To Everything, There Is A Season

Chapter 59

Meryl was glad that Don was able to fall back asleep so quickly and peacefully after their heart to heart; she felt so much better after talking to him. However, she made a silent vow to herself, and her sleeping husband, that she would NEVER put her husband in the middle of things with his mother again. He was just too damn important to her. She would put up with ANYTHING as long as it meant she had her husband and their son with her; they were more important than anything she had to go through. They were her world; and she would put up with anyone, even Jane Gummer, for them. She also made a vow to herself not to keep anything from him, as she realized that by not being truthful as to how Jane was treating her, was causing him stress and also putting him in the middle. She had no idea what things would look like with Jane, but she couldn't concern herself with that at the moment. All that mattered was getting Don well and home with her and Henry where he belonged. Meryl was brought out of her thoughts when she saw Dr. Abbott walked in; she hated to wake Don up but she knew that Dr. Abbott had news. Meryl ran her fingers through Don's hair, kissing his cheek and whispering in his ear. "Don Man, wake up; Hal is here."

"Huh?" Don asked as he woke up and let his wife helped him sit up. "Hey, Doc."

Meryl laced her fingers through Don's as she looked intently at their friend and doctor. "Well? Do you have his results?"

"I do." Dr. Abbott said as he opened Don's file on the hospital tray table at the foot of Don's hospital bed. "It's good news, considering."

Don exhaled in relief; hoping this could convince his wife that she was NOT the reason he was in the hospital. He told her it was his mother's fault; even if it wasn't stress-related, it was his mother's fault his wife was so upset and that wasn't okay with him. "Not a heart attack?"

"No." Dr. Abbott shook his head. "Your heart is in perfect condition; no brain swelling or bleeds or chips. Once we got the pain under control then your vitals looked much better."

Meryl blinked past her tears as she kissed Don's hand she was holding. "Oh, thank God. What is it? He was having trouble breathing; it looked like he was having a damn heart attack. Scared me to death."

"Which I hate." Don told his wife. "It was just indigestion; right, Doc? That's why it was chest pains."

The doctor shook his head. "No. Not indigestion, not a blood clot and nothing to do with your heart; which is all good. It's actually an infection."

"An infection?" Meryl had never heard of that before. "That seemed like a heart attack?"

Dr. Abbott handed Meryl a pile of papers; knowing she would want to read up on Don's condition. "It exhibits just like a heart attack, and you did the absolute right thing by calling me and getting him here. You can NEVER be too careful, but now we know what it is."

"What is it?" Don was trying to follow as he was still kind of groggy because of the medication. "Is it serious?"

Dr. Abbott shook his head. "It isn't now that we know what it is; it is a fungal infection called Costochondritis. Costochondritis is an inflammation of the junctions where the upper ribs join with the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone, or the sternum. The virus makes you think you are having a heart attack; pain is one that you can reproduce by pushing on the cartilage in the front of your ribcage so you will want to be careful. Judging by your tests I think it was caused by a respiratory infection. This explains the lightheadedness and sweating and shaking."

"He has a fever?" Meryl asked as Dr. Abbott nodded and she turned to her husband. "I'm sorry, baby; I had no idea."

Don shook his head with a laugh. "Me either; I haven't been feeling that bad."