said.
“Don’t be glib.”
“Don’t be worried.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
Mattie felt the unexpected rebuke as sharply as a slap on the wrist. It stung, brought angry tears to her eyes. Lisa Katzman might look like a tiny little sparrow, Mattie thought, but she had the talons of an eagle. “Great bedside manner, doctor. Is that how you talk to all your patients?”
Lisa folded bony arms across her flat chest, pushed one thin lip inside the other, took a long, deep breath. “I’m talking to you as a friend.”
“Are you sure?”
Lisa Katzman returned to the table without her coffee. She sat down, took Mattie’s hands in her own. “Okay, I admit my concern is more than personal.”
“That’s what I don’t understand,” Mattie said, not sure whether she really wanted to get into all this, especially now. “The neurologist said the MRI was clear. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“The MRI was clear,” Lisa agreed.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Mattie repeated, waiting for the accompanying echo from her friend.
“There’s another test I’d like you to take.”
“What? Why?”
“Just to tie up some loose ends.”
“What loose ends? What kind of test?”
“It’s called an electromyogram.”
“What’s that?”
“An electromyogram tests the electrical activity of muscles,” Lisa began, “and, unfortunately, to do that, they have to insert needle electrodes directly into the muscles, which can be a bit unpleasant.”
“A bit unpleasant?”
“There’s a crackling sound when the needles are inserted into the muscles, sort of like popcorn popping,” Lisa explained. “It can be somewhat disconcerting.”
“Oh, really? You think?” Mattie asked, not even trying to disguise her sarcasm.
“I think you can handle it,” Lisa told her.
“I think I’ll pass.”
“I think you should think about it.”
Mattie rubbed the bridge at the top of her nose, trying to keep the headache that was building behind her eyes at bay. She was liking this conversation even less than the earlier one with Jake. Increasingly, she was wishing she was back on the outside steps of the Art Institute with Roy Crawford and his big lecherous head. “What’s going on here, Lisa? What horrible disease do you think I have?”
“I don’t know that you have anything,” Lisa said,her voice even, giving nothing away. “I’m just being extra cautious because you’re my friend.”
“You’re just being cautious,” Mattie repeated.
“I want to eliminate some possible muscular disorders. Let me try to get something set up for next week, okay?”
Mattie felt a giant wave of fatigue wash across her body. She didn’t want to argue. Not with her husband. Not with her best friend. She just wanted to crawl into bed and get this horrible day over with. “How long does this test take?”
“About an hour. Sometimes longer.”
“How much longer?” Mattie asked.
“It can take two, occasionally even three hours.”
“Two or three hours?! You want me to sit there and let some sadist stick needle electrodes into my muscles for two or three hours?”
“It usually only takes an hour,” Lisa said again, trying to sound reassuring, failing miserably.
“This is some sort of sick joke, right?”
“It’s no joke, Mattie. I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t feel it was important.”
“I’ll think about it,” Mattie said, after a long pause in which she purposefully thought of nothing at all.
“Promise?”
“I’m not a child, Lisa. I said I’d think about it. That’s exactly what I’ll do.”
“I’ve upset you,” Lisa said softly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to do that.”
Mattie nodded, feeling as helpless as she had in the seconds prior to her accident, as if she were still trapped inside the speeding car and unable to find thebrakes. There was no way to stop; there was no slowing down. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, she was going to crash
“Don’t be glib.”
“Don’t be worried.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
Mattie felt the unexpected rebuke as sharply as a slap on the wrist. It stung, brought angry tears to her eyes. Lisa Katzman might look like a tiny little sparrow, Mattie thought, but she had the talons of an eagle. “Great bedside manner, doctor. Is that how you talk to all your patients?”
Lisa folded bony arms across her flat chest, pushed one thin lip inside the other, took a long, deep breath. “I’m talking to you as a friend.”
“Are you sure?”
Lisa Katzman returned to the table without her coffee. She sat down, took Mattie’s hands in her own. “Okay, I admit my concern is more than personal.”
“That’s what I don’t understand,” Mattie said, not sure whether she really wanted to get into all this, especially now. “The neurologist said the MRI was clear. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“The MRI was clear,” Lisa agreed.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Mattie repeated, waiting for the accompanying echo from her friend.
“There’s another test I’d like you to take.”
“What? Why?”
“Just to tie up some loose ends.”
“What loose ends? What kind of test?”
“It’s called an electromyogram.”
“What’s that?”
“An electromyogram tests the electrical activity of muscles,” Lisa began, “and, unfortunately, to do that, they have to insert needle electrodes directly into the muscles, which can be a bit unpleasant.”
“A bit unpleasant?”
“There’s a crackling sound when the needles are inserted into the muscles, sort of like popcorn popping,” Lisa explained. “It can be somewhat disconcerting.”
“Oh, really? You think?” Mattie asked, not even trying to disguise her sarcasm.
“I think you can handle it,” Lisa told her.
“I think I’ll pass.”
“I think you should think about it.”
Mattie rubbed the bridge at the top of her nose, trying to keep the headache that was building behind her eyes at bay. She was liking this conversation even less than the earlier one with Jake. Increasingly, she was wishing she was back on the outside steps of the Art Institute with Roy Crawford and his big lecherous head. “What’s going on here, Lisa? What horrible disease do you think I have?”
“I don’t know that you have anything,” Lisa said,her voice even, giving nothing away. “I’m just being extra cautious because you’re my friend.”
“You’re just being cautious,” Mattie repeated.
“I want to eliminate some possible muscular disorders. Let me try to get something set up for next week, okay?”
Mattie felt a giant wave of fatigue wash across her body. She didn’t want to argue. Not with her husband. Not with her best friend. She just wanted to crawl into bed and get this horrible day over with. “How long does this test take?”
“About an hour. Sometimes longer.”
“How much longer?” Mattie asked.
“It can take two, occasionally even three hours.”
“Two or three hours?! You want me to sit there and let some sadist stick needle electrodes into my muscles for two or three hours?”
“It usually only takes an hour,” Lisa said again, trying to sound reassuring, failing miserably.
“This is some sort of sick joke, right?”
“It’s no joke, Mattie. I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t feel it was important.”
“I’ll think about it,” Mattie said, after a long pause in which she purposefully thought of nothing at all.
“Promise?”
“I’m not a child, Lisa. I said I’d think about it. That’s exactly what I’ll do.”
“I’ve upset you,” Lisa said softly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to do that.”
Mattie nodded, feeling as helpless as she had in the seconds prior to her accident, as if she were still trapped inside the speeding car and unable to find thebrakes. There was no way to stop; there was no slowing down. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, she was going to crash
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