Duty Calls Chapter 19: On the Edge
Jamie walked into the room. “Can you sit up please?” she asked and before I responded she whipped out a stethoscope, thermometer, tongue depressors, blood pressure tester, reflex hammer and sundry medical instruments I couldn’t name.
Jamie gave me as thorough a check up as the situation would allow. She looked at my eyes, looked the back of my throat, took my temperature and blood pressure, felt my neck, pinched my skin and tested my reflexes. The she put all her instruments away again.
“Okay,” she smiled taking a seat, “I think you’ll live. You’re a bit dehydrated and your red blood cell count may be low. Your blood pressure is a little high for someone your age and weight. So here’s my advice: one, increase your fluids to at least four pints of water per day and more if you do strenuous exercise or a lot of gardening. Two, eat more foods high in iron. Three, exercise more and four, try to de-stress. I can help you with that. If you’re worried about anything, we can run further tests at the hospital.”
“Thanks, but I think that’s unnecessary. Did Chris call you?” I asked.
“No, your mother did,” she replied.
“I didn’t know you knew my mother,” I said.
“We met this morning,” Jamie answered.
“Did you confirm her pregnancy?” I asked
“Sorry, patient-doctor confidentiality,” she said.
“Really, when I’m the one she cried over half the night while she wolfed down a full tub of ice-cream?” I asked incredulously.
“Then you don’t need me to confirm anything,” she smiled.
“Well thanks for the check up Doc, it’s good to know I’m okay,” I said.
“I didn’t say that Brandon, I said you would live. Would you prefer we talk here or would you like to come and see me at the hospital?” she asked.
“Why would I need to see you at the hospital?” I asked.
“I’m sure you know why?” Jamie replied.
“I’m okay. I’ve just been a bit stressed lately. Things are going to settle down now and return to normal,” I said.
“I know of someone who can help you find your new normal?” she said softly.
“I don’t need a Psychiatrist,” I scowled.
“No, you don’t,” Jamie agreed. “You need a Clinical Psychologist or perhaps even a Psychoanalyst. I know of a very good Psychoanalyst, Dr Simgund, who works at the GO Treatment Centre here in Sunset Valley. I’d like to refer you to him for assessment. Also I’d like to talk to your previous doctor who prescribed those sleeping pills for you, Dr Arthur St Clair from the Simfield Base Hospital. Your grandfather, in fact, is that correct?”
“Obviously you know all there is to know,” I replied curtly.
The determined doctor was not put off by my rudeness. “Oh Brandon, it’s because I don’t know everything, that I need to speak to these people. So will you give me permission to talk to your previous physician and consult with Dr Simgund?” she asked politely.
“If I say no, will you go away and leave me alone?” I asked.
“Yes I will,” she answered, “But Chris won’t. Nor will your parents. Truthfully, who would you rather deal with, them or me?” Well she had a point there.
“Oh all right then!” I replied petulantly. “Talk to grandfather if you must, but I fail to see how Dr Simgund can help. I don’t like talking about myself.”
06
“Oh, don’t you worry about that.” Jamie smiled. “Sometimes, what you don’t say can be just as enlightening. Besides when I asked you about Simfield and your interests the other day, you talked at length about your interests... cooking... books... fishing... gardening... all of which are of interest to a therapist because they can develop interventions appropriate for you.”
“Well I’m not answering any personal questions like you asked.” I said.
“Like why you’re afraid of commitment?” she said.
“I don’t have commitment issues,” I retorted, “I’m just not interested in a long term relationship at this point in time.”
“Are you interested in any relationship?” Jamie asked.
“Obviously that would be inadvisable until I sort myself out. Don’t you think?” I asked.
“Maybe, but a strong healthy relationship is a distinct advantage for a person coping with undue stress,” Jamie replied.
“I have my family,” I replied. “I have never needed anybody else.”
“A romantic relationship has benefits a family relationship doesn’t,” she responded evenly.
“I knew what you were alluding to, but I have no interest in anybody in particular,” I replied.
“Well, that’s a pity because I know of several young women who would like to get to know you better,” she smiled.
“But not you.” I stated neutrally.
She smiled coyly and looked down at her hands, “No, not me. Anyway, I’m your doctor.”
“Are you Chris’s doctor too?” I asked lightly.
“No. Dr Landgraab will be Chris’s doctor if he needs one,” she replied which gave me all the information I needed to know.
“Well, that is good news,” I replied smiling.
“Do you think so?” she asked but before I could respond her beeper went off.
“Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’d really like to continue this conversation sometime.” She said as she picked up her bag. “Later” she called probably unaware that she was using Chris’s own farewell salutation. Then with a casual wave, she too was gone. I got up and locked the door to stop the procession of unwanted visitors.
Well I didn’t think I could nap but I did try relaxing instead. So the doc thinks I’m a little bit stressed. I can’t say I’m surprised. There’s been a lot happening in the last week or so. What with Chris skipping town, dad sending me to try to Sunset Valley to find him, mum and dad splitting up and mum coming to Sunset Valley, dad arriving here like a bolt out of the blue, moving house, being told mum and dad might have been in the Casino when it was hit by a meteor, thinking they were because they were stuck in a tomb and incommunicado, mum and dad getting back together and remarrying and now expecting a baby sister or brother.
Yep, I’d say I was likely to be stressed. Okay, make that highly likely to be stressed. Fine… I’ll admit it. The reality is that I’m strung out like Christmas lights. I cry like a baby; which is embarrassing, I’m excitable, jumpy, anxious and irritable. Chris thinks I’m indecisive and childish. Even my mother thinks I’m in denial. The truth is I’m probably one nerve twitch away from a total nervous breakdown.
But I don’t want to go to see any shrink. I used to read Grandpa Arthur’s medical journals whenever he left them lying around the house. Since I’m a bookworm, I’ll read anything. I recall a couple of articles about stress. I know that excessive stress is the condition a person feels when they think they’ve lost control of events. Control? Only a fortnight ago, I was a teen spare in an Immortal Dynasty. When in the blue blazes did I ever have control over anything! Except my plants and sometimes I think they control me!
Oh crikey! I forgot the bees. I quietly unlocked my door but there were no voices coming up from downstairs. The house was silent again. I found the quiet slightly unnerving. I went downstairs and the first thing I saw was that dratted fridge. I went right up to it. There’s a note with a magnet on it!
The note is from mum to say she, dad and Chris are going to a party and not to wait up. Emboldened by Mum’s rebellion over the magnet embargo, I opened that fridge and grabbed the first plate of leftovers. Yay... success... I can lick this stress thing. After eating some dinner, I went to the garden to tend to the bees. I’d just finished the second hive when my cell phone rang.
Agnes Crumplebottom wants a date. Seriously! At the graveyard at this time of the evening! It’s too early for deathfish. Well now I have the opportunity to at least take some control over my life. I decided to meet with Agnes and sort that impossible woman out once and for all...
