Page 13 of Truly, Madly, Deeply
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…
Over and over and over.
Traffic back to Bloomington was light so Ashley pulled into the Baxter house driveway sooner than she’d expected. Tomorrow at this time not only would they be in New York City, remembering the events of nearly two decades ago. They would have answers about Landon’s health. And as much as Ashley wanted to know, she wasn’t relieved at the thought.
She was scared to death.
5
Annalee sat on a cold metal chair a few feet from an enormous donut-shaped machine. The scan would take place in a few minutes. Until then, the tech had told her to wait. Already she’d been here longer than that. She looked at the flat surface extending into the donut and the panel of instruments beside it and she had just one thought.
She wished Tommy were with her.
Why did he have to wait in the other room? Didn’t the medical people understand how nervous she was, how frightened she felt even doing this? A shiver ran down her arms. She pulled her phone from her purse and texted her mom.
The doctor ordered a scan for me. It was in the same building, so Tommy brought me here. I’m waiting now for the tech so we can get it over with. Do they use a scan to diagnose mono? Honestly, Mom, I’m afraid. Please pray.
Almost as soon as she sent the text, her phone rang. Annalee wasn’t sure if she could be on the phone in this place, but she didn’t care. “Hello?”
“Honey, why didn’t you call me earlier?” Her mother sounded frantic. “I had no idea they’d order a test the same day.”
Annalee closed her eyes. “Me, either.” She sucked in a quick breath and blinked.Don’t panic,she told herself.Stay calm. “The doctor said… it could be mono. He took blood.”
“Okay. Yes…” Her mom released a long breath. “That’s what we’ve been thinking. I had mono when I was in high school. It’s terrible.” She hesitated. “So that must be why they’re doing the scan.” She sounded relieved. “You just need more rest. Like we’ve been saying.”
The doctor had agreed Annalee had all the symptoms of mono. An occasional fever, zero energy and most mornings she woke up with sheets wet from sweating. Night sweats, the doctor called it. Whatever she was dealing with, the tests today would tell the story, and then she could move on to getting better. She cleared her throat. “You’ve heard of that, right? Scans for mono?”
“Yes. I think so.” Her mother’s answer was a little too quick. “They’re probably looking to see if your spleen is enlarged. That’s something they would see on a scan.”
A woman wearing a white coat walked into the room.
“I have to go.” Annalee dropped her voice to a whisper. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay, honey. Your dad and I… we’re coming home tomorrow.”
Annalee set the phone in her purse and lifted her eyes to the woman. “Is it time?”
“Yes. I need you to remove your clothing and jewelry.” She handed Annalee a hospital gown. “And change into this.” The woman smiled, but it didn’t change her serious expression. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”
While Annalee did what the woman asked, nausea formed a pit in her stomach.Why am I worried?This couldn’t be anything serious. Her mom’s sister had died on the mission field in Kenya last year. A family could only take so much heartache.
It has to be mono.
The woman returned and helped Annalee onto the flat table. Then she handed her a pair of earplugs. “You’ll want these. The test is loud… it can last as long as an hour depending on what we see.”
She’d never worn earplugs. She took a minute to figure out how to make them work and then Annalee lay flat on her back. Her heart picked up speed and raced against the wall of her chest. The earplugs made the sound louder.Peace,she prayed.Please give me peace, God. Calm me down.
As the table slid into the tube and the test began, Annalee remembered something her father had told her.If you’re stuck in a difficult situation take yourself somewhere else. Remember a happy time or relive some meaningful moment.
With her eyes squeezed shut, Annalee did just that. So she was no longer in a cold tube with loud scarysounds happening around her. She was on her parents’ back porch a week ago telling them about a decision she’d made. A decision about her life.
Her parents had made hot cider. Austin was at football practice so it was just the three of them. Like it was happening again, Annalee could smell the cinnamon from her warm mug and see the looks of anticipation in the faces of her parents.
“God has spoken to you?” Her dad sat opposite her, all of them in rocking chairs.
“He has.” Annalee had never been more sure about a career path. “I know what I want to do.” And then she’d told them. “I want to help trafficked children here in Indianapolis.” Annalee’s heart soared at the possibility. “I’m thinking of developing an app.”
The idea was straightforward. Hotel workers would download the app, which would connect with local law enforcement agencies. If a front desk employee suspected a trafficker was bringing a child into a hotel room, the worker could notify authorities anonymously through the app. If the tip turned into an arrest or a rescue, the hotel worker would receive a reward.
