Chapter Three
Nothing is Normal
The nurse took Nathan's temperature and left him in a room.
"The doctor will be with you in a moment," she told Nathan and Haley.
They nodded.
"If you aren't sick already, you will be by the time you leave this place," Nathan quipped to Haley.
"Oh stop complaining," Haley said, "I'm here for you, not my well being. If I get sick too, oh well."
"You're right, as usual," Nathan told her, smiling.
She smiled. Then the doctor came into where the room where they were waiting.
He checked Nathan for a number of things and he took a blood test.
"It looks like a severe case of the flu to me. But to make sure, I took a blood test, because it could be mono. You said you've been tired a lot lately and sleeping doesn't help?"
Nathan nodded.
"That's what concerns me. That symptom is attributed more to mono then the flu. The flu will make you tired, but not to the point as what you've been describing to me. It could even be a combination of the two. Mono breaks down your defense system making you more susceptible to the flu and colds. And the flu has been more severe this year, and in your case, it looks like you have an especially bad case," the doctor said.
"When will I get the results?" Nathan asked.
"In a few days. Just rest for now, and drink lots of liquids," the doctor answered him. Nathan nodded and got up to leave.
The doctor went out first and then Nathan and Haley followed.
***
Nathan's mother came home to an empty house. Nathan's car was gone.
That's good, she thought, he must have been feeling a bit better.
She walked in the kitchen and was sipping a glass of water, when she heard Nathan's car pull up in the driveway. He entered. Lucas and Haley came with him. His mother could hear the three of them talking.
"You guys didn't have to walk me to my house," Nathan complained.
"I know," Haley, said, "We are just concerned about you."
Nathan looked a bit surprised and stared at Lucas. He did not think Lucas was that concerned about his well being.
But Lucas nodded in agreement.
"Thanks," Nathan muttered, still a bit surprised. They walked in silence for a little while, almost reaching the kitchen where Nathan's mother was.
"Um," Nathan paused, "I think I'm going to get some sleep. I'm pretty beat."
"All right," Haley said, "I just want to get something to drink." She stepped into the kitchen and saw Nathan's mom.
"Oh," she said, "Hi, Mrs. Scott."
"Hello, Haley," she said, "Nathan come in here please."
"What?" he asked appearing in the entrance.
"How are you feeling honey?" his mother asked him.
"Better," Nathan said. His mother put a hand on his forehead.
"You're still warm though." she said her voice trailing off. She stared at the glass of water in her hand.
"Mrs. Scott?" Lucas asked hesitantly. But she did not respond.
"Mom?" Nathan asked, "Mom, are you okay?" But Nathan's mother still did not respond. Nathan thought she might be having a breakdown or something. She looked like she was about to cry, but wouldn't let herself in front of Lucas and Haley.
"It's okay, Mrs. Scott," Haley spoke up, "You don't have to hide. We understand." Nathan and Lucas looked at her confused.
She sighed and motioned them to come with her, into another room, where Nathan's mother could not hear.
"Nathan," Haley said, "Your mother is upset because of your father. You told me that they were getting a divorce. She lost him, and she's worried about you, Nathan, because you're sick. She feels helpless, I guess and feels like she can't do anything."
Nathan lay on his bed. It was astonishing to see how well Haley got his mother. He sighed, just wishing he could fall asleep and not have to worry about his parents divorce, at least for the moment.
His eyes were already closing, when he heard his brother's voice.
"Nathan?" Lucas asked. Haley and Lucas were standing over him concerned.
"You all right?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah. I'm just really exhausted. I fall asleep easily. Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"All right. Listen, Nate, I have to go, I'll come over tomorrow, if I can," Lucas said. And he turned out of the room and left.
Haley stayed.
"Thanks," Nathan said.
"No problem," Haley replied, "You and Lucas seem to be getting along pretty well."
"Yeah." Nathan wasn't really in a talking mood. He found it a little odd him and Lucas were bonding, but he did not really think anything of it. When he came back to school everything would be normal, wouldn't it?
The nurse took Nathan's temperature and left him in a room.
"The doctor will be with you in a moment," she told Nathan and Haley.
They nodded.
"If you aren't sick already, you will be by the time you leave this place," Nathan quipped to Haley.
"Oh stop complaining," Haley said, "I'm here for you, not my well being. If I get sick too, oh well."
"You're right, as usual," Nathan told her, smiling.
She smiled. Then the doctor came into where the room where they were waiting.
He checked Nathan for a number of things and he took a blood test.
"It looks like a severe case of the flu to me. But to make sure, I took a blood test, because it could be mono. You said you've been tired a lot lately and sleeping doesn't help?"
Nathan nodded.
"That's what concerns me. That symptom is attributed more to mono then the flu. The flu will make you tired, but not to the point as what you've been describing to me. It could even be a combination of the two. Mono breaks down your defense system making you more susceptible to the flu and colds. And the flu has been more severe this year, and in your case, it looks like you have an especially bad case," the doctor said.
"When will I get the results?" Nathan asked.
"In a few days. Just rest for now, and drink lots of liquids," the doctor answered him. Nathan nodded and got up to leave.
The doctor went out first and then Nathan and Haley followed.
***
Nathan's mother came home to an empty house. Nathan's car was gone.
That's good, she thought, he must have been feeling a bit better.
She walked in the kitchen and was sipping a glass of water, when she heard Nathan's car pull up in the driveway. He entered. Lucas and Haley came with him. His mother could hear the three of them talking.
"You guys didn't have to walk me to my house," Nathan complained.
"I know," Haley, said, "We are just concerned about you."
Nathan looked a bit surprised and stared at Lucas. He did not think Lucas was that concerned about his well being.
But Lucas nodded in agreement.
"Thanks," Nathan muttered, still a bit surprised. They walked in silence for a little while, almost reaching the kitchen where Nathan's mother was.
"Um," Nathan paused, "I think I'm going to get some sleep. I'm pretty beat."
"All right," Haley said, "I just want to get something to drink." She stepped into the kitchen and saw Nathan's mom.
"Oh," she said, "Hi, Mrs. Scott."
"Hello, Haley," she said, "Nathan come in here please."
"What?" he asked appearing in the entrance.
"How are you feeling honey?" his mother asked him.
"Better," Nathan said. His mother put a hand on his forehead.
"You're still warm though." she said her voice trailing off. She stared at the glass of water in her hand.
"Mrs. Scott?" Lucas asked hesitantly. But she did not respond.
"Mom?" Nathan asked, "Mom, are you okay?" But Nathan's mother still did not respond. Nathan thought she might be having a breakdown or something. She looked like she was about to cry, but wouldn't let herself in front of Lucas and Haley.
"It's okay, Mrs. Scott," Haley spoke up, "You don't have to hide. We understand." Nathan and Lucas looked at her confused.
She sighed and motioned them to come with her, into another room, where Nathan's mother could not hear.
"Nathan," Haley said, "Your mother is upset because of your father. You told me that they were getting a divorce. She lost him, and she's worried about you, Nathan, because you're sick. She feels helpless, I guess and feels like she can't do anything."
Nathan lay on his bed. It was astonishing to see how well Haley got his mother. He sighed, just wishing he could fall asleep and not have to worry about his parents divorce, at least for the moment.
His eyes were already closing, when he heard his brother's voice.
"Nathan?" Lucas asked. Haley and Lucas were standing over him concerned.
"You all right?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah. I'm just really exhausted. I fall asleep easily. Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"All right. Listen, Nate, I have to go, I'll come over tomorrow, if I can," Lucas said. And he turned out of the room and left.
Haley stayed.
"Thanks," Nathan said.
"No problem," Haley replied, "You and Lucas seem to be getting along pretty well."
"Yeah." Nathan wasn't really in a talking mood. He found it a little odd him and Lucas were bonding, but he did not really think anything of it. When he came back to school everything would be normal, wouldn't it?