Organ - Chapter 30 (Final Chapter)

ORGAN

"It begins in our familiar flesh. Soft, raw and unseen, the rot threading through our organs like whispered sin. But it never stays buried. It creeps outward, into voices, into glances, into the dreams of those we love, until their hearts pulse with the same quiet corruption." - Unknown

Chapter Thirty

Creeping in through her merriment at the rebirth of her formerly aborted life, not a month since her arrival, Katie had become feeling sicker and sicker as the weeks recently past. Headaches became more frequent, at first manageable with painkillers, but now her body felt weaker, and the signs all pointed to an unwanted trip to a doctor’s office. Something she was not entirely keen on revisiting anytime soon.

“Katie Hanley” the receptionist called out to her as she sat in the waiting room flicking through texts from Stanley, they had broken up a week after their encounter, but it ended well, and she could smile remembering that first night she regained herself.

It was a private doctors office which appeared significantly fancier than she had ever imagined a doctor’s office could look, definitely a glow up from the tired walls and ragged seats at Greenwood, 

“The doctor will see you in room five” she was instructed, 

Katie thanked her softly as to not disturb the hush over the room. 

“Good morning Miss Hanley, please take a seat” the doctor instructed as she entered the equally impressive room and pondered over the roughness of her old hometown.

Younger than Boothe but not by many years and greying in hair, Katie was disappointed she was not seen by a female doctor after having had her fill of male physicians for one lifetime. 

“How can I help you today?” he asked carefully searching for signs of an ailment he could guess in some timewasting game he appeared to play. 

“I have been feeling unwell lately, weaker and it’s been accompanied by headaches that are getting worse” she explained carefully reading his face for signs of danger as she had learnt to do with Boothe for her own progression, and safety.

Her doctor listened for a while as Katie explained when the headaches typically happened, what she was taking in terms of birth control, alcohol consumption, drug use, the stresses of her job and the work going on with her therapist that she voluntarily discussed. 

Much to her disbelief her new doctor seemed genuinely only interested in finding out what might be relevant and quickly dropped the tomes of useless personally information he was not going to need back at her feet. 

“I understand from your medical records that you had a puncture wound in your stomach, and a couple of broken ribs to boot” he made a hooting noise awkwardly as though shocked by the severity of her historic injuries, 

“Yes, I was attacked but recovered well and put that all behind me” she said with a strong upper lip that would have made her father beam with pride.

He shot her a smile that shared this appreciation for her strength. 

“We can run some blood tests to be safe but firstly, and I know It might seem unnecessary, I was hoping I could give you a quick ultrasound to check out that scar tissue near your ribs. From what you are describing I just want to rule out any ulcers that might have formed around the impact area.” the doctor explained as Katie nodded along to every word.

“If you think it will help then gladly” she replied before she hopped onto the table and pulling up her shirt revealing her stomach and ribs, her jumper just about covering the bottom wire of her bra modestly that the doctor ensured to avoid with any glances. 

“Believe it or not, I once found a watch from some moronic surgeon inside a patient of mine, he was sown up like some old football with this guy’s wristwatch ticking away inside his body. Wildly incompetent people out there calling themselves doctors” he joked but obviously shook Katie up with nerves at the idea of her saviours having left some foreign object floating in her old wounds.

“Brace yourself, the jelly for the wand is always cold” he informed her squirting with flatulent noise onto her stomach a thick viscous goop.

Katies skin pimpled, she took a sharp inhale as the promised cold shock across her exposed stomach. 

“Okay I can see the scar tissue, looks to be healed up nicely, you have some build-up of scarring just below your ribs that looks a bit sore, I think that’s likely going to cause a bit of irritation if it swells but it appears to be clear” her doctor said explaining what he was observing as he traced the wand smoothly across her skin, 

“I can see the ribs are healed nicely” he remarked in passing, “I do see some scarring around your uterus, have you had any accidents before this one?” the doctor asked gesturing towards her Oscar gifted scar.

Katie shook her head as she riffled through her minds file cabinets for any reason her this healed up injury. 

“Nothing to worry about, I can’t seem to see anything unusual, it would mean we can treat your headaches with routine painkillers while we wait for the blood test results. Usually a week. That should illuminate things” he said continuing his jaunt around her belly button with now the wand that dragged skin warm gelatine in trail. 

Attempting to break the awkwardness as the rod did all the work and the doctor looked into the monitor that displayed its finding beside her, this new professional behaving doctor went about filling the silence. 

“I understand you are a nurse” Katie nodded and cleared her throat; nervousness was creeping in at the opportunity to rehash any previous unwanted truths in her new safe nourishing life. 

“Yes I worked for Greenwood Heart for a few years before moving, I now work at the paediatricians near the university” she informed. 

“Greenwood? Did you hear about the Doctor up there? Only just read about it this morning” he asked excitedly at the chance to discuss his professional world with someone of similar understanding. 

“No, I haven’t kept in touch” she answered upset at the way this conversation was heading but nonetheless keeping that smile across her face as to not arouse unwanted attention.

“Well apparently some chief of medicine discovered a new type of parasitic tumour, he authored a paper on his findings and its being touted as a breakthrough, new diseases and viruses tend to come along few and far. Very exciting” he described with excitement.

Katie felt nothing of the sort, simply bricks falling in place around her burying her in a red sarcophagus of unwanted hurtful memories. 

“That’s impressive” was all she could muster in response and the doctor nodded in agreement and shot her a wide-eyed look away from the screen he carefully studied.

“Boothe Tumour, they are calling it apparently. Not the catchiest name but still, getting your name attached to a newfound medical mystery is certainly something to hang up on the wall” he said laughing as the instrument in his hand adventured about her body.

Katies stomach dropped, and her shoulders became heavy.

“Not safe” she whispered; 

“Sorry” he asked in response,

Katie seemingly unaware of any words she had spoken looked up in confusion. 

“Well, I think they will likely give him an award, not the Nobel, but something similar. Think of all the lives that man might have saved moving forward” the doctor was relentless and spoke like a man famished of conversation. 

Katie sat in muteness but for the occasionally “Wow” or “That’s great” that kept his mind focused on her exam. 

“Well, it looks clear from the ultra, I think we can proceed with the blood test and go from there” he quipped still hovering the now unfelt device around her abdomen. 

“Thank you doctor” she said with her trusting voice careful and polite returning.

“Wait a second” he stopped her from continuing with the concerning request.

“Katie, I am really sorry to ask, please feel free not to answer but are sure you are on birth control?” the doctor asked looking puzzled deep into the monitor and occasionally wiggling he wand in his hand as if checking it was operating correctly. 

Uncomfortable question but she was a nurse, and this was a medical exam, so Katie stifled her concerns for privacy and answered, 

“Well, yes. I have been taking the pill regularly and normally use some form of condoms when I do have sex.” She replied hesitantly.

Her answer only furrowing his brow further in turmoil. 

“I don’t know how to explain this, perhaps we can evaluate the method you have been using for contraception but Katie, it looks as though you are pregnant,”

Her mouth slowly opened at the alarming assumption he had gathered from her scan. 

“Pregnant?” she asked hoping she had somehow misheard him, begging to any gods listening that she might have misunderstood in an episode of daydream. 

“I am seeing something that looks very much like a foetus, I would say three to four months if I had to guess, I am so sorry you found out this way as I know this can be extremely sensitive information to hear without expecting it” he apologised although it fell on deaf ears,

Katie was falling away in a whirlpool of her mind, millions of ideas racing forward and falling off the stand as they battled for relevancy. 

“Oh my, Katie, I am very sorry. It appears that you are carrying twins” he added seeing the life drain from her face.

Unaware of his next move the doctor asked if she wanted a moment alone and left the room to let her cry or laugh or deal with the situation however she deemed fit. Katie sat in solitude as the door closed behind the professional leaving the scene he had accidentally created. Katie ran over the details and timings of her last sexual encounter, Stan used a condom and knowing she had seen the unpleasant rubbery end result in the rubbish the next morning, she knew that last time was “safe,” especially as she herself had been on the pill at the time. 

“It doesn’t make sense” she remarked aloud. “How?” 

The door slid open, and her doctor returned with a nurse behind him, her face was kind, and her plump shape left her missing Beverly at the old hospital. Katie imagined how hilarious her reaction would have been to the news and it brought her back from the brink of bubbling up with sadness.

“Not safe” she heard whispering in her ears, the attending professionals still seemed unaware of the noise.

Katie stared down at her stomach still drying with the disgusting peeling in parts gelatine.

“You……you are safe” she said losing her meaning and gentle stroking at her stomach with both hands in parental caring swipes. 

“Congratulations, see you are already being motherly” the nurse said watching Katie caress her own stomach that still only seemed slightly bloated.

“You are going to be a great mum” she added as the doctor silently confirmed his prognosis on the scream.

“I’ll keep you safe” she whispered into the curves of her belly. Ignoring the voices of the doctor and the nurse attending.

They left together that afternoon, Katie had her life upended for the second time in less than a year. She thought of Oscar, Stanley, and Mary, but as she walked to her car they all fell away. It was just her and her babies left, the next decision was yet to be made, and Katie had no idea how to make it.

Katie stared up briefly at a plane passing across the sky above her. “Let’s go somewhere safe.”