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Date Posted: 16:56:48 11/18/02 Mon
Author: CCCook
Subject: Re: Studs, Texas - Book Two - New segments
In reply to: CCCook 's message, "Re: Studs, Texas - Book Two - New segments" on 16:53:49 11/18/02 Mon

From Sue:

Hope couldn’t believe it was already approaching 5pm when she finally made it back to the Pear. Her
appointment with Dr. Siddig had been scheduled for 3:15 and she had arrived 10 minutes early
hoping to get in and out, so she could be back in time for Justin’s T-ball sign-ups. That was not
to be. The good doctor had been delayed at Stud’s General with an emergency and didn’t arrive
back at his office until close to 4:15. During this delay, the waiting room began filling up with
patients suffering various ailments, all waiting to be seen. Both the secretary behind the
reception desk and the staff nurse did their best to appease the ever growing number of peevish
patients; a few arriving shortly after her, but with appointments scheduled earlier. Her brief
vestige into the past brought on by the San Jacinto flyer was quickly extinguished by the
constant flow of movement into the small waiting room. She did her best to keep her thoughts
otherwise occupied while listening and somewhat commiserating with others there over their
increasing displeasure at having to wait. One woman even complained loudly enough that she
should send the doctor a bill for her time, that the staff in the inner office closed the small
sliding glass pane that joined the two rooms in communication. As Hope was flipping through a
very out-of-date issue of “Us”, she caught a glimpse through the rectangular glass of the young
doctor entering through the back door. After having a brief word with both women, he turned
and headed to the right, out of her view. Minutes later the nurse on duty called the first patient,
whom unfortunately wasn’t her. Ten minutes later she finally heard her name being called , and
standing up she proceeded to follow the now harried nurse through the door to the short hallway
leading to a suite of examining rooms.

The nurse took a short history before asking her to step on the scale, recording the results and
then taking her blood pressure. Eying the reading conspicuously she turned to make note of it
upon her chart before briefly handing her a gown to put on, and then stating the doctor should be
in shortly finally instructing Hope to take a seat upon the examination table when she finished
changing. Watching the door close quickly behind her, Hope didn’t have a chance to respond
to her directives as she eyed the garment before her warily wondering if the opening should be
in the front or the back. Deciding it would provide more concealment if tied from behind she
hastily undressed fearing the doctor’s imminent appearance, and using her arms, she pushed
herself up upon the table, hearing and feeling the white paper lining it, crinkle beneath her.
She was left now to stare at the room surrounding her, and her eyes traveled about it.. To her
left was a metal cupboard holding various instruments, gauze and swabs. There was also a red
plastic container marked punctures. To the right of that was a large plastic model of the inner
ear. Upon the wall beside it was a poster warning to the symptoms and dangers of Lyme’s
disease. Another next to it warned about the dangers of heart disease while the next one beside
it spoke about AIDS. Hopes eyes moved on to the blinded window that shielded the small room
from the parking lot behind the building. Her thoughts moved absurdly to a conversation she
had many years back with some of her girlfriends as to which directions the slats of the blinds
should be turned to insure the optimum privacy; up or down. Hugging her gown more tightly
around her, her eyes quickly strayed back to notice the slats were turned upwards and she
chided herself over the ridiculousness of such a thought. She never liked going to the doctors.
It usually meant sickness or perhaps a needle stick. Her mother used to tease her about her
silliness over it as a girl especially as she got older. Even now a slight film of sweat began to
cover the palms of her hand and she wiped them against the sides of her very short gown.
Reprimanding herself again for her foolishness, she went back to inspecting her surroundings;
the blood pressure cuff and gauge, a metal lighting stand, a small stool , an eye chart, and finally
another poster. Her eyes flickered over it as she took in how a human fetus developed in utero
during the nine months it took for gestation. Her hands, now beside her, clutched involuntarily
at the paper beneath them as she recalled seeing the same poster before in another doctor’s
office; a much more familiar one than this. She had been 23 at the time , almost three months
pregnant, and in very deep denial. For weeks she had been trying to dismiss her constant fatigue,
dizziness and nauseousness as a virulent strain of the flu, but when the symptoms didn’t abate,
her alarmed parents went behind her back, making her an appointment with their family doctor
which she could not see her way out of. Fortunately they allowed her the liberty to usher herself
to and from the appointment though her father, the more insistent of the two, would have gladly
chauffeured her. Swallowing hard she remembered how her life was never the same after that
day...no, she corrected herself; it had started many months before...

It was during this reflection that Doctor Siddig took the liberty of entering the small examination
room; his cheery dark eyes and arresting smile greeting her as he issued a friendly hello. “Miss
Edwards, how are you today?”

Looking quickly up at him, both her hastily suspended remembrance and her scanty attire made
her feel at a disadvantage as she issued him a weak smile before uttering. “Hello, Dr. Siddig.”

Reaching for the chart, his eyes quickly scanned over it as he asked again. “And you are?....”

“Fine.” She answered almost meekly.

Peering slightly up at her over the top of the clipboard, he raised an eyebrow almost mockingly
as he issued a light. “Well that is for me to decide now, isn’t it?”

Hope felt her heart beat more strongly within her chest almost in annoyance at the cavalier
attitude he seemed to be taking with her and unable to stop herself, she issued a more stronger
statement. “Well I was fine when I first came in. Who knows how I'll be however with all the germs
and bacteria I was exposed to while biding my time in your waiting room?”

“Touche...” He uttered while flashing her a quick look of amusement before placing her chart
back down upon the small table beside him and speaking once again. “It says that your blood
pressure is a little up...shall we take another look?” Sitting down upon a stool, he reached over
to take the cuff before moving closer towards her. Taking her arm, he wrapped it around her
before adjusting the ear pieces of his stethoscope, and placing the bulb in the fold of her arm.
Slowly he inflated the instrument watching the gauge intently while listening carefully until he
obtained an accurate reading and allowing the pressure upon her arm to decrease. “Hmmm....it
does seem to be somewhat increased...” Turning a serious eye to her he continued with utter
gravity. “Could it be my close proximity, Miss Edwards?”

“Umm...what?” Was all she could muster while staring back at him disbelievingly as he reached
for her wrist taking it within his hand to take her pulse.

“Yes...it is a little fast...” He replied directing his gaze from his watch as he dropped her wrist
and looked into her eyes before stating. “It wouldn’t be the first time...”

“No..no...no...” She began to mutter. “...you’re mistaken...” When she noticed a mischievous
smile spread across his face as he chuckled lightly as if to ease her tension over the situation at
hand. Hesitantly she began to laugh too.

“Well that’s a relief...” He answered with a wry smile, “Because I don’t think that Natalie...,
my wife, would take too kindly to it...being 7 months pregnant and all with our second child...
especially during this recent heat wave that’s been adding to her disagreeableness...I wouldn’t
want add anything else to all her burdens especially with all the late hours I’ve been pulling
currently.”

Hope only nodded as he continued on with the examination listening to her heart with his
stethoscope. “Sounds strong and healthy....” He commented as he moved onto her ears, nose
and throat before asking. “Have you been experiencing any stress lately?”

“No...no not really.”

“Well that could be a reason for the increase in your bp especially since it was a little on the low
side right after your accident. Nothing at all has been stressful or hectic of late?” As he moved
onto to her eyes lightly moving his fingers over the still bruised socket and cheek bone below
her left one.

“Well life with a six year old boy is always a little hectic...”

“Tell me about it!” He commented before he instructed her to lay down to check her abdomen and
ribs. “I have a three year old daughter... life is anything but peaceful at our house...well except
for nap time and the hours between 9 and 6 am ... a little live wire she is...” Hope smiled back
as she listened to him go on while he lightly poked and prodded. “If you can just sit up and turn
around we’re almost finished...”

As she did, the gown covering her didn’t comply as easily precipitating her to make a quick
grab to clutch it about her before it revealed more than she felt comfortable with only to notice
the look of acknowledgment brewing in his eyes and realizing the ridiculousness of her actions
since the man before her was a doctor and was well versed in human anatomy, but that didn’t
stop the stain of color that flooded her cheeks while he commented. “Awful things aren’t they?
You’d think with all the advances in medical science, someone one could come up with a more
suitable covering than this.” While he completed his examination. Turning from her, he
reached to pick up the chart upon the table and marked down his findings while allowing her
time to adjust the wrap around herself more thoroughly. Finally turning back to her he
concluded. “You seem to be healing just fine.” Much to her relief. “I will fill out this order
permitting you to return to work on a full time status.”

“Thank you.” She uttered.

Staring back at her and raising an eyebrow again; now in seriousness and not in amusement; he
continued. “I am a little concerned about the fluctuations in your blood pressure. I would like to
keep monitor of it especially since you say you haven’t been experiencing any undo stress in
your life.” She could only nod yes as she listened to him go on. “In the meantime you might
find it helpful to keep a journal of your everyday activities...” A kindly smiling filling his eyes.
“Sometimes what some people don’t realize as increased pressure, could be adding to the
stressfulness in their lives...and if it’s nothing...” He went on. “...well then you can consider it
an exercise in self examination. Oh and keep a log of what you eat and your sleeping patterns
too. If the high pressure readings continue, then we’ll take a look at it to see if we can figure
out some mitigating factors, and order some more conclusive blood work.”

Hope winced at these words and he looked back at her questioningly while she replied. “Just
don’t mention needles again...I can testify with certainty that they’ll cause an increased feeling
of stress.”

Chuckling, he smiled back at her before handing her a note of instruction.

********************************************************************************

Staring through the plate glass door looking into the Pear, Hope witnessed both Josh and Justin
having a soda at the counter. As if sensing her nearness, Josh turned towards the direction of
the doorway as she made her way into the café. “Is everything okay?” He uttered unable to keep
both the worry and concern out of his voice.

“Yes... I’m sorry I’m late...the doctor was delayed with an emergency.”

“Good.” Came Josh’s whispered response as he moved closer to her while his eyes made a
scrutinizing sweep over her still form, lingering on the yellowing bruise that still colored her
cheekbone and the flesh around it before drawing her into his arms hugging her closer towards
him.

“He said, I can start back to work.”

“When?...”

“Right away...well not tonight...” She finished noticing the yearning look in his deep blue eyes.
“Tomorrow night will be soon enough.”

“Good!” He uttered again quietly, his warm breath stirring the hair against her temple before his
lips placed a light kiss against her skin.

“Mommy! Mommy!” Justin called out enthusiastically finally noticing his mother’s
arrival. “Josh says we can go play miniature golf tonight, if it’s alright with you?”

Hope moved back slightly from the man, who held her within his arms to eye both the small boy
and him. “I see you two have been up to making plans again?”

Each male; both small one and large; grinned sheepishly at each other, while Hope added. “I
don’t mind, just as long as we’re not out too late. You have an early morning tomorrow, Justin
with T-ball and all.”

“We both do.” Justin answered almost flippantly as Hope stared back questioningly at both
the man and boy in her life that she held so dear while Josh said.

“We’ll tell you all about it later over burgers and fries...”

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