Legacy of the Dreams

Chapter 133 - A Long Awaited Day

The date for Melody's pre-surgical tests came and went; most uncommonly though, the Abernathys didn't see Dr. Lin until the next day. That was fortunate because Thursday was a day when Greg was able to arrange his schedule so he could come with them. Forest was at Richard's house that morning, doing more training, enabling them to get an earlier than usual start. If Forest was at home, Melody and Jessie would insist on walking him early in the morning before they could leave.

Melody woke up with a bit of a runny nose that morning ... no other symptoms, just that, and Susan guessed that it was allergies. A walk might have made it worse, but as long as it remained mild, she hoped it wouldn't interfere with Melody's surgery. Keeping Melody inside was the first step to take to prevent it from getting worse.

Greg and Susan drove across town for the appointment with Melody in the back seat of their car. They didn't talk, mostly because Melody was singing, much like she did on most days, but on this occasion she was still singing the show tunes from the movie they saw earlier in the week.

"You know, Melody is going to love seeing you in a musical," Susan remarked to her husband when they could get a word in edge-wise.

"Indeed. I am beginning to think I should ask her to sing the songs with me. She sings them so joyfully," Greg said.

"A lot of the music from Fiddler on the Roof is in a minor key. It's difficult to make that sound joyful," Susan commented.

"Precisely the reason I suggested it. I suspect Melody could make it joyful."

Greg pulled into the parking lot and parked outside Dr. Lin's Westwood office.

c

"How are we today?" Dr. Lin asked Melody as soon as she walked into the exam room.

"I was hoping you could tell us that," Susan said. "Melody has been singing non-stop, so I hope that means she is feeling okay. But she also has a bit of a runny nose today."

"How long has that been going on?" Dr. Lin asked.

"Just today. She woke up with it this morning," Susan explained. "She doesn't have any other symptoms, so I thought it might be due to allergies."

"It may very well be," Dr. Lin said. She took a few minutes to examine Melody from head to toe.

"Aside from her sniffle, Melody seems to be in very good shape ... or at least in the best shape we can hope for her to be," Dr. Lin said guardedly.

"Could she be in better shape?" Greg asked warily, picking up on the doctor's hesitation.

"From the tests we've done, she was in better shape a month ago," Dr. Lin said.

"Her liver enzymes?" Susan guessed.

"Yes. They are rising," Dr. Lin said.

She found Melody's most recent test results, handing a copy to Susan for her and Greg to see. The numbers meant nothing to Greg, and so he watched Susan's face, taking in her furrowed brow and her heightened level of concern.

"Oh my," Susan said. "These are far above what they were."

"Then you see the developing problem," Dr. Lin said.

"Yes," Susan said.

"Explain it to me," Greg said.

"Her enzyme levels are ten times what they were," Susan said.

"And that is bad?" Greg asked plainly.

"Yes," Susan told him. "Her liver was stressed before. Now it's actually showing signs of toxicity."