452 more. last for today
Nov. 6th, 2004 04:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wellownedbkupAnouar Khomsa Malkese rubbed his eyes tiredly. He’d tried to find any other explanation for it. Yet, there wasn’t one he could find for someone so young.
“Mrs. Nicholls? I’m not quite sure how to put this….” No, that’s not the way to say it. Do I break it to her easily? Or do I come straight out and say it?? he thought miserably.
“Dr. Malkese?” a timid voice said from the door of his office.
“Yes, Naomi?”
“The Nicholls are here to see you.”
He sighed low and wearily. “Send them in.” There is no time like the present.
As a family, the Nicholls were perfect. Mother, father, daughter and son… pale and fair. How could he ruin their lives with this… this pain?
Jaden looked at the doctor levelly, gray eyes assessing him as well as if he had watched him progress through medical school and on through all his years of residency. “Well?”
Anouar felt impelled to tell the truth to this man, who, with so much as a glance and a word, placed his faith in a complete stranger. “It’s called sustained ventricular tachycardia. It’s a serious arrhythmia, where the heart rate can reach over 100 beats per minute until stopped by something.”
“Something?” asked Jaden. One word, again, as if saying anything more would be a betrayal of something deeper than the care of a boy who had become his son.
“Either drug treatment, or electrical conversion. Defibrillation.” He sighed and sat forward in his chair, linking his fingers together on his desk. He stared at them as he began to speak again, avoiding looking at the family in front of him. “This is very dangerous for Phoenix. It can degenerate further into ventricular fibrillation. His heartbeat will be totally disorganized, to the point where it won’t be able to pump blood anymore. It won’t contract. And if it…” he paused. “If it isn’t stopped within two or three minutes, he won’t survive.”
Denise gave a mournful sob, choking tears back. “My Nicky… my poor Nicky.”
Jaden closed his eyes and breathed deeply, regaining his composure. “What can we do, Dr. Malkese?”
“Keep him calm. His heart will be able to sustain him longer if he stays away from cigarettes and alcohol, caffeine, drugs…. He should try to avoid any kind of anxiety, if he can.” Anouar finally looked to the four of them. “Phoenix can’t prevent his problem. If he can control the way he handles nerve impulses and slow his heart rate, then perhaps he’ll be able to deal with this. I can prescribe some medicine….”
“Yes, yes….” Denise rubbed her red-rimmed eyes and stared at Anouar, eyes glistening with more than unshed tears.
“Mrs. Nicholls? I’m not quite sure how to put this….” No, that’s not the way to say it. Do I break it to her easily? Or do I come straight out and say it?? he thought miserably.
“Dr. Malkese?” a timid voice said from the door of his office.
“Yes, Naomi?”
“The Nicholls are here to see you.”
He sighed low and wearily. “Send them in.” There is no time like the present.
As a family, the Nicholls were perfect. Mother, father, daughter and son… pale and fair. How could he ruin their lives with this… this pain?
Jaden looked at the doctor levelly, gray eyes assessing him as well as if he had watched him progress through medical school and on through all his years of residency. “Well?”
Anouar felt impelled to tell the truth to this man, who, with so much as a glance and a word, placed his faith in a complete stranger. “It’s called sustained ventricular tachycardia. It’s a serious arrhythmia, where the heart rate can reach over 100 beats per minute until stopped by something.”
“Something?” asked Jaden. One word, again, as if saying anything more would be a betrayal of something deeper than the care of a boy who had become his son.
“Either drug treatment, or electrical conversion. Defibrillation.” He sighed and sat forward in his chair, linking his fingers together on his desk. He stared at them as he began to speak again, avoiding looking at the family in front of him. “This is very dangerous for Phoenix. It can degenerate further into ventricular fibrillation. His heartbeat will be totally disorganized, to the point where it won’t be able to pump blood anymore. It won’t contract. And if it…” he paused. “If it isn’t stopped within two or three minutes, he won’t survive.”
Denise gave a mournful sob, choking tears back. “My Nicky… my poor Nicky.”
Jaden closed his eyes and breathed deeply, regaining his composure. “What can we do, Dr. Malkese?”
“Keep him calm. His heart will be able to sustain him longer if he stays away from cigarettes and alcohol, caffeine, drugs…. He should try to avoid any kind of anxiety, if he can.” Anouar finally looked to the four of them. “Phoenix can’t prevent his problem. If he can control the way he handles nerve impulses and slow his heart rate, then perhaps he’ll be able to deal with this. I can prescribe some medicine….”
“Yes, yes….” Denise rubbed her red-rimmed eyes and stared at Anouar, eyes glistening with more than unshed tears.
