wait was awful!

Dotty sat awkwardly on the chair, her hands gripping the edge of her seat, knuckles growing white. "So, how have you been, Dotty?" Dr Cody asked her, pushing himself away from his desk and fully looking at her.

Dotty shrugged, "it's hurt a little."

"Is that your chest?"

Dotty shook her head, "no. My heart. Not the chest."

Dr Cody nodded, "Right, do you mind if I have a listen?"

Dotty shook her head as Dr Cody retrieved his stethoscope. Dotty unbuttoned the top of her shirt and shuddered as the cold metal came into contact with her warm skin. Dr Cody chuckled softly, sending her a small smile. He concentrated not the sound of her heartbeat, his eyebrows furrowing and his teeth taking his bottom lip in between them.

Emma noticed this and questioned him. "Is everything alright?"

Dr Cody pulled away and placed his stethoscope on his desk allowing Dotty to button up the top three buttons of her shirt once more. "The good thing is your heart is beating regularly, however I would like to take your blood pressure. Despite its regular beats it does seem fast, now that could be nerves but I just want to be sure."

Dotty nodded her head and stared at her mother as he began to take her blood pressure. The band tightened around her arm and she wanted to ask him to stop but she knew he had to do it in order to get the information he needed.

"Right, just as I thought. Your blood pressure is quite high." Dr Cody explained to the mother and daughter. "Have you had a lot of excitement recently?"

"What do you mean?" Dotty asked, confusion taking over her body.

Dr Cody, "days out with friends, extreme reactions to tv shows, films, sexual activities."

"Are you saying she cannot have fun?"

"No, of course not, it's important for you to try and lead as normal of a life as you can. But over excitement can cause high blood pressure and with your heart disease it is not a good thing to have a high BP."

Dotty shook her head, "I have seen some friends but other than that I haven't done much other than read, write and watch tv, which I haven't had extreme reactions to."

"Okay then, is there a chance that you might be pregnant?" Dr Cody Questioned.

"No."

Emma sighed in relief at her daughters answer, she would love to have grandchildren but not at that moment in time. There was far more important matters going on in their lives right now than a baby.

Dr Cody smiled, typing some notes up on his computer. "I think we are done then. You have been weighed prior to me seeing you this morning so there is no need to send you off for that. I suggest taking it easy, I know you are already but we just need to keep that BP down. If you have a monitor at home please check your pressure before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning, keep notes of it and if their is any significant changes please come back in. I do, however, want to see you in a weeks time for another checkup. Until then, Dotty, go and have fun, but not too much fun, sweetheart."

Dotty smiled gratefully, "thank you Dr Cody."

"You're very welcome, darling. I have booked you in for the same time next week so I will see you then." He bade the mother and daughter goodbye and returned to typing up his notes on the meeting.

Dotty immediately took hold of her mother's hand as she stepped out of the door. "Mum, I'm scared."

"I know you are, Dotty, but you need to be brave. I promise you nothing will happen to you, not on my watch."

Dotty tightened her grip on Emma's hand wiping her eyes as tears were let slip.

Emma's heart broke, "c'mon, let's get you home."