by Barbara Ebel
“This was more to the left and midline, but it was lower abdominal. I would think the patient would have been sicker if she had appendicitis with an abscess.”
“What about labs?”
“Dr. Gillespie ordered the bloodwork and electrolytes and more than the usual. He even ordered a twenty-four-hour urine.”
“What amazes me is that these doctors we work with are like detectives. Most of the time, within a few minutes of hearing the patient’s history, they have a strong suspicion of the medical possibilities and order what they need to know. Do you think we’ll ever get there?”
“Stuart, we’re on our way. You need to acknowledge that to yourself. Especially you.”
The waitress came with the food and now slipped packets of salad dressing on the table. “Bon appetite.”
Annabel took a bite of the toasted sandwich. “This is tasty, but dinner tonight will surely be better.”
“You’re not going out on a Tuesday night, are you?”
“I’m going to meet Dustin’s mother.”
Stuart looked up from his hunched position over his food. “I’m not saying a word.”
“Come on, Stuart, spill it out. I have my own ideas whirling around inside my head. If it were you, would you be conjuring up ideas about a more serious turn in a relationship?”
“Are you going to her house for dinner?”
“No. She lives far away, so she’s visiting her son. We’re going to a restaurant.”
“Much better. My advice? Don’t work yourself up with anticipation. It won’t be as scary as you think and she will probably like you immediately. Just don’t spill your wine on the tablecloth or take out your cell phone.”
Annabel mulled over the first things he said as they finished eating. “I’m grabbing the tab today, Stuart. I’m being a freeloader as far as hopping car rides from you.”
“Not a problem.”
Stuart and Annabel went back to the office parking lot and slid into his Jaguar. “Another thing,” he said. “It might be a nice gesture if you bring your future mother-in-law a tiny, tiny gift or something for her and her son to share later that night. She’ll be left with a last impression … one that is positive, no matter how much she likes or dislikes you.”
“Stuart?”
“What?”
“Future mother-in-law?!”
Stuart cocked his head with a bemused smile and started the ignition.
-----
The high-wattage bulbs of the pediatric conference room blared down into the room as Annabel and Stuart stood in the back on the top step. A frantic chief resident prepared his Power Point slides on the stage with the help of a technician. The one screen behind them lit up with the topic of the talk: “Lead Poisoning.”
“Interesting topic. I’m heading down front,” Stuart said and peeled away. Just like him, Annabel thought, and admired his tenacity to learn.
“You can’t sit here.” Annabel turned to the side as Bob swiped the chair next to him, imitating the bus scene from Forrest Gump.
Annabel laughed and scooted in, brushing his hand away. To the left of him sat the other three students on his pediatric hospital team. Two female students with crossed legs and skirts sat next to him.
“Hey, Annabel.” The girl next to him bobbed her head and then fumbled in a bag on the floor. She had long hair like Annabel, but it was pulled back and smartly braided. She pulled out a notebook and tapped it on Bob’s knee. “This is a rare topic. I bet our chief resident will be throwing us some questions this week about his talk. Why don’t I take notes for us? We may not find this information in a textbook.”
Bob nodded. “Smart thinking, Nell. We might not ever see a case of lead poisoning, but we won’t forget the topic.”
She shrugged her side into him. “Let me borrow your pen.”
Bob grabbed a pen off his top pocket and then Nell wrote the topic in fine cursive. Annabel noted her thick bracelet and dangling ivory earrings and wondered, Linnell may be studying to become a doctor, but where is her sensitivity to other species? Buying that type of jewelry may help out poachers, and they slaughter elephants.
“Annabel,” Nell said, “our chief resident is up there on stage. We have the best chief of all three hospital teams, don’t we, Bob?”
Bob nodded. “We lucked out. Sorry you’re not with us, Annabel.”
Annabel knew Linnell was an in-state student, born and raised in Ohio, and the fact that her goal was to become a general surgeon. They were both around the same age, and although Annabel had a healthy complexion, Nell’s shined like she massaged her face with pure cocoa butter.
The resident up front tapped the microphone a few times. “I’m going to begin, so everyone please take a seat.”
“So how’s it going?” Bob whispered.
“My relationship with Dustin must be ramping up. He wants me to meet his mother tonight.”
Bob bobbed his head. “I meant in Dr. Gillespie’s office.”
Annabel swallowed hard, realizing she’d inserted a personal, off-topic remark. “Oh, fine, I suppose.”
“As you know, our team is on call tonight. Nell already picked up a patient on life support in the ICU because a deer came through the front car window at her and I gained a young boy as an admission for newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes. These poor children. Can you imagine?”
Annabel shook her head. “There should be a law against children getting medical problems.”
“Wishful thinking,” Nell inserted, extending herself in front of Bob.
The microphone volume ramped up and the chief resident began. “Regulatory interventions have helped to decrease the incidence of lead poisoning in children, but this talk will make you aware of this still existent clinical problem. One takeaway point is where the major source of it now comes from … older buildings that still contain lead paint.”
Bob tried to focus, but what Annabel had said continued to stalk his mind. He had camouflaged his surprise when she said she was meeting Dustin Lowe’s mother, but she’d made a point that their relationship was “ramping up.” It was difficult to appear as if he was neutral or happy about her dating him, but if it escalated further, the blow to his emotions would be awful. It was challenging enough to manage medical school while being in love with Annabel Tilson.
CHAPTER 7
“Come on, Oliver.” The dog’s tail swished back and forth and he boomed out a gregarious bark in anticipation of a walk. Annabel startled and dropped his leash.
“No, no. No barking for that reason. Sit.” She waited for his eyes to settle on her, and as he sat quietly, she praised him. “Much better; now let’s go so you can pee on your favorite tree.”
They bounded down the stairs and she gave Oliver ample time to sniff along the way as they headed in the direction of Pete’s. She would be annoyed at herself if she didn’t follow Stuart’s suggestion about giving Mrs. Lowe some trinket as a gift. It couldn’t hurt. However, she still needed to change for dinner; maybe Pete had something appropriate in his case of desserts.
Annabel fixed Oliver’s leash to the fence outside and stepped into the Café to the tinkle of the door bells above. Tables were joined together and a group of high school students were eating and socializing. She studied the items for sale, both in the see-through cases and shelves against the back wooden wall.
Pete come out from the kitchen. “Anything in particular I can help you with, Annabel?”
“Hi, Pete. I wish. Something small to bring someone I’m meeting tonight - Dustin’s mother. This is a last-minute thought. Maybe dessert for the two of them for later tonight?”
“That’s the boyfriend, right?”
She rolled her eyes and nodded.
“Just making doubly sure. Triply sure. Never mind; I’ll shut up. I may have the perfect treat. How about a fresh blueberry cheesecake? The chef made a dozen miniature ones today. Each is the perfect size for two servings and I can put it in an extra fancy box lined with pink paper.”
“You’re a lifesaver. I’ll take one.” She dug her credit card out while Pete boxed it up. “And add these.” She grabbed a box of chocolate expresso beans and chocolate-covered blueberries, which she and Bob appreciated when they were together. “Thanks, Pete.”
When Annabel ambled outside, now with a small paper bag, Oliver planted his eyes on her. Two girls from the social event inside were cross-legged on the ground, giving him their utmost attention. “He’s gorgeous,” one of them said. “Is he yours?”
“Yes. His name is Oliver.”
Oliver’s tail swiped the girl in the face. “If you ever need a dog sitter, I’ll take care of him.”
“Better yet,” the other one said, “if you ever need to give him up for any reason, I’ll take him!”
“Those are generous offers. In essence, he already has two owners, so he’s spread thin. It is ironic that we saved him from living in a shelter and from being euthanized. The list of people who can or would take care of him for us keeps growing.”
The two girls glanced at each other. “Wow,” the first one said. “When the time comes to get a dog, I think I’ll check the county shelter first.”
“I can’t do it right now,” Annabel said, “but when my career settles down, I’m going to keep two dogs. One from a shelter and a purebred dog of my choice from a breeder.”
The two girls giggled. In unison, they said good-bye to Oliver. As they scrambled back into Pete’s, Annabel overheard, “Okay, you get the purebred and I’ll get the shelter dog and they can be best buddies.”
Annabel grinned. “Oliver, you’re making people who meet you dog-crazy.” As they approached her apartment house and turned in to the staircase, she mumbled, “Now what should I wear?”
-----
In response to a knock, Annabel opened her apartment door at 7 p.m. “Police officers keep perfect time.”
“So do doctors.” Dustin leaned over and ruffled Oliver’s coat. “Hey, boy. Sorry we can’t take you with us.”
Oliver nudged his leash from the other side of the door handle and it dropped to the floor. He picked it up and tried to present it to them.
“I’ll see you later,” Annabel said and hung the leash back. “You mind the house.” She opened the refrigerator and grabbed the paper bag. Much to Oliver’s disappointment, the couple slipped out the door and Annabel locked it behind her.
Dustin glanced up and down. “By the way, you look great. You said you wouldn’t have time to doll up. You don’t need to.”
She glanced down at her outfit: a pair of sandals, a short-sleeved dress with a belt, and a touch of jewelry. Around her neck, and to the side, she wore a multi-pocketed flat bag with her personal items. With only a thin line of eyeliner and a touch of lipstick, her hair, looks, and figure spoke for itself.
“Thank you, and I’m looking forward to meeting your mom.”
“I had to double park.”
Downstairs, Dustin opened the car door and Annabel looked towards the back. “Hi, Vicki, I’ve heard all about you. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. I’m glad you could make it tonight. Between both your jobs, it must be difficult to schedule a date.”
Dustin popped in and cruised the car away from her street. “Somehow we work around our schedules. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it.”
Annabel grasped on to what he said. He seemed to have faith in their dating despite the complexity of their careers and her training demands. Her stomach churned with butterflies as she stole a glance. Unfortunately, from the side, she couldn’t see the flattering dimple in his chin.
Twelve minutes later, Dustin parked his Acura behind the restaurant and they made small talk to the front door.
“Good evening,” the maître d’ said once they were inside. “Would you like to sit at a table by the bar or on this side of the restaurant?”
Dustin squirmed. He couldn’t possibly sit in the bar area, where last time, they ran into a man Annabel had had a fling with. “We’ll take a booth inside.”
Vicki scooted into a black booth and Annabel sat across from her. She smiled at Dustin as he slid in next to her.
“Your son always takes this side,” Annabel said. “Any side that faces the main entrance so he can monitor what goes on. One time when we were together, his habit helped out the restaurant because, while I was doing the Heimlich maneuver on someone, he was catching a crook stealing from the register. I also happen to know that his trick comes in handy quite often while he’s working.”
Vicki smiled a mischievous grin. Annabel could now see the resemblance between mother and son, a subtlety across the cheekbones and their full mouths. She had a medium build with a thin waist and wore a loose cotton top. A dangling gemstone hung off a silver necklace above her chest. She took her glasses off and placed them to the side of the tablecloth.
“Ahh. You two must be thick as thieves. He ushers me around too while he polices the environment around us whenever we’re together. He only does that with people he loves.”
“Mom!” Dustin said and shrugged his shoulders.
Annabel quickly rose her glass of ice water and took a sip.
“So what kind of doctor are you studying to be?”
“I have yet to make that decision, but the time is drawing near. In the coming weeks, I must put in applications to land a residency spot and then match day comes in the spring.”
A female waiter stepped to the table. “Good evening. Would you like to order yet?”
“I think so,” Dustin said, nodding several times at Annabel.
She nodded back, knowing he understood her need to study. “How about your catch of the day, Cajun style, and asparagus.”
“And you, Ma’am?”
“The special,” Vicki said. “With the understanding I’ll be boxing some up for tomorrow.”
Dustin handed her the three menus. “I’ll take a medium ribeye and two house-favorite vegetable sides.”
The waitress bowed her head. “Any bread or wine in the interim?”
“Bring them on,” Dustin said. “Would you prefer white, ladies?”
“I’m skipping,” Annabel said.
Vicki tapped the wine list on the table. “Chardonnay.”
The woman left and Annabel began to relax much more. Dustin’s mother was friendly and she didn’t seem to be judging her.
Vicki spun right back into Annabel’s medical journey. “What area of medicine are you doing right now?”
“Pediatrics. But please tell me about yourself. I understand you work in a bank?”
“I do. The same one for eight years. There was one take-over, but I stayed on without a problem and I enjoy meeting customers at my window.”
“Sounds pleasant enough. Do you ever worry about being held up?”
“My son drove that possibility into my head. He says, ‘Toss over the money and not your life.’”
Dustin laughed. “Other than that, believe me, she has the last word about everything else.”
Vicki winked at Annabel, acknowledging her son’s statement. When the wine was poured, Annabel still passed, but she was so at ease, it already felt like she’d drunk a whole glass.
-----
“Feel free to drop me off at the house,” Vicki said back in Dustin’s car. “I’m tired enough to chill and you two can go on to Annabel’s place. Besides, if I want to keep up a conversation, I’ll have Solar to talk to.”
“My place is close, Mom, so I’ll drop you off.”
Dustin soon pulled up in front of his house.
“Take care, Annabel, it was nice meeting you.”
“You, too, Ma’am.” She reached down and handed Vicki the bag with blueberry cheesecake through the open window. “This is a little something for dessert, especially since we didn’t splurge at the restaurant. It should go in the fridge if you don’t get to eat any tonight.”
“How thoughtful of you, dear.” Vicki turned to her son, approval written a
ll over her face.
Dustin unlocked the front door for his mother and strutted back. The dinner went well, he thought, and he heaved a sigh of relief that no man from Annabel’s past had showed up.
A few parking places were available on Annabel’s street, so Dustin parked across the street.
Annabel stretched one leg out of the Acura. “I should walk Oliver one last time. Would you like to join us?”
Dustin nodded. “The trials and tribulations of pet ownership. Is he proving himself worth it?”
“Of course. No different than your cleaning out Solar’s cage, which he seems to never be in.”
“I’m yanking your chain. Oliver is a sweetheart. A guy could get jealous over all the bonding you’ve got going with him.”
They stepped on the third floor landing and Annabel unlocked the door.
“Not to worry. I have a right and left heart. You know, two atriums and two ventricles. I hereby declare the right side to go to Oliver and the stronger left side is to be reserved for my male human love life.”
“Wow. That’s quite a proclamation.”
Annabel glanced at her watch and grimaced while Oliver’s feather duster of a tail greeted them.
Noticing her uncomfortableness, surely about study time, he decided to volunteer. “Why don’t you start your bedtime routine and I walk Oliver?”
She crouched down and gave Oliver a hug. “Dustin is going to walk you.” Springing up, she planted a kiss on Dustin. “Thanks and thanks for inviting me to dinner with your mom.”
“You’re welcome.” He pranced Oliver out the door, the two of them with enough energy to bolt downstairs and around the street to the neighborhood garden park.
Annabel changed into summery pajama shorts and a body-clinging top. She tossed her shoes in the closet and grabbed her pediatric paperback. Bob’s case he mentioned that morning had sounded interesting, so she opened up a chapter on “Type 1 Diabetes in Children.” Maybe she could give him some tips if his night on call was too busy to allow him to read. The condensed reading format of the topic was useful, and she absorbed quite a bit by the time she heard a rap on the door and Oliver bounded in to greet her before Dustin.
