Laura sat across from John by herself this time.
“Tim knows that I’m here,” she said, even though John hadn’t asked.
He’d wondered of course, but he didn’t ask. Not long after their last meeting John had bumped into Tim’s doctor. John wasn’t one to gossip – he supposed that if he would start maybe people would quit coming to him with their secrets so he often wondered if it was a habit he should take up – but Tim’s doctor felt the need to fill him in on Tim’s medical state. Their colony was pretty small and like any small town everyone knew what everyone else was up to. John guessed they had mimicked earth a little too well on that one.
“Tim said you and Laura are worried about his diabetes. I had no idea that you two even knew about that!”
John looked at the doctor with his, “I’m not gonna go next so you might as well keep talking,” look.
And of course the Good Doctor did.
“Tim’s wondering why his diabetes would be anything that concerns Laura. Honestly, I don’t think he sees why she gets so upset.”
A few more seconds of staring would do the trick. John stuck to the plan.
“I’m going to recommend he and Laura keep coming to you. Maybe if she puts her foot down he’ll finally get the idea he can’t play around with this disease. He’s one cheat away from a coma and a long ride from a short projectile shoot (their traditional burial on Mars involved an apparatus much like the t-shirt cannons from old earth baseball games. People were sad at funerals but it was hard to not be impressed by the awesomeness of the send-off).
“Well I’ll keep that in mind if they come around again. Thanks Doc,” said John, and he walked off.
People were used to John walking off. Truth be told they were grateful. They knew their secrets were rattling around in his head and seeing him avoid chit chat was like watching the dial spin on a locked safe. Doc smiled and continued his own journey across town.
Laura’s voice brought John back to the present.
“I’m just tired, you know?”
“Well that’s good,” John said.
Laura looked up with just her eyes, “Why is that good?”
John leaned back and pressed the button on his vape. Sometimes he really missed Marlboros but he wasn’t going to set off any alarms.
“If you’re tired maybe you’ll stop doing his homework.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, more curious than angry, but now he had her full attention.
“Tim has a meter that checks his blood, right?”
“Yes,” she said, “but sometimes he forgets to…”
“Tim has a pump to deliver medicine at correct intervals and at the correct dosage right?”
Laura laughed and said, “Sure and good luck getting him to wear the damn…”
John cut her off, “so when you remind him, nag him, bring him nutrient bars, and generally do all the work for him not only are you doing his job, you sound like his mother. No wonder he’s mad at you.”
“Hey,” Laura said, almost angrily, “I’m the one who’s mad, remember?”
“Sure,” John said, “so mad you follow him around like a nurse and then get so resentful you threaten to leave. Makes a lot of sense to me. Love someone so much you’re ready to divorce him?”
“I told you I’m tired, but what am I supposed to do, let him die? What if he’s not taking his medicine because he’s depressed? Or he’s bipolar? What if we’re treating the wrong thing?”
“Have you ever been tested for allergies Laura?” John pressed.
“No,” she said.
“Well it can get pretty complicated. They draw a grid on your back and start poking you with needles that have stuff on the tips you might be allergic to. You go home, have a bunch of reactions and go back to the doctor. They print out a report with all of your allergies and you know what they do next Laura? They hand you a Zyrtec.”
“What’s your point?” Laura asked.
“Nobody cures an allergy; they just treat the symptoms. Tim has some very uncomfortable symptoms and you’re worried that we aren’t looking for the cause.”
Laura still looked confused.
“Laura it’s not your job. Tim has to learn how to manage his symptoms, make himself comfortable, and do the research to get to the bottom of the cause. You care more about this than he does.”
Laura sat quietly for a second.
“So diabetes is like an allergy?”
John could feel himself getting frustrated. He changed tactics.
“Laura what if John just got a diagnosis that he had Leukemia and Pancreatic cancer.”
She looked horrified, but he went on.
“What could you do?”
“I could Google the disease, drive him to the doctor…”
“What if he didn’t want to.”
She sat and stared at John.
“I’d tell him to…”
“Nope,” John said quickly.
“But couldn’t I just…”
“You can’t do anything if Tim doesn’t want to,” John said.
She sat there and after a moment her eyes started welling up with tears.
“So I’m supposed to just watch him die?”
“If that’s what Tim wants to do,” John said.
“Well I’m not gonna let that happen.”
John stood suddenly, “You really don’t believe Tim can do this, do you?” He was surprised by his own emotion.
“What do you mean?” Laura sniffed.
“You really don’t believe Tim is smart enough to learn about his illness and learn to manage his symptoms, do you? You must think he’s a real idiot.”
“I do not!” Laura said taken aback.
Good, John thought. It’s about time she started fighting back.
“Well, when you keep doing things for people who ar completely capable, they start getting the feeling that you think they’re stupid – like you don’t think they can do it.”
Something was starting to change in Laura’s face.
“It’s almost like Tim broke his leg but YOU decided he shouldn’t walk. Instead you went out and bought a shiny new wheelchair and made him sit while you push. Now you’re both mad. He’s mad at you because the wheelchair isn’t making him better and you’re mad at him because you’re tired of pushing.”
Laura was staring at him now; was that a look of realization on her face?
“This is an easy fix Laura. Stop pushing the damn wheelchair.”
Katenotkatherine 