CHAPTER 13 HALLOWEEN
AIFE
Halloween was my favorite time of year. It signaled the start of the holiday season and meant I could hone my spooky makeup skills. It also meant I was four weeks away from going home for Thanksgiving. Then it was December, the most wonderful time of the year.
Dr. Bowie nudged my shoulder. “Aife, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”
I looked over at my favorite neurologist. Last week,
I left before we could talk about the interesting patient. It had been about two weeks since, and she had completely slipped my mind because of Talon and work and my PhD. program.
“Hey, Dr. Bowie.” I chugged my hot chocolate.
Caffeine wasn’t really my thing.
“Our patient is back.” He pulled a rolling computer to me. “Look at her prolactin from last time.” Bowie pointed at the screen.
She had a ninety-five, very high. Her cortisol and ATCH plasma were also high. Those were stress hormones; it was not a good thing that everything was super elevated.
My brow furrowed looking at those numbers. “Did you ask my questions?”
“When she arrived the second time. She said she’s lost her vision for a minute at a time. Aife, is there something you know? I’m usually not out of the neuro loop.” He crossed his arms over his chest, discontent clear on his face.
I gulped. There was, but I wasn’t a medical doctor. I had no training or medical degree to back me up, only my own personal experience. There was a good chance Bowie would brush me off. Biting my lip, I decided to take a leap of faith.
“Let’s talk in your office, please.”
Bowie and I walked in silence before entering the neurology office. Bowie shot me a look, and I could tell his patience was wearing thin. Clearing my throat, I sat and inhaled a much-needed breath. It was a long story.
“Six years ago, I was given a second chance at life.”
Goose bumps crawled their way onto my skin, the hair raising as shakes started in my hands.
This story never got any easier to tell.
“When I was twenty-three, I noticed red bumps all over my arms.
Nothing made them go away. I changed my soap, laundry detergent, and diet.
Steroid creams didn’t even help. It’s weird to look back and see that as the catalyst to my journey.
“A myriad of other symptoms factored in: insomnia and being extremely hot or cold. I thought it was all related to being in grad school until an endocrinologist ran my blood. Cortisol, ATCH plasma, and prolactin all came back incredibly high. Then the migraines and vision loss began.”
I skipped over the painful parts. Bowie only really needed the medical side.
“When I was twenty-one, they found a pineal cyst on my brain. It took two years, but eventually, a neurologist linked the hormones and migraines to this supposedly benign cyst. They cracked my head open, removed the gland, and I’ve been pain free for six years.”
Bowie blinked. “They’re typically benign.”
“It’s called the suicide cyst for a reason.” I pulled my phone out to show the video I saved. It was an explanation of the surgery and the cyst. “We can help that woman.”
“Surgeons here won’t risk that,” he said. “Probably not, but Texas will.”
“Aife…”
“I’m not a doctor. You are, but if you think it’s symptomatic, what harm could it be to send her to the UT physicians’ team?”
My head was pounding by the time I got home.
Unsurprisingly, Talon was passed out on my couch.
Every Friday and Saturday, he was here. I enjoyed his company, but today had drained me.
Revealing my brain journey never got easier.
Even after six years, the fear that the migraines would return was all too real.
Even now, I worried my baby headache was a sign that the cyst was back.
Logically, I knew that wasn’t possible, but anxiety was a weird cross to bear. It kept my chest tight.
Talon’s snores filled the living room. He’d been bored, desperate to begin occupational therapy on his wrist.
He gained some sick joy out of pestering me.
Part of me liked it. He was an exceptionally attractive man, but he and Davis had warned me of his wounds from Melody.
Plus, I didn’t think I could do a romance right now.
I kept saying that, but Talon was different.
I’d only known him a few months, but it felt like years. In all that time, I’d only viewed this man as a friend of a friend. Now, we were definitely friends, but did I want more? Did he?
Rubbing my eyes, I decided to push all the thoughts out of my head.
It was in my best interest to not get tangled up in details.
I was a planner through and through. A man had never factored into my plans, not after my brain surgery.
I couldn’t factor anything else into my plans as it was.
Getting the PhD was my only focus; it had to be.
“Aife, you alright?” Talon’s accented voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Just had a long day.” I climbed onto the couch,
leaning my head against his shoulder.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Looking up at my new best friend, I shook my head.
“Honestly? No. Thanks, though.”
He nodded, staring at me carefully. “Are you still down for Halloween bar hopping?”
“Let me shower and change,” I said while standing up. I guessed the rest was short-lived.
Halloween really was my favorite holiday.
There was something about dressing up that just appealed to me.
I was never really a big makeup person, but I loved high fantasy stuff.
For some reason, I was capable of intricate designs on my face.
This year, I was keeping things simple. My energy wasn’t aligned for crazy makeup right now.
Drying myself off, I pulled on black leggings and a leopard shirt followed by cat ears.
I really was going very basic this year.
My usual Halloween spirit just wasn’t there.
Between work and my PhD., all my energy was just seemingly sucked out of me.
One day soon, my joy would come back for holidays.
“A cat?” Talon quirked an eyebrow at me.
“Shut up. You’re not even dressing up.” I childishly stuck my tongue out at him.
“I don’t do costumes.” He shrugged. “Last year,
you went all out from what Davis said. He showed me some pictures. You painted scales all over your face and did this crazy, gory makeup. I think you were like a twisted mermaid?”
“I had more time last year. I was a siren, actually.
You saw pictures?” It shocked me a little bit. Talon and I barely knew each other until recently, simply sharing a friend.
“Aife.” His voice was rough. “I asked Davis a lot about you.” Talon glanced at the floor.
I didn’t have a response for him, just grabbed his hand and headed toward the bar. His words stuck in my head. Talon noticed me? He asked about me? I didn’t think he thought of me that much. Somehow, he was worming his way into my brain.