The Exception To The Rule

by Rinyu, Beth

  James came into the kitchen to let us know he was leaving and to thank Claire for dinner. She insisted that he take some leftovers home. She went into the hallway closet to get more containers for the food. I didn’t want to say anything to Charles or Claire about what I had discovered on Matty last night. I didn’t want them to worry unnecessarily. But I felt like I needed to talk to someone. This was the perfect time since Claire had left the room.

  “What do you think of Dr. Fowler?” I asked James.

  “The oncologist?” he asked, looking a little perplexed.

  I nodded as I took a bite of my potato.

  “Little old for you, don’t you think?” he joked. I rolled my eyes at him. “I don’t really know much about him, why?” he asked, becoming more serious.

  I explained to him the lump I had found on Matty’s neck and that I was going to take him to have it checked out.

  “How long has he had it?” he asked with concern on his face.

  “I just noticed it last night. You know he’s been sick on and off all summer, so it could be just a swollen lymph node from that.” I sounded more like I was trying to reassure myself than him.

  I made him promise not to say anything to anyone, including Tricia. I didn’t want to alarm everyone over nothing. I found it ironic that I had just confided in the biggest mouth I knew. He had been true to his word about not revealing my bigger secret so I didn’t doubt that he would keep his mouth shut about this. Besides, I knew that after tomorrow I would know that Matty was okay so I didn’t have to worry about him slipping.

  Claire finally returned with containers and piled the food in them. James excused himself to say goodbye to Matty, signaling for me to follow him. Charles had gone upstairs to take a shower. Matty was just waking up. He was sitting up on the couch, half asleep and half awake. James sat down next to him, giving him a high five. Matty was so out of it, he didn’t even realize James feeling around on his neck. I knew that it was still there as his fingers stopped right in the same location that mine had last night. He pressed around and just like last night, it didn’t seem to bother Matty at all.

  “When is his appointment?” he asked. The look on his face worried me.

  “Dr. Fowler said to call the office tomorrow and he would get me in right away.”

  “Did you want me to go with you?”

  “No, don’t be silly; I’m sure I’m just overreacting,” I said, trying to brush off the concerned look on his face and tone in his voice.

  “Okay, but please call me as soon as you’re done,” he said, looking down at Matty.

  I nodded in response, just as Claire walked in with a bagful of food. “Since I know you are a bachelor living on your own, this should get you through a few nights worth of dinner,” she said, handing him the bag.

  “Even if he and Tricia were married already, he’d still be fending for himself,” I said. Claire and I laughed knowing Tricia was a horrible cook. He thanked Claire again and gave us both a kiss goodbye. He stopped as he walked past Matty, messing up his hair and giving him a kiss on the head.

  I headed home, thinking about how I could rearrange my schedule for tomorrow to accommodate this appointment. After bathing Matty, I quickly jumped in the shower. To my surprise Matty was sound asleep on my bed when I was done. I carried him into his room and tucked him in. I ran my finger over his neck hoping that somehow the lump would be gone, but it was still there. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to get here. I needed to put my mind at ease and my worries to rest.

  Chapter 22

  I was watching the clock waiting for 9 a.m. so I could get someone in Dr. Fowler’s office to answer the phone. As much as I told myself that I was overreacting and it was nothing, I was finding myself more and more anxious to get this appointment. I had already been to the hospital to do my rounds. I was sitting patiently in my office waiting for my first patient to arrive in hopes of occupying my mind. To top it off, Matty had woken up with a low-grade fever and a cough. I had Samantha, a college student who lived down the street from me, babysitting. She had been babysitting Matty since she was in high school. She was very responsible and I trusted that she had everything under control. I gave her specific directions on how often to give him the Tylenol and to call me if his temperature got any higher. When I had left they were both cuddled up on the couch watching cartoons, where they would probably be most of the day. It was rainy and miserable out as the tail end of what was once a hurricane was passing us by.

  As soon as the digital clock on my desk flashed to nine, I dialed the number. I was relieved to hear that I had reached the actual office and not his answering service. I told the lady my name and she immediately knew who I was. She offered me an appointment at four-thirty, which I instantly accepted. I looked to see that my last scheduled patient was at three o’clock. I quickly went to the front desk to let the girls know not to schedule any appointments beyond that.

  Tricia walked in as I was talking to them. “Do we have a date?” she asked, giggling.

  I didn’t want to worry her but at the same time I felt guilty not telling her. We shared everything about our lives with each other. I knew that I just couldn’t keep this from her so I called her in my office and told her about the appointment.

  I saw the look of panic on her face. “Tricia, how many kids do we see with lumps that turn out to be nothing?” I said. “I’m sure it’s nothing,” I continued.

  “Yeah, I know,” she said, sounding a little unsure. “But this is Matty,” she added.

  She told me that she would check in on my few patients when she went to the hospital this afternoon, alleviating my worry about how I was going to swing that if Matty’s appointment ran late. I hugged and thanked her, feeling much better that I had told her.

  I finished up as scheduled, with just enough time to run home and pick up Matty. The rain had finally stopped. It was now just a very dreary and damp late summer day. It dawned on me that today was the last day of August. I couldn’t believe how quickly the summer flew by.

  I arrived home to find Matty sitting at the kitchen table coloring with Samantha. He looked a little better, but still very pale with tiny dark circles under his eyes. His usual ruby red lips had lost their coloring as well. He smiled as I entered the kitchen, lifting up his coloring book to show the masterpiece he had been working on.

  “That’s beautiful,” I said, making a big deal out of it.

  Samantha filled me in on the day’s events. I thanked her for all of her help. I grabbed money from my wallet to pay her and we went over the days that I would need her for the rest of the week. She gave Matty a hug and a kiss as she walked out the door.

  Matty was not happy when I told him we had to leave to go to the doctor’s. “But why? I’m okay,” he protested. “Plus you’re a doctor, silly head.”

  “This is a different kind of doctor than mommy is,” I tried explaining to him.

  He ignored me, not taking his eyes from his coloring book.

  I knew that we had just enough time to get to Dr. Fowler’s office. “Matthew Anthony, let’s go,” I said in a stern voice. He got up immediately knowing that he was never called by his full name unless he was in trouble for something. He gave me a hard time when I made him put on his windbreaker. He moaned and groaned as I put the hood up as we walked out the door.

  We arrived at Dr. Fowler’s office a few minutes late. I didn’t sweat it when I saw two other patients still in the waiting room waiting to be seen. His office was located in a new modern office building. Everything there seemed to be top of the line. Matty was immediately drawn to the huge play area. I didn’t want him spreading his germs to these children who already had low immune systems. I took off his jacket signaling for him to sit in the seat next to me. I picked up one of the books that were sitting on the table. He leaned up against me listening closely as I read it. I glanced over at the hairless little boy who looked to be about eleven, sitting across from us, and my heart ached for him. He was sitting playi
ng his handheld video game as if unfazed by anything while his mother read a magazine.

  Matty fell asleep somewhere in the middle of the book. I picked him up, placing him on my lap as we waited for our turn. He had just woken up and seemed to be in a little better mood when the nurse called us back to the exam room. She took Matty’s weight, height, and temperature. She was just finishing when Dr. Fowler came in.

  “You must be Matty,” Dr. Fowler said in a very friendly tone.

  Matty sat on the exam table nervously swinging his legs. Dr. Fowler listened to his heart and lungs with the stethoscope before thoroughly examining his neck. He began pressing around where the lump was located, asking Matty if it caused him any pain.

  Matty shook his head, still swinging his legs.

  He thoroughly examined the rest of his body making sure that there were no other lumps. He informed me that he was going to do some blood work. Matty’s ears perked up at the thought of a needle.

  “I don’t want a shot,” he said as his eyes filled with tears.

  Dr. Fowler explained to him that it wasn’t a shot like he was used to. He described it as a little pinch. He assured him that his nurse was the best at it and he wouldn’t feel a thing. The nurse came in to draw his blood. I could tell that she had a lot of experience doing this. She immediately put Matty’s mind at ease.

  “Okay Matty, you’re just going to feel a tiny little pinch, and then it will be all over,” she said gently.

  She quickly found his vein and effortlessly stuck the needle in, without him feeling a thing. I tried to get him to look away but he was mesmerized by the blood being sucked out of his vein. Once she was done she removed the needle from his arm, placing a Sponge Bob bandage on him.

  “I have to say, you were by far one of my bravest patients,” she said as Matty flashed his dimpled little smile. She asked me if it was okay for her to take him to go pick out a lollipop. I smiled and nodded as she and Matty walked out of the room.

  Dr. Fowler was writing in Matty’s chart. “Let’s see; today is Tuesday, so I should have the results no later than Friday,” he said, writing down one last thing.

  He somewhat put my mind at ease when he told me that he tests all of his patients who present the same type of symptoms as Matty. He liked to err on the side of caution. He assured me that he would call me as soon as he got the results before walking out of the room and to his next patient.

  Matty ran back in the room with three lollipops and covered in stickers. The nurse that had drawn his blood was right behind him laughing. “All of the girls in the office are in love with your son and those beautiful eyes of his,” she remarked. I smiled, amazed by how Matty had the same effect on everyone he encountered.

  I felt a little defeated not getting the answer that I had immediately hoped for, and instead had to wait a few more days for it.

  The next few days were grueling. I tried to get my mind off of it as best I could but every time my phone rang my heart would rise from my chest. Tricia and James were relentless with calling to see if I heard anything. I assured them that they would be the first to know when I did, especially since they were the only ones that did know. I still hadn’t said anything to Charles and Claire. I would explain it to them after I found out everything was going to be okay.

  Matty was still not feeling that great with an on-and-off fever. I was hoping that he would shake it in time for his first day of kindergarten, which was only a few days away. I was happy that tomorrow was Friday. I had taken a few days off so I could spend the entire Labor Day weekend with him.

  I had just finished up with a patient and hurried back into my office to grab some lunch. I looked down at my cell phone sitting on my desk. I had a missed call and a voice mail from a local number that looked familiar. I immediately remembered that it was the number to Dr. Fowler’s office. I dialed my voicemail and heard Dr. Fowler’s voice. He said that he had gotten the blood work back and would like me to come in and go over it. I replayed his message over and over to hear if there was any indication in his voice as to whether it was good or bad. There was none; he was just monotone. I instantly called his number back hoping that I could get a hold of him. The girl that answered the phone said that I had just missed him, asking if I would like to leave a message. I let her know that I was returning his call and that I needed to come in to discuss my son’s blood work.

  “Oh yes, you’re Dr. Vallia,” she said. “Dr. Fowler told me to see if you could make it in tomorrow.”

  I was a little worried about him specifically leaving a message for me if I had called back; was it just out of courtesy or was it because there was something wrong? I tried to stop myself from over-thinking. She told me that he could see me tomorrow at noon. I immediately agreed feeling a little more nervous as I hung up the phone. I sat at my desk deep in thought when Melanie, the office nurse, knocked on the door letting me know that my next patient was waiting.

  “Okay, I’ll be right there,” I said as I threw my sandwich in the trash, not having much of an appetite anymore.

  The day muddled on at a snail’s pace. I had planned to spend the entire day with Matty tomorrow and now it was being interrupted by this appointment that I had hoped was going to be good news. I called Samantha to ask her if she would mind coming over for a few hours to watch Matty while I was gone. She happily agreed, making me feel like I had tackled at least one problem. I was done for the day and finishing up paperwork. I had been so busy that I had forgotten to call Tricia. I dialed her number waiting for her to answer.

  “Hello, madam,” she answered. She sounded so bubbly and happy I didn’t want to ruin her day.

  “Hi,” I said, trying a little too hard to sound upbeat.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked, seeing right through my act.

  I told her about Dr. Fowler’s message. “I want to go with you,” she said.

  I knew that wasn’t possible; she was booked solid for tomorrow. Besides, I knew if it was bad news, Tricia would be just as big of a mess as me. I told her no and stated my reasons.

  “Well, James is off, and he’s going—I don’t want you going alone,” she demanded.

  “Tricia, you are acting like I should be expecting bad news,” I said, trying to reassure myself.

  “No, I didn’t say that, I just don’t want you going by yourself,” she said, trying to sound a little calmer. I told her what time the appointment was, she said that she would have James meet me at my house a half hour prior. I thanked her for always being there as we hung up the phone.

  I arrived home where Claire and Charles were watching Matty. I was immediately greeted by Gracie as I walked through the door. I knew that I would probably be having an overnight guest again, whether I liked it or not. When I was finally able to get past Gracie’s overwhelming welcome, I noticed that the house was nice and quiet.

  “I’m out here, Kat,” Claire called. I walked out to the backyard where Claire was sitting on the patio reading a magazine

  “Where’s Matty?” I asked, not seeing any sign of him.

  “Oh, he and Charles took a quick little walk up to the bay,” she said. It was a beautiful day for a walk, the storm that had passed through a couple of days ago took all of the hot soupy humidity with it, leaving just a nice breeze and abundant sunshine.

  I pulled up a chair and sat next to her as she put down her magazine. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “I’m fine,” I answered quickly.

  “You just looked drained.”

  I shrugged.

  “Well, it will do you good to have a few days off,” she added.

  “Yes, I’m looking forward to it,” I said. Once I got through this dreadful appointment tomorrow, I could put it all behind me and enjoy the weekend with Matty.

  “I got some burgers to throw on the grill,” Claire said.

  “That sounds perfect,” I said, smiling.

  I couldn’t think of a better day than today to have a barbeque. Everything was fine; Mat
ty would be starting kindergarten in a few days and everything would be back to normal. I tried to remove tomorrow from my mind and just think happy thoughts. Closing my eyes and soaking in the nice warm sun helped a lot. Hearing Matty’s voice saying, “Mommy’s home,” as he and Charles entered that backyard was even better!

  Chapter 23

  James arrived well ahead of schedule; in fact two hours ahead. I didn’t mind because it gave me time to get ready while Matty had someone to keep him occupied. I finished dressing and came out to the kitchen. They were both eating a giant bowl of ice cream covered in hot fudge.

  “Seriously, isn’t it kind of early for that?” I asked, looking at James.

  “It’s almost eleven,” he said defending his actions. Matty looked up at him smiling, with his face covered in chocolate.

  I got a damp paper towel and began to wipe down Matty’s face and hands. Sometimes I wondered who the adult was when James and Matty were together. I was happy to see that James was able to lift Matty’s spirits. He had been out of sorts all week. I knew that it had a lot to do with the fevers that he had been running.

  They were just finishing their ice cream when Samantha arrived. If Matty wasn’t already rambunctious enough from James’ visit, the sugar from the hot fudge was making him even worse. He was running around the living room like a crazy man. I finally yelled at him when he climbed on the back of the couch and was ready to jump off.

  Samantha looked a little surprised having never seen Matty behave this way. I explained to her that it was a result of the combination of James and sugar. She laughed, assuring me that she would be able to get him to calm down. I felt bad leaving her with him while he was acting in such a way. But I knew once James left and he had finally crashed from his sugar high he would be fine. He began to cry as we were leaving, not wanting James to go. James promised him he would stop back in to see him once we got back. He and Samantha went out in the backyard in hopes that he would run off some of the energy. It amazed me how it was as if I didn’t even exist when James was around. Proving my theory, James really was a five-year-old kid stuck in a grown man’s body.