Dane watched with a smile as she strolled out the door. He
opened the paper, glanced at the address, and shoved it in his pocket. He
downed the rest of his coffee then dropped an extra few dollars on the table
for Marley. He headed across town for an appointment that, hopefully, wouldn’t
have to be rescheduled.
Even though he
arrived late, the doctor didn’t turn him away. The paper barrier on the
examination table crinkled as Dane stood. Having sat there for the last half
hour was causing his back to ache more than it had been when he came in the
exam room. He retrieved his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans. Shit. Several
missed messages from Kaya. “She’s gonna kill me.”
“What’s that?”
Dane jumped at
the doctor’s voice. He was so intent on his messages that he didn’t hear her
come in. “Just my boss. It’s nothing.” He returned to the table, holding the
cotton gown closed behind him. When he was situated, he noticed the doctor was
staring at him. “That bad?”
Dr. Isabelle
Sarantos’ blue eyes were hidden behind square black glasses. “Not bad, Mr.
Abbott, just inconclusive. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but we are
going to have to run more tests. The blood panels so far have either been
compromised somehow, or there are anomalies in your white blood cells that we
have never seen before. I’m going to have the tech pull more samples and then I
will let you go. We will send these samples off to an independent lab for
verification. I’ll call you when I know something, one way or another.”
She was right;
that wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Dane wanted to know what the fuck was wrong
with him. Between his skin itching and his joints aching, he wasn’t getting any
sleep. He was unable to focus on his job, and it was beginning to show. He
could only avoid Kaya for so long. Dane never called in sick, but he had to get
some rest.
The young lab
technician knocked then came in the room, setting a plastic container on the
stainless steel table. She pulled several vials of blood earlier, so she didn’t
bother reintroducing herself. She just got busy with the tourniquet and needle.
After she was finished, she removed her gloves and disposed of them before she
slipped out of the room.
Dr. Sarantos was
scribbling notes on Dane’s chart. Without looking up, she asked, “Do you want
me to write you a prescription for a sleep aid or pain pill?”
“No, I’m good.”
She continued
writing a few more lines. “Okay, I will let you get dressed then.” She held out
a business card. “Here’s my number in case you change your mind.”
Without another
look back, she left him to put his clothes back on. He really should go check
out the address Katherine had given him earlier, but Dane was feeling worse by
the minute. He just wanted to go home and go to bed.
Isabelle stopped
the lab technician in the hallway just before she stepped into the elevator.
“Paige, I am going to run these samples myself. I have another case I’m working
on, and I believe they are similar. You go ahead home and tell Dustin hello
for me.” The tech handed the tray of samples to her and smiled.
“Thanks, Doc!”
Isabelle laughed
at her young friend. “Have a good night.”
“Will do. And
don’t you work too late.” The elevator doors closed on her last words.
“Right, me work
late?” Isabelle laughed at herself. There was already a cot in her office so
she could get a little sleep. This latest case was bothersome to say the least.
Her background in infectious disease should be coming in handy, but this was
like nothing she had ever seen before. Actually there was something like it a
long time ago in her father’s lab, but she was certain this could not be
related.
The notes and
findings her father wrote about were obscure at least and unbelievable at most.
She was going to have to call in someone to help her with the research, and she
knew just the person. If this was anything
opened the paper, glanced at the address, and shoved it in his pocket. He
downed the rest of his coffee then dropped an extra few dollars on the table
for Marley. He headed across town for an appointment that, hopefully, wouldn’t
have to be rescheduled.
Even though he
arrived late, the doctor didn’t turn him away. The paper barrier on the
examination table crinkled as Dane stood. Having sat there for the last half
hour was causing his back to ache more than it had been when he came in the
exam room. He retrieved his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans. Shit. Several
missed messages from Kaya. “She’s gonna kill me.”
“What’s that?”
Dane jumped at
the doctor’s voice. He was so intent on his messages that he didn’t hear her
come in. “Just my boss. It’s nothing.” He returned to the table, holding the
cotton gown closed behind him. When he was situated, he noticed the doctor was
staring at him. “That bad?”
Dr. Isabelle
Sarantos’ blue eyes were hidden behind square black glasses. “Not bad, Mr.
Abbott, just inconclusive. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but we are
going to have to run more tests. The blood panels so far have either been
compromised somehow, or there are anomalies in your white blood cells that we
have never seen before. I’m going to have the tech pull more samples and then I
will let you go. We will send these samples off to an independent lab for
verification. I’ll call you when I know something, one way or another.”
She was right;
that wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Dane wanted to know what the fuck was wrong
with him. Between his skin itching and his joints aching, he wasn’t getting any
sleep. He was unable to focus on his job, and it was beginning to show. He
could only avoid Kaya for so long. Dane never called in sick, but he had to get
some rest.
The young lab
technician knocked then came in the room, setting a plastic container on the
stainless steel table. She pulled several vials of blood earlier, so she didn’t
bother reintroducing herself. She just got busy with the tourniquet and needle.
After she was finished, she removed her gloves and disposed of them before she
slipped out of the room.
Dr. Sarantos was
scribbling notes on Dane’s chart. Without looking up, she asked, “Do you want
me to write you a prescription for a sleep aid or pain pill?”
“No, I’m good.”
She continued
writing a few more lines. “Okay, I will let you get dressed then.” She held out
a business card. “Here’s my number in case you change your mind.”
Without another
look back, she left him to put his clothes back on. He really should go check
out the address Katherine had given him earlier, but Dane was feeling worse by
the minute. He just wanted to go home and go to bed.
Isabelle stopped
the lab technician in the hallway just before she stepped into the elevator.
“Paige, I am going to run these samples myself. I have another case I’m working
on, and I believe they are similar. You go ahead home and tell Dustin hello
for me.” The tech handed the tray of samples to her and smiled.
“Thanks, Doc!”
Isabelle laughed
at her young friend. “Have a good night.”
“Will do. And
don’t you work too late.” The elevator doors closed on her last words.
“Right, me work
late?” Isabelle laughed at herself. There was already a cot in her office so
she could get a little sleep. This latest case was bothersome to say the least.
Her background in infectious disease should be coming in handy, but this was
like nothing she had ever seen before. Actually there was something like it a
long time ago in her father’s lab, but she was certain this could not be
related.
The notes and
findings her father wrote about were obscure at least and unbelievable at most.
She was going to have to call in someone to help her with the research, and she
knew just the person. If this was anything
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