The Meaning of Life Part 6
Treize smiled as he opened his office door. "Good to see you both," he greeted while stepping aside. Gesturing to the chairs before his desk, he said, "Please have a seat."
Both nodding in appreciation, Heero and Duo entered as their friend closed the door behind them. Taking their seats, they waited for Treize to do the same. With a deep breath, the doctor grinned, "So, how can I help you today?"
Almost nervous, the couple looked to one another before turning back to the tall doctor. "We know that Sally and Howard are convinced that everything is fine with me," the neko began. "But I still feel... odd. Like there's still something that's not right. We came to you to get another opinion."
Surprised by that, Treize's eyes nodded. Folding his hands, he rocked back on his chair a bit and replied, "All right. Since I was not the one focusing on your case when you first saw us, you came to me to check if something was missed."
"Right," Heero answered. "It's not that either of us does not trust Sally or Howard's work. We just want to be sure that everything was taken into consideration. They both have a longer history with Duo, so there is a chance that they may have missed a little detail assuming everything was fine. You're still new at looking into Duo's makeup."
Grinning, the doctor concluded, "And as such I may be able to spot if something is off by having to really look at all angles." Relief washed over the youth's faces as they nodded. "I understand," Treize reassured. Focusing on the braided neko, he stated with a kind smile, "I'll be happy to examine you."
That grin faded as he said, "But in that case, I will have to start from scratch and run my own tests so that I can to focus on my own findings as opposed to going over what Sally and Howard went over."
His cat ears drooping a bit, Duo frowned, "I thought as much. If it means that we'll finally get to the bottom of this, then I'll do anything." Heero bit his own lip as he rubbed his lover's back in support.
Opening his top desk drawer, the tall man removed a pad of paper and a pen. "Let's just start by going over everything that you have noticed that's been different," he suggested. "Try not to leave anything out, as what may seem a minor detail to you, could be a clue to what may be happening here."
Lightly groaning, the artist ran a hand over his reddening face. "Here we go again," he muttered in embarrassment. At the confused look on Treize's face, he sat up and sighed, "Well, it all started about two weeks ago..."
As the couple went over all of the details of the changes in Duo's physical state, the doctor kept a professional demeanor whilst jotting everything down.
* * * * * *
Removing the syringe from his patient's arm, Treize announced, "That will be the last of it, then." Sighing in relief, Duo rubbed the spot where he had been poked before a small band aid was set in place.
"From the initial tests run, I must say that I cannot find anything immediately jumping out as a concern," the tall man informed as he leaned his back against the wall behind him. Holding up the vile of blood in his hand, he stated, "It will all come down to what I find in the lab results from this. I will be sure to have every possible scan run in search for an explanation for your symptoms that have come up over the last few days."
With a smirk, Treize turned to Heero and told him, "Thank you for all of the details, as awkward as some of that was." He snickered when the art student flushed anew, "But I can tell you that none of what Duo is going through is related to that fluke."
Moving to sit beside his partner on the examination table, the Japanese teenager wrapped an arm around his partner. "Any idea on when we can expect a call on the results?" Heero inquired while Duo rested his braided head down on his shoulder.
Carefully sealing the vial into a small lab bag, the doctor folded his arms and answered, "No more than a couple of days, since I will be having this examined thoroughly. Then I would need time to go over my files to compare and contrast any possible changes."
Almost hesitant, Treize commented, "I would like to bring someone else into this research, if it would be all right with you, Duo." Blinking in surprise at the suggestion, the neko raised and tilted his head.
"This week, Cassie started working here at the hospital with the nursing staff for some summer experience," the tall man shared. "I would really like to go over your case with her as she can always use some first-hand understanding of how diagnosing works. Along with that, as a neko herself, she would be sympathetic to your situation in being an extra pair of eyes to anything I may miss."
Smiling, Duo said, "That's fine with me. I'm comfortable with Cassie helping out."
A smile on his own face, Treize nodded firmly, "Great. Then I will get this vial down to the lab right away. For now, just go home and enjoy your recent engagement. As soon as I have something to share with you, you will both be the first ones to know."
Handshakes an kind words were exchanged before Heero and Duo set out. Following the doctor's orders, they simply went about their lives by going over more details for their home and civil union service that they planned for the end of their school careers.
* * * * * *
Later that afternoon...
Cassie knocked on Treize's office as she peeked her head in through the cracked door. "Doctor Khushrenada?" she called. "You wanted to see me?"
Smiling, the man behind the desk waved her in as he ended the call he was on. As he lowered the receiver while his guest closed the door behind her, he told her, "No need for the formalities when we're alone, Cassie. You can simply call me Treize so long as the rest of the staff is not around to think that I would give you preferential treatment for being a friend of mine outside of the hospital."
The calico-furred neko grinned and took a seat before the desk, giggling, "Sorry, I forgot." It was a rare thing for her to have a friend in the medical field. Treize had pulled quite a few strings to allow her the chance to sit in with the nursing staff at the hospital. Dressed in her lilac scrubs, she really felt like she was where she belonged.
"I am currently working on diagnosing a patient and I would like your input," the doctor began. "Normally, nurses are not responsible for analyzing symptoms and ailments, but this is a unique situation where you will be a help in the process. It will also give you insight to how doctors like myself figure out puzzling cases like this."
Her green eyes widening, Cassie gasped, "Me?" Grinning widely at the opportunity, she nodded, "Sure. I would love to help."
Rising to his feet, Treize headed to his filling cabinet and opened it. "I had a feeling you would jump at the chance," he smirked. He removed the file sealed away in its own private folder. "You're well aware of our confidentiality clause for patients. What you find in here no one else can know unless the patient themselves wish to share their information."
Cassie straightened in her seat to give off a more professional demure as she replied, "Of course." When she looked at the file being placed on the desk, her eyes widened once again at the name on the tab. "Duo?" she blinked in surprise.
Treize sat across from her once more, informing her, "Yes. At this time, there are several tests being run on a blood sample that I took from him this morning. He is experiencing some strange symptoms that have him a bit concerned. Before those test results come in, I will go over what I will be looking at with what I understand of DNA studying. I'll start by sharing the things that he is experiencing that have him concerned."
Leaning forward, the doctor took a deep breath. "Given the fact that you and Duo are close friends, I need to know if you would be uncomfortable with this. He is fully aware that I was hoping to involve you in this for another perspective. But it is up to you if you want to be involved."
Reassured in leaning of her braided friend's acceptance for her assistance, the neko declared, "I'm all right. Just show me what I need to know so I can help."
"Okay," Treize smiled. Opening the file before him, he shifted to sit beside his assistant. "Let's go over what we do know first."
* * * * * *
A few days later, the intensive test results came back from the lab. Treize and Cassie had a full plate between their jobs and going over every little detail of the blood work. To their relief and frustration at the same time, everything looked perfectly normal.
While neither wanted to find anything terribly wrong, they knew that Duo was not one to blow anything out of proportion when it came to his health. If he felt that something was not right, it was not right.
But nothing in their findings was proving that.
Running a hand through his short hair, the doctor shook his head while overlooking the papers before him. For the two days that he'd had the results, he was working around the clock and it was starting to show. "I am still not seeing anything here," he frowned. "But I know there should be something."
Equally bothered over the situation, Cassie nodded as she searched through her own copies of the paperwork. "Nausea, fatigue and occasional dizzy spells can all be caused by stress, so I can see where Sally and Howard came to their conclusion," she thought aloud. "I know Duo, live with him. And I have never witnessed him push himself to the point of making himself sick before, so there must be another explanation for all of this."
Leaning back in his seat, Treize rubbed his temples. "I never before thought that I would be upset to find a patient to appear perfectly healthy based in their tests," he snickered. "This certainly is a unique situation for me."
"Well, we nekos are unique," the cat-eared young woman smirked. Sighing, she closed the folder in her lap and turned to the clock on the wall. The hour that she had used to come in early was up. "My late-night shift is going to be starting soon. Looks like we'll have to take this up again tomorrow."
His own gaze falling on the time, the doctor nodded, "And I am no longer on call for the rest of the day. I should head back home and spend some time with my family."
Rising to her feet, Cassie ran her hands over her pale green scrubs to smooth them out as she suggested, "Be sure to get some rest." The corner of her mouth rose in a smile as she commented, "No offense, but you look like death warmed over."
Treize raised an eyebrow, but could not look any bit intimidating with the dark circles under his eyes. Smirking, he replied, "Thanks. Knowing my lady, she'll be telling me much the same when I return home." Muscles aching as he rose, he stretched them and asked, "So which ward will you be working with this evening?"
"Maternity," the neko answered. Pulling her long brown hair back in a ponytail, she shrugged, "The team there is giving me a few hours to shadow them to have an idea if I should gain an interest in that world of nursing. Then I'll be off for the weekend."
Nodding, Treize took up the blazer for his tie-less suit. "Well, have a good weekend, then. And thank you again for all of your help in this." He took up the file on his desk to place it in his briefcase and stated, "I'll keep this on me for safe keeping, but there is little that can be done until we meet again on Monday. Let's just worry about our own lives for a change these next couple of days."
Out in the hallway, the two friends exchanged their farewells and wishes for a good weekend before parting ways.
* * * * * *
Lady Une looked up just as she lowered John into his crib at the sound of the front door closing. At the sight of her husband entering the living room, she smiled lovingly, "I was afraid I was going to have to come and pry you from your office."
Treize snorted and kissed her cheek in greeting. "That difficult case is still giving me a difficult time, unfortunately," he sighed. "But I have every intention of simply being a husband and a father for the weekend."
"I'm looking forward to that," the young professor smiled as she turned to kiss his lips. "Dinner will be ready in an hour, so you have plenty of time to shower and relax for a bit," she advised when she pulled back. "I'll go and check on how the main course is coming along." That said, she turned and headed for the kitchen.
Leaning over the edge of the crib, her husband smiled lovingly down on his sleeping son. Slowly reaching down, he lightly ran his fingertips over the top of his head covered with light brown hair. Yawning and sighing in his sleep, John hummed before drifting off into a deeper slumber.
Moments like this were what Treize lived for- these peaceful moments with his wife and their child with the rest of the world closed away. Bending down, he kissed the top of his little one's head and headed out of the room for a much needed relaxing shower.
* * * * * *
An hour later, Cassie was all aglow standing before the hospital nursery as the baby girl that she helped deliver was wheeled into the room. Smiling and waving with hand and tail at the babe watching her with a tired, amused grin.
Little Emily's mother was nearly dilated by the time the neko's shift started. As routine as the delivery was going, she was given the chance to be more hands-on with the process than simply shadowing the nursing staff. The whole experience had been so fulfilling and incredible that all she could think of was hurrying home to tell Solo all about it.
Before that night, Cassie had been uncertain as to what specific branch of nursing she was interested the most in. After seeing and being part of the whole process, she had found her calling.
"You did very well in there, Cassie," the obstetrician that oversaw the delivery praised as she neared with a warm smile on her face. "For one who never was a part of the birthing process, you handled yourself perfectly, as if you have a knack for this line of work."
Her grin spreading on her face, the neko replied, "Thank you, Doctor Schbeiker. That really means a lot."
Waving her hand, the short-haired young woman said, "Hilde is fine. We have mutual friends in Heero and his band of brothers since we all attended high school together." A light blush on her cheek, she shrugged and smirked, "Besides, the term 'doctor' still hasn't really sunken in yet since I am still preparing for my masters degree whilst working here."
Cassie's tail swayed excitedly, "Well then, thank you, Hilde." Looking back into the nursery where Emily and the other babies were resting, she stated, "It seems that I've finally found the field of nursing that I wish to enter. At the start of the semester, I'll be sure to talk to my advisor about this."
The obstetrician chuckled, "Good. Like I said, you have a knack for this job. And I would be more than happy to be a reference for you along with working with human resources here to get you a better shift in the maternity ward for the rest of the summer."
Practically bouncing on her feet, the long-haired neko exclaimed, "Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you, Hilde!"
* * * * * *
Seated together at the dinner table, Treize and Une enjoyed their meal while conversing quietly. Looking over to the crib in the next room, the young woman smiled, "I don't believe that I will ever be able to get over the fact that we're parents. Our little angel certainly is something else."
"That he is," her husband snickered. "Parenthood certainly has been quite the experience already."
Nodding, Lady Une continued to stare at the crib as she thought aloud, "And it was certainly worth the morning sickness, the dizzy spells, the tiredness...." Nearly dropping his fork as his wife went on, Treize looked to her with wide eyes while his skin quickly paled.
* * * * * *
Hilde shook her head in amusement as she looked into the nursery. "Such an amazing thing what women endure during their carrying a child," she thought aloud. "Between the nausea and fatigue at just the start, it's all forgotten when that little one is born.
Cassie's tail dropped as her green eyes widened with a small gasp. Silently thankful that she was looking to the babies and not the doctor, she covered her mouth to force her composure back. Clearing her throat, she forced a wide smile and told her new friend, "Well, I better start getting ready to clock out for the night since my shift will be up soon. Thanks so much again for everything, Hilde. It was nice meeting you." Not waiting for a response, she all but ran off.
Taken aback, Hilde's wide eyes blinked as she replied to the retreating neko, "Nice meeting you, too."
* * * * * *
Quickly excusing himself from the table, Treize moved into the hallway just as his cell phone rang. Recognizing the number on the caller id, he picked up right away and exclaimed just as Cassie's voice shrieked at the same time over the line, "There's one test that we've missed!"
TBC...
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