He ran blood tests, made me do some kind of coordination test where I had to touch my nose and then his finger over and over, shined lights in my eyes until I saw spots. The whole time, his frown just kept getting deeper. When he was done, he printed something out and sealed it in an envelope. His hands, I noticed, were very steady as he handed it to me.
“You need to take these medications immediately,” he said. Not suggested, not recommended—need. “And you need to follow up with a neurologist within the week. Not next month, not when you have time—within the week.”
My stomach did this awful twisting thing.
“Is it serious?”
“Serious enough that you shouldn’t wait.”
He held my gaze.
“I mean that, Lena. Don’t put this off.”
I took the envelope with numb fingers. It felt heavier than paper should feel.
I called home from my dorm room that night, sitting cross-legged on my bed with a sealed envelope on my nightstand. My mom answered on the third ring, her voice bright and distracted.
“Lena, sweetie, how are classes going?”
“Mom, I need to tell you something.”
My voice came out shakier than I wanted.
“I went to the health clinic today. The doctor ran some tests and he’s really concerned. He gave me a prescription that I need filled right away.”
“And oh honey, is it just stress? You’ve always been such a worrier.”
I closed my eyes.
“No, Mom, it’s not stress. He said I have neurological symptoms and I need medication immediately, and I need to see a specialist within a week.”
There was a pause. I could hear the TV in the background, some reality show my dad always watched.
“Okay,” my mom said finally. “We’ll pick up the prescription tomorrow. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your studies, okay?”
Relief flooded through me.
“Really? Thank you. The doctor seemed really serious about it.”
“Lena, we’ve got it handled.”
My dad’s voice came through slightly muffled, like he leaned over my mom’s shoulder.
“Don’t stress yourself out. We’ll take care of everything. You just concentrate on school.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. “I was really scared.”
“No need to be scared, sweetie. We’re your parents. We’ll always take care of you.”
I hung up feeling lighter than I had in days. They were going to handle it. Everything was going to be okay.
I went home that weekend, partly because I wanted to make sure they’d picked up the medication and partly because I just needed to see my family. The house looked the same as always. The maple tree in the front yard dropping leaves everywhere. My dad’s truck in the driveway. The porch light that flickered because he kept meaning to fix it but never did. Inside, I found my little sister Ava sprawled on the living room couch, completely absorbed in her brand new iPhone. Not just any iPhone, the latest model. The one that cost more than my textbooks for the entire semester.
“Nice phone,” I said, dropping my bag by the stairs.
Ava glanced up, her face lighting up.
“Right, Mom? Dad surprised me with it yesterday. It has this amazing camera and I can edit my videos right on the phone.”
And Lena, my mom appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish rag.
“You’re early. I wasn’t expecting you until dinner.”
My dad followed her out, grinning.
“There’s our college girl. How’s the chemistry major treating you?”
