Running on Insulin

Chapter 43

We drove to the medical building where my doctor was. I was nervous, because it had been a while since I'd seen her and I didn't know what to expect.

"Hey, kid," Josh said. "I was thinking ice cream after your appointment?"

"Um, maybe?" I said.

Jenna and Josh and I walked into the office. The receptionist greeted us and we sat in the waiting room.

"How was school?" Jenna asked.

"It was good," I said. "I have some science homework and some English and Social Studies, but I did my math homework in PE."

"You didn't participating in PE?  Did you forget the form?"Jenna asked

"No, the teacher said she'll have a kit for me for tomorrow."

"Okay," Jenna said.

The doctor came out and called my name. She smiled when she saw me.

"Samantha. Hi. I've missed you. Come on in." 

I looked at Jenna.

"Can you come?" I asked.

"If you want me, sure," she said.

She came in with me and we followed the doctor into an exam room.

"So," the doctor said. "Samantha. It's been a while. How are you doing?"

I looked at Jenna.

"Go ahead. You can answer her." She encouraged me.

"Uh, I'm doing okay," I said.

"Well, you look well, I have to say. How have you been adjusting to your new home?"

I shrugged.

"It's okay. I think."

"She is doing pretty well with us," Jenna said.

"Alright. Great. Samantha, get changed into that gown, and I'll come back to weigh you, okay?"

I looked over at the gown on the exam table, and then at Jenna.

"I can leave the room if you want," she said.

"No!  I mean, no, it's okay," I said, and quickly changed into the hospital style gown. 

The doctor came back in and had me get on the scale.

"You're a little underweight for your age and height," she said. "I'm not concerned, but next time I see you, I'd like to see you having a bit more weight. You know how to handle your diabetes, right?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Okay. So, make good choices, but let's get some more weight on you. Jenna, that means she can have full fat things like cheese and yoghurt. She knows how to bolus for meals and snacks, just make sure she eats a balanced diet."

"She's eating much better at home these days," Jenna said. "She struggled a bit at first, but, she has a snack after school and sometimes before bed, and eats a good breakfast and dinner. I can only assume she's eating well at lunch at school, but it's only been two days."

"Are you eating lunch at school?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah," I said. "The food's okay. But yeah. I eat it. I go to the nurse's office and she gives me the menu so I can calculate the carbs and insulin."

"Did you know she does all the calculations in her head?" Jenna asked the doctor.

"Do you?" She asked me. I nodded.

The doctor asked a few more questions, looked in my throat and eyes and ears and Jenna asked about an eye exam. She gave Jenna a few eye doctors we could go to. Because I'm 13, she also wanted to do some other exams and Jenna held my hand throughout. Nothing invasive, bur kinda embarrassing.

Finally, the exam was over. She told me that she wanted to get some bloodwork done and that I could get dressed and her nurse would take my blood.

After the appointment, we met Josh out in the waiting room.

"How'd it go?" He asked.

"She's doing great. Needs to gain a little weight but the doctor seems quite happy with her," Jenna said, smiling at me.

"Good news!  What's with the bandaid?" He asked pointing at my elbow."

"I got bitten by a vampire," I said.

"Uh oh!" Josh joked. Jenna smiled.

"So," Josh said. "Ice cream?"

"Sure," I said.

We went to an ice cream parlour and I checked my sugar and took some insulin after I decided which ice cream I wanted.

The three of us sat down and had our ice cream and talked about school. No one mentioned Tyler.

After we had ice cream, we went back home.  Jenna told me to go do my homework and she'd call me for dinner. I went up to my room and got started on my English homework.

There was a quiet knock on my door. I was curious because it couldn't be dinner time already. I'd literally just sat down.

"Hello?" I said.

"Sam? It's Tyler. Can I come in?"

I didn't know what to say. Was he going to come in and yell at me about the glass?

"Um, yeah. I guess," I said.

He came in and sat on the bed. He wouldn't look at me. I pulled my knees up to my chest so I could protect myself in case he started to hit me.

"How was school?" He asked.

"Uh-uh okay," I said, wishing he'd just get the beating over with already.

"Good. And the doctor's appointment?"

"Fine," I said. I was getting scared. What was he doing? Why didn't he yell or something.

"Good. Did you go out after your appointment?"

"Y-yeah," I stammered.

"Where'd you go?" He asked.

"W-we got i-ice c-cream," I said. I wondered if I had enough space to run without Tyler being able to catch me. He wasn't looking at me, so, I might escape his notice. Except he was looking in the direction of the door. And there wasn't a lot of space from where he was sitting on my bed and where I was sitting at my desk. I didn't know what to do.

"Ice cream? Cool. Did you take your insulin?"

I nodded.

Tyler finally looked up at me because I hadn't spoken. His face changed. He looked sad and confused. He didn't look angry at all. I was shaking though.

"What's the matter?" He asked. I shrugged. I couldn't tell him I wished he'd just get the beating out of the way already.

"Sam, are you scared of me?" He asked.

I shook my head.

His face fell. He looked sad. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak.

He sighed.

Just then Jenna came into my room. She stopped in the doorway when she saw the two of us. She looked at Tyler, then at me.

"Samantha? What's wrong?" She asked. I couldn't answer her.

"She's scared of me," Tyler said quietly. I shook my head back and forth violently. I couldn't let on that he was terrifying me.

"I'm sure that's not true," Jenna said, scrutinizing me and looking at Tyler. "Sam? Are you okay?"

I nodded. But I wouldn't take my eyes off Tyler. I had to know where he was. So I could protect myself if he came close.

"Oh," another voice said. "You're all up here. I was wondering where everyone had gone."

Josh came in my room. Now I was cornered. Tyler was on my bed, Jenna was in front of me and Josh was blocking the door. I had no where left to run.