“Doctor Roberts, page 324” calls Ali out on the PA.
The phone rings and Ali, hurriedly picks it up. “Dr. Roberts? Ooops I meant Shane, could you come in here and look at something on the microscope?”
Since graduating from East Tennessee State University (Amanda thought Ali needed to get away from all the drama in Bay City) with her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, Ali Fowler has been the head of the lab department at Bay City General. Ali had interned at Wellmont Hospital in Kingsport, dealing mainly with blood disorders, but at Bay City General, there was a lot of the ho-hum drudgery of general life in a lab. Drawing blood and making sure the iron counts were acceptable, matching blood types for patients in need of blood transfusions, checking immunizations levels, and so forth were just a part of her daily routine, day in and day out. Nothing had given Ali any indication that her training would be used when this routine sample came across her desk.
Doctor Roberts comes into the lab and says, “What’s up Ali?”
“I just needed you to look at this sample under the scoop to make sure I was seeing what I think I am seeing. Something is not right here. The white blood cell count is off the charts while the red blood cell count is extremely low. If I didn’t know any better I would swear this person is in the early stages of leukemia. Would you take a look, please?”
“Sure Ali, I would be happy to.” He takes a look, raises up, rubs his eyes, and looks once again. “You are right Ali, and if I didn’t know any better this patient is in the early stages of chronic myelogenous leukemia. I hate to ask but who is the patient?”
“Let me look. Oh no! It’s Frankie!! How will we tell her and Cass, especially since she just came back and she is now the mom of a newborn.”
“Well, Jamie is her doctor, so we have to let him know what is going on with her. I have had some dealings with this type of cancer and it is one that you can recover from. A bone marrow transplant is her best defense right now, before it progresses to the point of no return. Ali, I need you to perform this series of tests……….” Shane rattles off what all he needs run so that they can be sure of the diagnosis before informing Jamie of the findings. “And remember, keep this to yourself, remember your oath as a health care provider, not a word to no one including Steven. I know you are seeing Steven and with all his problems, you don’t need to complicate this anymore. This is going to test my ability as an infectious blood disease doctor, so not a word to no one!”
“Don’t worry Shane; I haven’t forgotten my oath and no one will know, absolutely no one. “Do you want me to call in some of my mentors at Wellmont to help on this one too?? You are going to need all the help you can get on this.”
“Sure Ali, who do you have in mind?”
“Doctor Elias Henson.”
“I know him; he is one of the best in that part of the country. Call him.”
“I will make that call right now, by the way, what about the support system she is going to need, should we call in Dr. Matthews for the mental evalue?”
“You mean Olivia? Not yet, I want to keep this under wraps a little longer and get some more opinions before we tell Frankie and Cass. She is not critical yet, but we have to stay on top of this. I think from the looks of things, she has about two years before she goes acute. Right now all she has to do is come in for monthly blood monitoring and we will start her on some medicine that will begin the chemo before the bone marrow transplant.”
“Ok, Shane I will make those calls now. Thanks.”
“No problem Ali, no problem at all. Let me go get Jamie and talk to him about this. We are going to need all the help we can get on this one.”
Shane exits the lab, as Ali picks up the phone. “Operator, I need an outside line.” Sounds of the buttons being pushed as she dials the number, and then hears ‘Wellmont Cancer Survivor Center’ over the line. “Doctor Henson, please. Tell him it is Ali Fowler calling.”
“Hold on while I get him, by the way Ali, it is so good to hear your voice.”
“Thanks Katie, I sure have missed you all.”
Sounds of laughter, “All those years here and you still can’t say y’all right. We still miss you and when are you coming back to visit?”
“Next vacation, I promise, isn’t the jazz festival in a few weeks?”
“Sure is, will you be coming to it?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for nothing, I can promise you that much.”
“Here he is Ali, miss you and love you. I miss our late night talks and popcorn fests.”
“I miss you and love you too, Katie. I miss those too. I also miss just hanging out. I wish I had never left, but with things at home….
Elias? It is so good to hear your voice, I need your help. I have something I want to send you and I want you to evaluate it. Could you do that?”
“Sure Ali, anything for you. What do you think you have?”
“An early case of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Do you want the electronic copy cause I can have it sent to you within minutes?”
“Sure electronic transfer would work well. So I assume this one came from left field?”
“Yes, it did. The patient came in to give birth, and I happened to discover it during routine blood work.”
“Ali, I would be happy to help. So are you coming back for the Jazz Festival? I know that is a little presumptive to ask on my part, considering, but would you at least consider it? I promise as a gentleman not to pressure you into anything. I know we parted under bad terms, but remember I still love you, and I would do anything for another chance to make things right. So would you at least consider it?”
“Elias, I will consider it. Katie wants me to come down too, and I can’t promise anything, but I will try. I am sorry, I want things to work out between us, but with all the drama at home, I couldn’t take the added stress. Please forgive me, will you? I still love you too.”
“One last session and I am out of here. Home, it has never sounded so sweeter. I hope Donna makes it here and does not forget that I am getting out today.”
“Miss Love? Are you ready?” |
