I thought about it all night long and didn’t sleep a wink. Thank goodness for that sugar-induced nap I’d taken before the spaghetti dinner. Finally, at five a.m. I got out of bed. Sometimes showers help me sort out my thoughts, so I took another one and sure enough, it helped. Somewhere between the wash and rinse cycle, I made a decision. By nine twenty-five, I was in the office, sorting mail. The coffee was made, messages taken, patient list written up and placed on Dr. Callahan’s exam desk. I drank a cold soda from the bottle. Soon I would dig into the project for bringing more patients in. He walked in at nine thirty-five. Circles under his eyes. They brightened when he saw me. The door closed behind him and he set his briefcase down, beginning to move toward the desk. “You came.” I held up a hand, motioning him to stop. I’d rehearsed a speech. “Wait,” I said, standing. “Hear what I have to say.”
