Chapter 1
“Medical record # 27832. Patient name is Blue Smith. 16 year old Native American female with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Has some cardiac abnormalities but none that interfere with her current treatment. Mother died of small cell lung cancer. Patient on CALGB protocol. Completed the induction phase. I need your signature to start the next phase, doc.”
“How are her vitals looking? Is she showing any side effects to the chemo?”
“No side effects so far Dr. Sharma. Her vitals are all within normal limits except for her blood pressure, which was 80/55 during the last measurement.”
“Hm. Her CBC doesn’t look so good either. Her platelets are much lower than I would like. Any rashes, petecchiae, or other—oh hello, Blue. How are you feeling?”
I blink drowsily at the kind brown eyes peering at me from behind silver-framed glasses. Dr. Sharma and a nurse are bent over my bed, waiting for my answer.
“I-I am fine.” My voice cracks. I clear my throat noisily. “I just fell asleep, that’s all.”
“Good, good. Nurse here tells me you’ve had no side effects to the chemo so far. Have you noticed rashes or other changes?” Dr. Sharma frowns at my charts as he asks the question.
“No, everything is fine.” I adjust my bed so I can sit up. “When can I go home?”
“Well, you are done with chemo for the day. Your next round is not for another week. But I’d like to keep you overnight under observation mainly because I don’t like your blood pressure. I could send you home with IV fluids but you have a history of non-compliance. So, I think it’s best if you stay here for the night where we can monitor your blood pressure regularly, especially considering your history of heart problems. If your BP is stable by tomorrow, you can go home then. What do you say?”
“That doesn’t work for me. I have to get my sister from the babysitter’s place. She gets scared without me during the night. I have to go home,” I answer a little too vehemently.
“I understand. But can’t your father take care of her for tonight?” Dr. Sharma looks at me quizzically. “Cancer treatment is a rather compelling excuse to get out of your chores for one night, wouldn’t you say?”
“My father is out of town on a business trip. I'm the only one taking care of my sister right now.” I look at him steadily.
“Really?” He raises his eyebrows.
“Yes,” I answer simply and go quiet. I learned early on that babbling explanations only increases one’s chances of getting caught in a lie.
“I’m sorry, but I must insist that you stay here overnight. If you refuse, I will have to call your father to get his permission allowing you to leave the hospital because you are a minor and leaving the hospital could endanger your life,” Dr. Sharma says in a concerned voice.
When I look at him balefully in response, he continues, “Tell you what. You can bring your sister here and have her sleep in your room. The nurses can arrange an overnight bed. Both of you can leave the hospital tomorrow morning after we do a thorough workup on you. Is that acceptable?” He asks with a determined look on his face.
Knowing when to give in is just as important as knowing when to take a stand. Besides, what he's suggesting doesn't sound too bad. Sky will probably think it fun to sleep at a hospital. She finds fun in everything.
I sigh heavily. “That’s fine.”
Dr. Sharma looks pleased. “Good. Rest well now.” He pats my hand before continuing on his rounds.
YOU ARE READING
VITALIS
RomanceBlue Smith has leukemia. Having already undergone several cycles of chemotherapy, she isn’t sure how much time she has left. All she knows is that she’ll do anything to live, not for herself but for Sky, her charming little sister. Just when she’s...
