Sexual Divide

No one explained anything to Joe. He wondered what they were looking for. Within half an hour, he had been wheeled back to his room to face the long night with neither wife nor friends. All he had were his reading materials which he soon realized didn’t interest him now. He’d have to hear the results of the blood test before he could think about preparing his talk.

A nurse brought him supper at 5:00, but he hardly touched it. He tried the TV, but it didn’t carry WGN. That ruled out the Cubs’ game. Instead he found a PBS channel that was broadcasting ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ and ‘As Time Goes By.’ Because he’d seen the first  episode, he dozed off. He slept so soundly that he never woke up when the nurse came in to turn off the television.

Early Sunday morning Dr. Duma stuck his head in the doorway to let him know he hadn’t forgotten about him. “They’re doing a rush job on the tests. We should know the results this afternoon. You’ve been in good health, haven’t you?”

“I guess so.”

“Have any mosquitoes bitten you?”

“I don’t think so. Gnats on the golf course can be bothersome, but no mosquitoes. Oh, one might have bit me when I turned on the water faucet in the bushes. My hand itched, but I thought it was from the poison oak at the golf course.”

“Well, we’ll just have to wait for the tests. Try to get a good rest. Do you have any sleeping aids? I’ll have the nurse leave you some.”

Joe motioned goodbye. “Thanks for dropping in. It’s a little too quiet here.”

On Sunday afternoon, Anita poked her masked face in the door and told him church members prayed for him during the morning service. “The nurses won’t allow me in your room. Bill and Sally, and Katsunaga called. They hope you’ll get well soon. They’re anxious to talk with you about the presentation. Katsunaga said he’s come up with some good material. It’s a true love story of great sacrifice. He thinks it’s exactly what your speech needs.

“I’d better go. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Dr. Duma expects the test results today.”

“Good,” she smiled, then threw a kiss at him and eased the door shut.

It’s awful to be left behind like this, Joe thought. He felt deserted. 

As Joe mulled over his solitary confinement, he heard a knock. The door slowly opened. It was Pastor Blomberg from Grace Alone Church. Even with the mask, he knew his pastor’s voice. “I’m not allowed in, but could you manage to come over to the door. I’ve brought Communion for you. Anita told me you’d appreciate it.”

Standing by the partly opened door, Joe reached and took the wafer, then the cup of wine. He knew he no longer stood abandoned. Christ and his church were there with him. Although his legs wobbled, power had been unleashed in his body. In his heart he believed the illness could not last long, no matter what the tests showed. When the nurse took his temperature at 4:00, it had dropped to 99.5.

Later that afternoon, his telephone rang. “This is Dr. Duma. Forgive me for not coming to see you, but I promised my wife and daughter to take them to see ‘The Return of the King.’ The lab called to tell me that it looks like you have the West Nile virus. Fortunately we’ve caught it early.”

“So, the nurse’s hunch was right. But that’s strange. I feel better now. My temperature has dropped.”

“Huh? That’s hard to believe. I expected it to be around 102 or 103 by now.”

“I feel much better.”

“I’ll drop in on you first thing in the morning.”

Joe slept soundly that night and was wide awake when Dr. Duma came to the room at