With This Heart(7)

I started that day like I did every day since the transplant; I took my temperature and then swallowed each of my anti-rejection drugs in one big gulp. I’d learned that trick early on. I would say I was pretty talented at being sick.

Once a week I had an appointment with my doctor to make sure my body wasn’t attacking my shiny, new heart. That’s where I was heading with my mom that day. I was staring out the window, letting my eyes lose focus on the homes flashing by, when I considered for the first time that I             wanted             Beck to go on the road trip with me. In fact, I didn’t want to go on the road trip             without             Beck anymore. I squashed the thought by turning the stereo up louder, but Mom quickly turned it back down.

“             You don’t listen to music that loud when you drive, do you?”

“             Um, no, not really,” I lied. The louder, the better. How can you feel the music if it’s not blocking out every other sound?

“             Abby, you can’t be distracted when you drive. It’s important to focus on the road and to drive defensively.”

You might be wondering why my mother was repeating all of this even though I was nineteen and should have been driving for three years already. Well, it turns out that when you have congenital heart failure, your heart can crap out on you at any moment and you’ll pass out, and you know, take out quite a few people heading south on highway - 71. So even though I had my license, I didn’t start driving until after the transplant two months ago.

“             We’re just doing lab tests today, right?” I asked, trying to turn her focus toward my health. It was her favorite distraction, and I was actually quite thankful to have her help 99% of time.

“             Yes, and then I think Dr. Pierce will do a quick physical like usual.”



…



I pulled my sleeve back down after they drew a few tubes of blood. I hated wearing a long-sleeved shirt in summer, but I always had to wear layers to Dr. Pierce’s office. I’d lost so much weight in the last few years, and even though the new heart was helping me put some of it back on, I still felt chilled to the bone most of the time. Good thing I lived in Texas. At least I’d warm up when we walked outside.

“             You’re all done. I think your mom is waiting out in the lobby for you,” the medical assistant offered politely, finally making eye contact. She was always the one to take my blood. The first time I went in, she couldn’t find my vein despite me being ten shades beyond pale. After that incident, she just took my blood and we averted eye contact until the very end. Humans are weird.

“             Oh, actually, is Alyssa here?” I asked, shuffling my feet awkwardly.

The medical assistant eyed me skeptically and then nodded. “Yeah, she’s on break though…”

She really wanted to add,             so go away and don’t interrupt her fifteen minutes of peace.

Too bad, lady.

“             It’s just a really quick something, and I promise she likes me. She told me once that I was her favorite patient.” I couldn’t actually recall Alyssa ever saying that. She had a straight forward, cut-the-crap attitude. I actually don’t recall her ever paying me a compliment, but it worked. The medical assistant turned toward the break room to retrieve Alyssa.





CHAPTER THREE


“‘             My favorite patient’?” Alyssa repeated with a smirk as she stepped closer. Her brown gaze shifted above my head, most likely to confirm that the coast was clear. I turned with her gaze to see my mom immersed in a conversation with Dr. Pierce out in the hallway. I swear the two women had become best friends considering the amount of time they’d spent together. I imagined them talking about the singular interest that brought them together: me and my ol’, well new, heart.

“             Are you sure you want to talk about this right now?” Alyssa asked with a warning tone.

“             Yeah, it’s sorta urgent.”