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Justin chuckles, Julia vomits, and I pull my phone out to tell Beth and Raine that it looks like we’ll be staying home tonight after all.
* * *
"I blame you guys,"Jules says with a cringe. "You gave me food poisoning for New Years."
The nurse hooking her up to the IV drip laughs with a bright, happy bounce, then leans down to whisper conspiratorially,loudly, in Julia's ear.
"That's a good instinct. It's always their fault. Even when it's not, it is."
Julia moans through a chuckle and grips her stomach in pain.
"Happy freaking New Years!"
By the time the tears started, it was obvious that food poisoning or a stomach bug wasn’t the issue. Justin scooped her off the bathroom floor to tuck her into bed, and her skin was so hot she was sweating, even though she was shivering with a strength that made her entire body tremble.
To the emergency room we ran.
My panic spiked when they took her ahead of the twenty or so people already queued in the waiting room. But we were back in a room for hours before the nurse showed up to do more than put Julia's name into the computer.
Whatever they suspect is wrong with her isn't severe enough to get her first-class attention. Maybe they just don't want her making the others in the waiting room sick too.
"So," the nurse says in a business-like tone. She holds up several vials.
"This one is morphine. It'll help with the pain. This one is Zofran, which will help with nausea. First up is blood work," she places the vials on the little table pulled up to the bed and replaces them with a plastic strap and a handful of multi-colored tubes. "After that is an ultrasound. It's probably just as simple as a stomach bug, but we need to check for appendicitis whenever there's a fever and pain around the lower quadrant. You'll be here for a couple of hours, at least, so get comfortable guys."
Without another word, she begins the process of making our girl feel better.
* * *
“This is taking forever,”Justin complains.
Julia and I share an exasperated look as Justin continues to pace at the end of her bed. Now that the morphine has kicked in, she’s no longer squirming in pain. She looks rather peaceful—droopy-eyed, and tired.
Justin is coming out of his skin.
“The longer it takes, man,” I try to reassure him, “the less severe it’s likely to be."
"Why are you so calm?" he asks in an accusing tone.
Julia takes my hand and draws little shapes into my palm with her finger.
"Maybe because he has more common sense than you," she replies sleepily.
Justin scoffs, and I laugh when he looks my way. That is a bald-faced lie, but as Jules is doped out of her mind, I suppose we can overlook it just this once.
There's a quick knock on the door, and the glass slides open, the doctor stepping into the room. Justin drops back into his seat and takes Jules' other hand.
“It’s as we suspected. Your appendix is infected, so it’ll have to go." I let out the breath of air I was holding. "It’s an incredibly simple procedure. As I’m sure you’re aware, it’s one of the most common procedures hospitals perform. Half the patients that walk through our doors with a stomach ache are convinced they have appendicitis,” she chuckles to herself.
She pauses to make eye contact with the three of us before continuing on. Justin’s leg is bouncing, his body pulled taut with worry. Julia gives him a soft, half-amused look before turning her attention back to the doctor.
Justin freaks out if she stubs her toe.
Some of the worries bleed out of my bloodstream, leaving me feeling unmoored.
Appendicitis is practically a right of passage. Babies have their appendices removed. Mine was taken out when I was two.
“The surgeon will go in laparoscopically,” she says, like a teacher mid-lesson. I suppose she is. I wonder how many times she gives this same speech a night? “This method is less invasive. That means it’s done without a large incision. Instead, 1 to 3 tiny cuts are made. A long, thin tube called a laparoscope is put into one of the incisions. It has a tiny video camera and surgical tools. The surgeon looks at a TV monitor to see inside your abdomen and guide the tools. The appendix is removed through one of the incisions. The entire thing usually takes about an hour. We’ll move you to pre-op in just a few minutes, where you’ll wait until the operating room is ready for you.”
