A Test of Faith
"Luce, just relax it may not be that"
"But what if it is? I mean what if I wind up with AIDS or something?"
"Just don't worry about it now. We'll go in and get tested tomorrow we'll do the test for each other ok?"
"Yea ok" she decided to stop herself from crying anymore than she already was. She wiped her face and the two left back to their seats. The next hour of the flight was long for both of them. They didn't talk much. They just thought. 'what if I gave him HIV?' or 'what if she doesn't want to be with me if I'm positive for something?' and what ifs like that. When the plain landed it was near midnight and they were both tired. They decided to go to their own separate homes instead of being together. "It's the safest thing right now" he assured her. They took the same cab though.
"Good night John, first thing tomorrow at 7:00 we'll go in ok?" she said leaning her head inside the window with her bags at her side.
"Yea tomorrow" He dropped a kiss on her cheek and she went up to her apartment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lucy's bedroom~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucy didn't sleep so easily. She could only think about the future if something turned up on her test tomorrow. Tubes, pills, monitors, cautions, double gloving if it was HIV, etc. She didn't want that. "What did I do to deserve that?" she said through tears she didn't realize were there until she spoke. she picked up the phone and dialed a number....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Carter's apartment~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carter dropped his bags in the foyer and walked lazily to his bedroom. He was so exhausted he didn't care if he fell asleep in his clothes. He just wanted to sleep. But he couldn't. Even after he had changed into comfortable flannels and a t shirt he couldn't sleep. He had warm milk. Sleeping aids. He did the whole thing but couldn't sleep. "I'd never forgive myself if she turned positive for something I gave her" he said. He was holding back tears. He picked up the phone and began to dial a number when the phone rang. "Hello?" he said hoping it was Lucy. It was.
"John I'm so scared." She was crying. That or she had been. He heard it in her voice.
"Me too" he was somewhat afraid to cry for her sake. He wanted to be brave for her.
"I'm just scared that I might have something, and that if I had kids I would give it to them, and- and they don't deserve that right?"
"Ssshh Luce I know me too but we're gonna be fine ok? Just we should try and sleep"
"I know"
"Lucy?"
"Yea?"
"I'm sorry if I gave you anything I didn't mean to-"
"I know John its ok"
"No it isn't look Luce, I'm so sorry" he was crying now.
"Don't do this John. Look you said we'd be fine. I think you're right. Just try and sleep ok?"
"Yea ok"
"G'night I love you"
"I love you too Luce" They both hung up the phone. Neither Lucy nor John believed fully that they were ok. They only hoped. Knowing they had each other's assurance though, helped them sleep.
BEEP!, BEEP!, BEEP!, BE-
Lucy slammed her alarm clock with her fist at 5:15 in the morning. Suddenly remembering what she was getting up for she threw herself into a cold shower (she didn't wait for the water to heat up) and into work clothes and out the door in a half an hour with her wet hair pulled back in a braid. At least her hair would be crimped for the next day. Though it wasn't much good for her 'cold' she just wanted to feel the prick of the test on her forearm right then to know the results quicker.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Carter's apartment~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BEEEEEEPPP!
John Carter quietly pressed the button on his alarm not looking at the time on it. He sat up looked at his clock after running his hand down his face. 5:10 it read. He then picked up the paper on top of it. His blood test results. That reminded him to get out of bed ASAP. He turned on the water to his shower, laid out some clothes and shoes and got into a warm shower. After one of his 5 minute quick showers, he blow dried his hair and gelled it as usual though rushing a bit more today. He was anxious but didn't want to take the test as badly as Lucy did. 'the longer I wait the longer I wont have to know about anything I gave her' he thought. That only made him want to know even more. So he rushed even more. He was out the door by 5:52.
******************CCGH Admit**********************
Carter opened the door as calmly as possible to the ER. "Hey Jerry is Lucy here yet?"
"Uh, let me see...." He looked at his post it messages. "Oh yea she's in exam 6 she told me to tell you when you got here. She's been here for a couple minutes"
"Thanks"
"What're you guys doin' here so early anyway? Your shifts don't start 'till 9 and 11"
"Um, just some work that's all"
"Whatever" he said not totally convinced but he didn't think any more on the subject. Unlike him though.
"Yea thanks" He walked until he was out of Jerry's sight then he ran to the exam room. He found Lucy in there preparing needles.
~~~~~~~~~~~Exam 6~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, you ready?" she asked nervous. Her voice shaky as she handled the tubes for the blood.
"Uh, yea I'll do you first"
"Ok, here" she handed him the Lidicane pad and the needle un opened. She pulled up her sleeve and sat down.
"Ok," he stretched out his arms to stop their shakiness and he put on rubber gloves. After wetting Lucy's skin with the pad, he aimed the needle for her vein. She flinched as the metal pierced her skin. He drew the blood with ease and filled the test tube with the red fluid. He then carefully bandaged her arm. She had a quick bite to eat and a drink of orange juice before preparing John's arm.
"Ok, ready?"
"Yup fire away" he was more calm than she was around needles. Lucy wasn't afraid, more not too excited about being pricked or vaccinated. She too followed the process and before she knew it she was injecting the blood into a test tube marked 'J-1375' as his lab test ID number. She bandaged his arm and handed him the juice and some food.
"Ok, all done I'll go take these to the lab"
"What're you going to tell Jerry?"
"What do you mean? you want to leave a couple of test tubes of blood lying around?" she smiled
"You're right go ahead" he said drinking the juice. Not his favorite kind. He preferred cranberry or grapefruit. But this was better after a blood test or transfusion to eliminate dizziness or nausea and to regain focus and concentration.
"Ok, I'll be back to clean up"
"Ok" he was very nervous when she took the blood out of the room. He hoped he would like what came back on the tests.............
The day was somewhat a blur to both of them. It was however extremely slow and painful. They managed to loose 3 patients in the ER that day, John had only done exams while Lucy got stuck with rectal work like a med student. It seemed like an eternity before Jerry said two lab results had arrived on 'Carter's mother' and 'father'. Jerry handed them the papers. What it said on there would change their lives forever.....or would it?.................
