Читать книгу The Monster Within - Sheldon Cohen M.D. - Страница 6

When they arrived at the Morton Grove residence, Steve rushed out of the car to knock on the back door, but Betty, now seemingly alert, or at least with a more rational expression on her face and looking better, saw Steve reach for the doorbell and said, “Here, I’ll open the door.”

“Are both your parents home now?” asked Steve, “we have to talk to them about what happened to you.”

Betty frowned. “I’m fine,” she said as if nothing ever happened and she opened the door with her key. The noise of the door opening and the entry of the two prompted a “who’s there?” from the family room.

“It’s me, dad,” answered Betty.

She sounds better now, thought Steve.

With that, a surprised Ezra and Alvina rushed to the kitchen. “How come you guys are here so early?” asked Ezra, “I thought the tennis match wouldn’t finish until later. We didn’t expect you until 4 or 5 o’clock.”

Both Steve and Betty spoke simultaneously. “I don’t know why,” said Betty.

“She was acting funny sir,” said Steve.

By now, Alvina was starting to frown and ring her hands. “Alright, Steve, tell me what happened,” asked Ezra.

“First, she fell asleep in the stands while watching the match. Then she said she had a headache and she started slurring her words and looked like she was out of it, confused or disoriented or something. I got a little scared, so I brought her home, sir.” Both parents stared at their daughter.

Ezra said, “Are you okay, Betty. What happened? Tell us.”

“Oh my God, I knew it—something happened,” screamed Alvina.

“Nothing happened,” said Betty emphatically while Steve thought, My God, she doesn’t remember anything.

“Ma’am, I believe she’s not remembering, because she sure was acting funny. I have no idea what happened, but suddenly she couldn’t talk. She didn’t answer my questions, she seemed dazed, she stared into space and held her head in her hands like she was having a headache. I don’t know what went on,” emphasized Steve.

Alvina put her hand on Betty’s shoulder and said, “Are you okay, Betty? Did you sleep last night?”

Betty thought for a few seconds before she said, “I think I did. I don’t remember waking up or not being able to get to sleep.”

“How’s your headache now,” asked Ezra.

Betty shook her head no and said, “It’s gone, it was no big deal, I get one every so often that doesn’t amount to much ever since I was a little kid and they don’t last long. How about I go to sleep now everybody.”

Ezra said, “Good idea, Betty, get a good nap and sleep as long as you want. No school tomorrow.” He turned to Steve and said, “You did the right thing, Steve. As long as you were a little worried, you were smart to want to get Betty back home. Better safe than sorry. We appreciate it. I think you’re gonna make a heck of a doctor.”

“Thank you, sir.” He looked toward Betty saying, “Betty, call me when you wake up, please.”

“I will, Steve.” She rushed over to hug him as her parents smiled.

Steve didn’t hear from Betty that evening, so he called her parents and found out that she was still asleep.

“That’s fine, let her sleep. Don’t wake her,” said Steve.

“We won’t. I’ll tell her you called when she wakes up.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Steve was up early the next morning, so he busied himself doing a bit of studying for one course he felt he needed brushing up on, all the time thinking of Betty and waiting for her call, which finally came at 9:00 a.m.

Betty said, “My dad said I better call you so I could thank you for being so nice and thoughtful yesterday.”

Steve was relieved by the clarity of her speech. She’s better, he thought. “Okay,” said Steve, “Go ahead.”

“Go ahead, what?” asked Betty

“Thank me.”

Pause…”But I just did,” said Betty.

Steve, smiling, responded, “If you want to know the truth, I just think you put on an act yesterday, so I would bring you home early when your parents were there and I wouldn’t be able to kiss you.”

“You could have kissed me even in front of my parents.”

“Not the kind of kiss I had in mind.”

“Oh, I see,” said Betty with eyes closed and a smile on her lips.

“Anyhow, how are you this morning?”

“Never felt better,” she responded.

“I thought we’d go out for lunch?” Steve asked.

“Where are we going?”

“The Works on Dempster.”

“Sounds good. What time.”

“Noon?”

“Uhh…make it 12:30.”

“See you then.”

At that point, Alvina walked by, heard her daughter talking through the bedroom door, and said, “Betty, are you coming out?”

“Be right there, Mom.”

“Come to the kitchen. How about a late breakfast.”

“I’m meeting Steve for lunch at The Works…12:30, so I better not eat now. I’ll be down in a minute.” Betty knew her anxious mother would be waiting to give her a physical exam with her eyes. She vowed to be patient with her worried mother.

When Betty sat down at the kitchen table, Alvina started right in. “You look good this morning, is everything all right?”

I’m perfect, mom,” she answered.

“I know you’re perfect. I knew that in the delivery room 18 years ago. What I want to know is if you feel good now and if there’s anything you’re not telling me.”

Betty sighed. “Everything there is to know about me, you heard yesterday. I’m thinking that some of those symptoms could be due to the stress (see appendix 1) of final exams, the prom, deadlines I have from school, getting ready for college, all that stuff.”

Alvina’s eyebrows lifted and she nodded her head. “You could be right, Betty. The magazines are full of articles about stress and what it can do and how to control it. In fact one article I read called it the number one cause of medical problems. What do I know? I still have these magazines laying around, so I’ll look for them and give them to you.”

“If you find them, put them in my room and I’ll look at them after finals. Ok, mom, I’m going to meet Steve.”

Alvina said, “Thank him again from us for taking such good care of you yesterday.”

“I will, Mom.”

By the time Betty arrived at The Works, Steve had already ordered a gyros sandwich for himself and a Tuna sandwich for Betty, their usual fare. That, with a shared order of French fries and two drinks, was their favorite meal. The Greek team of food preparers was the most efficient around; providing rapid service no matter how many patrons were present, and there were usually many. They had been in the same location for at least thirty years.

“My mom wanted me to be sure to tell you thanks again for helping me last night.”

“Tell your mom she’s welcome and I’m ready to help whenever I can.”

“She’ll be glad to hear that. I decided that maybe my weird symptoms are stress. Maybe I don’t know how to handle all the stresses; prom, finals, college. I think I worry too much. I probably inherited some of that from my mom. Anyhow, I think she agreed with me because she said that she’s been reading about stress in magazines and that stress is the cause of lots of troubles,” reported Betty.

“From what little I know, she’s right about that. According to what I read, it’s the number one cause of heart trouble and high blood pressure. I guess you have to learn how to handle it. I hope you’re right, because that’s better than a lot of weird diseases I read about that can’t be controlled. Are you ready for finals?” asked Steve.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”