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“I agree. How is your Amish patient doing?”
“She started her new regimen today. If she got the anti-nausea bolus, she’s asleep right now.”
“Good. She needs rest. Let me know if you need anything, got that?”
“Yeah. I will.” After Doctor Choi left, Andrew stayed on the bench for a little while longer. Finally, needing to restore peace to his hurting spirit, he left the locker room and went to the chapel. There, he prayed. Finally, looking up, he saw the snow, lazily falling, just outside the windows. Moving to the window, he instinctively reached out for the calm the sight offered to him. Lord, I want to heal all of them. I know I can’t. I’m only a man. Take Margarete King as an example, Lord. When you look at her, you see a girl who’s fighting with everything she has. She deserves to stay here, healthy and alive with her family! She deserves to meet a young man, fall in love and get married. Have kids. Become a grandma. Please, Lord. Give me all the tools I need to help her!
Finally, feeling a measure of peace, Andrew went back to the pediatric oncology floor. Checking on Margarete, he found her stirring sleepily. “Hey, you’re awake! Do you feel okay? Would some Jell-O be a good idea for you now?”
Margarete considered for a few seconds. “Ya, I’d like to try some, please.”
“Be right back.” Andrew jogged to the supply room, where he knew a refrigerator held perishable snacks for the patients. Grabbing a small bowl of gelatin and a spoon, he hurried back into Margarete’s room. “Try this. If it stays down, I’ll see how something like chicken soup, pudding or yogurt treats you.”
Stretching, Margarete sat up. Slowly she ate the Jell-O, savoring the tart lime flavor. After every bite, she waited to see how her stomach would receive it. Close to finishing, she shook her head. “Nee. I’d better stop there.”
“Is your stomach feeling upset?”
“Nee, just...kind of unsettled.”
“Do you think you can handle a discussion I want to have with you?”
“What kind of talk?”
“About a thought I had that may help keep you here when you need medical attention. Rather than sending you someplace farther away. See, when you can get visits from your family, that’s good for you. As long as they’re all healthy, that is. If we end up having to send you to Philadelphia or another hospital because of what Mister McConnell believes or says, it’ll be harder for your family to get there to visit with you. As much as I can, I encourage families to visit with my patients. Because, I believe their presence and support is therapeutic.”
“Ya, I agree. When I know they’re going to be here, that makes a hard day better. You know?”
“Exactly. So, what I’m thinking is...hold on.” Andrew closed the door to the room after checking for the presence of the hospital’s administrator. “Okay, what I’m thinking is that I, along with help from my girlfriend, write a letter that makes Mister McConnell agree that as long as you need medical care, you can get it. No matter what.”
“Even if I need that...that transplant?”
“You mean the bone marrow transplant? Yup.”
“But...I’m confused. He agreed I could get chemo here, but if I needed any other type of treatment, I’d have to go somewhere else. Has he changed his mind?”
“No. But he still brings up the payments to your dad, which doesn’t do any of you any good. And your dad’s making the payments, like clockwork, every month.”
“Doctor Castillo, I asked my daed and mamm to show me the bills. I just want to make sure that I know what’s happening. When I saw that it was over ten thousand dollars, I got scared.”
“That’s a large amount of money. I know. But, from what the business finance manager has told me, your dad is keeping up with them.”
“Ya, and we have a community fund, if we need it. I think Daed talked to the bishop already, just in case.”
“Good. So, do you want me to write that agreement up?”
Margarete considered. As she did, she realized she still felt the fuzzy edges of sleepiness. Stretching again, she nodded. “Ya. Because, if Mamm and Daed have to travel from Somerset County to Philadelphia, or anywhere else, they’d have to hire and pay a driver. And spend more time away from their businesses, which means they earn less money.”
Andrew shook his head, flabbergasted at the insight and intelligence of his young patient. “Wow. Okay. I’ll write it. Before I take it to McConnell for his signature, I’ll have you and your parents read it.”
***
IN THE KING’S HOME, Rebecca and Leora talked about the deacon’s visit, which had taken place a few days earlier. “So, he asked you to join him for coffee and pie tomorrow night? Hmmm.”
“Ya. What do you think Sammy will say?”
“I think he’ll approve. He knows that after his daed died you grieved heavily. But it’s been years! You deserve happiness. You’re still a young woman. And Deacon Zook is a gut man. Between you and me, Rebecca, he is almost ideal for you! Do you like the idea of being a deacon’s wife?”
Rebecca laughed and blushed. “That’s way too far away! Let me just get to know him. So, you approve?”
Leora laughed, feeling happy for the first time in weeks. “Ya! I do!”
“You do what? Marry me all over again?” Sammy tipped his head, smiling at Leora.
“Ya, I would that. But...” she looked at Rebecca, questioning whether she should say anything. At Rebecca’s slight nod, she continued. “Your mamm is going to go out with Deacon Zook tomorrow night. For coffee and pie.”
“Gut! I’ve seen him looking at you and wondered when he’d finally speak up. I’m glad he finally did.”
Little Sammy came downstairs. “Mamm? I’m bored! Can’t I do something to help?”
“Ya. Set the table, please.”
It was a measure of little Sammy’s boredom that he leapt to the task without a complaint. Taking the silver and plates out of the hutch, he set them on the table, finishing the job in five minutes. “Anything else? I’m used to working!”
“Well! If you haven’t been feverish for the past twenty-four hours, I could use help in the barn. Leora?”
Leora pressed her hands and lips to little Sammy’s face, testing for fever. Looking at the clock, she estimated. “It’s been more than twenty-four hours since he was last feverish. I think you’re well, son! Go ahead and help your daed.”
Little Sammy happily put his coat on and helped his daed with the livestock. “Can I work tomorrow?”
“Let’s see if your mamm wants to send you to school tomorrow or not. If she wants to wait for the weekend, you can help in the shop tomorrow.”
In response, little Sammy leapt in the deep snow, landing lightly. At the supper table, he asked Leora if he was going to school in the morning.
Leora looked at Rebecca. “I think he should wait just a couple days more. What do you think?”
“I agree. Just to make sure he’s not contagious. And, as long as he stays healthy over the weekend, he goes back on Monday.”
“Yay!” Little Sammy dropped his fork and shook his arms in the air. “Can I go see Margarete tonight?”
“Nee. I’m afraid you’re still shedding flu germs. You’ll have to go with your mamm and daed when they go to see her tomorrow night...”
“But you take care of me! Don’t you?”
“Normally, ya. But I have plans for tomorrow night. So, rather than leave you by yourself here, you’ll go with them to the hospital. Depending on how long your sister says in the hospital, you may begin to visit her next week. I just want to make sure your body isn’t still—”
“Ya. I understand. Shedding germs. Where will you be?”
Rebecca looked down, trying to quell her instinctive blush. “I...am going out for pie and coffee...with—”
“Deacon Zook? Finally!”
Everyone at the table laughed. Rebecca laughed the hardest, because she had been so unaware that everyone would support her growing relationship with the deacon.
***
IN MARGARETE’S HOSPITAL room that evening, Sammy and Leora visited with her after dinner. She was feeling sleepy and, to her relief, not nauseated. She perked up when she found out that Deacon Zook was going to take her grandmother out the following night. “Really? I always thought he liked her. I’m glad he finally spoke up!”
Leora began to chuckle, which made Sammy begin to laugh. Lying back on her pillow, Margarete began giggling.
“Do you feel strong enough to get out of bed?” Leora wanted to show Margarete the beauty of the scene outdoors.
“Ya, I think so.” Sitting up slowly, Margarete accepted her parents’ help in putting her slippers on. Walking carefully to the window, she gasped. The overhead lights brought the snow into sharp relief on the ground. Margarete was almost able to pick out individual snowflakes as they sparkled and gleamed. “Oh, it’s beautiful! How long did it snow?”
“Almost every day since we brought you here for your flu. It hasn’t been able to melt. We’re going to have to bundle you up when you’re able to go home.”
Margarete shivered slightly. “I can’t wait. I like the doctors and nurses, but I miss you and home.”
“We miss you.”
“Mamm, do I still have a job with you? I want to keep it.”
“Ya, of course you do. I’m not going to fire my best apprentice! When you get home, we’ll keep the same arrangement going. Mask when you go out. Work from home. And you’ll have to limit how many people you’re around. Period. Not ‘at any one time.’ And that’s at your doctor’s orders.”
Margarete frowned and sighed. “Because I lost my remission after being sick?”
“Ya, we were following all the orders. But we bent the one about exposure to too many people when an illness is raging through the community. That’s where we went wrong.”
Margarete heard the caution in her mother’s gentle words. She sighed again. “Okay. I understand.”
“While you’re still here, think about the five or six people you want to see. Because that’s how many Doctor Castillo has said you can be around.”
“All right. What about quilting frolics, sings and socials? Wait. Amos and I agreed together that we wouldn’t go to sings until my immunity returns to normal.”
“Gut for you and Amos. As for frolics and socials, we’ll take them on a case-by-case basis. If you’re healthy and you’re in remission, we can talk about it. Until then, nee.”
Margarete, back in bed by this time, slumped on her pillow, feeling disappointment. “Okay. I understand...but I don’t like it.”
“Don’t like what?” Doctor Castillo swung into the room. He looked tired, but his smile was genuine as he took in the King family.
“Gut! Except...we were talking about how I have to limit my time with my friends.”
“Yes. I liked your idea, but that was before we knew how severe this year’s flu would be. Unfortunately, you did get sick and that led to your relapse. To protect your health, we’re going to tighten up on your exposure to others. At all times.”
“I understand. And my mamm told me that we’d be taking socials and frolics on a case-by-case basis, depending on my health.”
“Exactly. Part of that agreement we talked about is going to rely heavily on how well you comply with treatment. I know you like your friends, but if we’re going to keep your treatment here, we have to prove to McConnell that you’re all doing everything you have to do as far as taking care of your health.”
“I understand. Daed, Doctor Castillo told me about the agreement today. I like his idea, because I need to be around you as often as I can.”
“We agree. So, you’ll follow his orders?” Sammy’s look was stern.
Margarete, seeing his serious expression, nodded. She didn’t want to run afoul of his anger. “I will.”
***
AFTER TWO ADDITIONAL weeks in the hospital, Margarete was finally discharged. Her cancer cells had been sharply reduced, although she still hadn’t entered a new remission. She resumed taking infusions once a month. With the new medication on her regimen, she felt tired after each treatment, but the anti-nausea medication helped tremendously. She slowly resumed her regular working schedule.
Finally, two months to the day after she had been discharged, the cancer center doctor came in with a beaming smile. “Congratulations! You’re in remission again! No sign of any cancerous blood cells.”
Margarete jumped around the room, unable to contain her joy. “I’ll do everything I’m supposed to do! I promise!”
“Good! Because we want to continue seeing you come here for treatment, rather than inpatient.”
By now, spring was making a tentative appearance. It warmed up for several days, and then another snowstorm blew into the area. Even Leora was forced to work from home—the snow had fallen so heavily it was too dangerous for her to attempt the drive to the bakery.
Margarete anxiously monitored the condition of the roads. Friday night was coming up and she wanted to spend some time with Amos. Finally, seeing the blacktop showing through the snow, she breathed a sigh of relief.
***
AT HOME, BECKY MANN’S lips stretched into a mean smile as she decided she had come up with a plan to get rid of Margarete King. I’ll go sneeze in front of Amos when I’m at the store. He comes in every week to get supplies for his daed. He’s going to go and see her this weekend... Becky inhaled swiftly and sneezed, blowing her nose. The cold had struck just a few days earlier. While bemoaning her illness, she realized she could use its presence to get what she wanted: time with Amos. The next day, at the store, she loitered near the hardware area. Seeing Amos, she inhaled, bringing some of the dust into her nostrils. As Amos neared, her eyes closed as she sneezed convulsively. “Oh, I’m sorry! Excuse me!”
Amos recoiled. “Do you have a cold?”
“Ya. Sorry.” Becky’s smile was sickly as she backed away.
Amos whirled around, not wanting the germs that had just been sprayed onto him. Under his breath, he muttered about the inconsiderate female who had just exposed him to her illness. “I just hope I won’t be sick on Friday, or any day soon.”
“Son, what are you talking about?”
“Becky Mann just sneezed all over me, Daed! She has a cold and I have plans with Margarete.”
“Oh, no. I hope you won’t be sick! Because if you are, you can’t be around her.”
“Ya, I know.” Amos growled.
