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CHAPTER 25
Lilly
Closing my laptop,I sigh with frustration. I can’t concentrate on my work and I’m afraid I might mess something up since my head’s not fully in the deli game. At least my dad is spending a few hours there this morning so he can check on things.
We’ve settled into a workable routine this week. I stay at the hospital during the day with Aiden and work on deli business. My dad comes at dinnertime and we all eat together. I’ll stay for a few more hours to hang with my family, then I go home to sleep. Dad stays all night with Aiden, claiming the recliner is quite comfortable, but I don’t agree with that sentiment.
In the early morning, he leaves to go open the deli so Georgie can come in at his normal time again. Dad stays for a few hours and then leaves the restaurant in Georgie’s capable hands so he can go to his outpatient rehab program. He attends a ninety-minute counseling session three times a week and he sometimes catches AA meetings at the hospital. When needed, Dad will go back and help out at the deli, but at least three times a week he’s committed to working out at the local Y and I love to see him taking his health so seriously.
I was truthfully concerned that a return to life with a busy restaurant and very sick son would immediately be too much, but on the contrary. I think keeping him busy has been good for his soul.
It’s not my dad preventing my mind from focusing though. It’s the young boy sleeping in the hospital bed beside me. Leaning forward in my chair, I cross my forearms on the rail and rest my chin there. I stare at Aiden as he slumbers, his chest rising and falling so gently, sometimes I can’t even see it move.
Aiden had a small cough when I arrived and coupled with the fever, I’m beyond concerned. I demanded his nurse page Dr. Yoffe to come see him. I have no clue if Dr. Yoffe is even on rounds duty this morning, and I don’t care. I want to talk to him and not any of the other oncologists as he’s the one Aiden and I are closest to. He gives it to us straight but with such an air of calm, you can’t help but have hope, even in dire times.
It didn’t help any that Aiden wasn’t hungry and wouldn’t eat his breakfast. He said he was too tired and just wanted to sleep and that had me in a near panic. If there’s one thing that rebounded the fastest after his transplant, it was his appetite. To me, a healthy eater is a healthy person, and the minute he didn’t want food this morning, I became convinced everything was imploding.
There’s a soft knock on his door and I lift my head to see Dr. Yoffe walk in along with a female doctor I don’t recognize.
I scramble to my feet, glancing over to see that Aiden is softly snoring and not roused at all by the visitors. Dr. Yoffe’s kind brown eyes glance at my brother and then he nods toward the door, indicating for me to follow them back out.
When I step into the hallway, Dr. Yoffe introduces me to Dr. Simbiglia. “She’s a pulmonologist I’ve asked to consult on Aiden’s case.”
“Because of the cough?” I ask.
Dr. Simbiglia nods. “His X-rays show some nodular opacities in the upper lobes that could suggest a fungal infection. I want to do a bronchoscopy to take a sample so we can confirm that, and also to get a better look at his lungs.”
I cross my arms over my belly. “Is that a surgery or something?”
“He’ll have a mild sedative and be awake during the procedure, although he probably won’t remember much of it. He might have a sore throat after but otherwise, it’s not too terrible.”
My gaze moves to Dr. Yoffe. “And what does this all mean?”
“It means with the fever, cough and X-ray, we suspect an infection. We did blood cultures that aren’t showing any known bacteria, so we think it’s fungal. This will confirm it and then we’ll know exactly what to treat him with.”
“But it can be treated,” I press, not even caring that there’s a slight hysterical rise in my tone.
Dr. Simbiglia answers, “There are some very good drugs out there but the problem is that Aiden’s already immunocompromised since his white blood cell counts are still quite low following the transplant.”
“Let’s not let ourselves worry just yet,” Dr. Yoffe says, patting my shoulder gently. “Let’s confirm what it is first and get him started on the right medications, okay?”
I nod, because really… what else can I do?
“We want to examine Aiden, so we’re going to need to wake him up.” Dr. Yoffe moves past me into the room with Dr. Simbiglia motioning for me to precede her. Stepping to the side of the bed, he pats Aiden on the shoulder. “Hey buddy… your favorite doctor is here.”
Aiden’s forehead wrinkles but then his eyes open slowly. “Hey.”
“Mind if I listen to your chest?”
I watch as Aiden sits up straighter in the bed and Dr. Yoffe listens with his stethoscope. He then introduces Dr. Simbiglia who also listens, but her face doesn’t reveal a thing.
“We need to do a test on you, Aiden,” Dr. Yoffe says. Even though he isn’t the one who will be performing it and it’s not his specialty, he’s Aiden’s primary doctor and the one he trusts the most.
With calm, reassuring words, Dr. Yoffe explains the procedure and Aiden asks questions. I can see on his face he’s scared. You’d think a boy who’s had his bones drilled into to extract marrow could handle anything, but he’s still just a kid.
I move to the side of the bed, take his hand and give him a reassuring smile. “Piece of cake. Dr. Simbiglia said you probably won’t even remember the procedure.”
Aiden swallows hard and nods, followed by a slight coughing fit. I pull my hand free of his so he can’t feel my tremble of worry and move to get him a cup of water.
