Unfolding

Chapter 35

Acceptance

"If your dreams don't scare you, they are too small." – Richard Branson

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"Thanks for coming in, Natalie." Dr. Benson flashed me a smile as he walked around his desk and took a seat in the chair opposite me. His private office was just as clean and bleak as the rest of the hospital.

The white walls were painfully plain, with a few diplomas here and there highlighting his accomplishments. In the middle of the room stood a large oak desk with two chairs positioned in front for guests. There was also a large book shelf behind him that housed various thick medical volumes. From what I could tell, his office was very impersonal. There were no bright colors, no picture frames, nothing.

"Sure." I smiled politely, eager for him to give me the all clear.

Despite the complications during the bone marrow extraction, they were hoping I would still make a complete recovery within about a week. That did not go according to plan because as soon as I went back to school, I started feeling progressively worse. Exactly one week from the procedure, I had spiked a fever and had to leave history before I threw up all over Mrs. O'Conner's classroom.

By the time I got back to class, Aiden had already texted my mom to pick me up and take me to the doctor. He said, and I quote – "You were being stubborn, so I just went ahead and called Olivia to come pick you up."

I was not happy with him at all that day, but it turns out he had every right to be concerned. After mom picked me up, she drove us straight to Dr. Benson's office where they took blood and ran a bunch of tests. Turns out, I developed a slight infection because my immune system was not as strong. They were also concerned about the nausea and headaches being side effects of the anaphylaxis.

Another night spent in the hospital and some antibiotics later, I was finally allowed to go back home where my mom, Aiden, Caroline and Brooke refused to let me get out of bed until I went back to the doctor and my results came back normal.

Hence, why I am here – three weeks later, at what will hopefully be my last check-up.

"Everything came back normal from the lab." He said, scanning the iPad which no doubt contained my file and test results. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." I replied. When he gave me a pointed look, I continued, "Really – I'm fine. All of the bruising is gone, and there's only a slight pressure at the injection site."

He scanned my face carefully before nodding. "Okay, keep monitoring the pressure. If you still feel anything at the injection site in a week, I want you to come back in."

"Sounds good." I gave him a tight smile.

"Now –" He clasped his hands in front of him. "Are you eating enough?"

"What?"

"Are you eating enough?"

"Yes."

"Your blood work shows that your CBC isn't within the normal range which usually indicates anemia." Dr. Benson eyed me skeptically. "It's very important that you eat enough so that your body can continue to recover."

Please don't tell me this man thought I was starving myself or something. 

"I promise you, I eat more than enough." I had to physically stop myself from snorting and rolling my eyes. I was clearly eating plenty since my pants were starting to feel a little tight again around the waist. All of the weight I had lost when I was working out with Aiden in the fall seems to have made its way back to my thighs and hips.