Chapter 6: Medical Appointments

August 13, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“How are you feeling?” I asked Keiko when she came downstairs after her nap.

“Better. I’m still a bit tired. Doctor Morrison said if I’m too easily tired, we could do another transfusion. I’m going to call him on Monday morning. You don’t need to take off work for that, especially given you’re going to miss work if we do go to Mayo.”

“So long as you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“What did you want to do for the rest of the day?”

“It’s our wedding night tonight!” Keiko said with a smile. “We have to make love at least once!”

“So long as you’re up for it.”

“I think you’re the one who has to be ‘up’ for it!” she teased.

“Fortunately, that’s never been a problem!” I chuckled. “How does it feel to be married?”

“It happened so fast!” she smirked.

I chuckled, “Again, that’s never been a problem! But in all seriousness, I understand your point. And I could answer my own question in various ways, but the one I think that best describes how I feel is that the piece of paper and the judge’s words simply confirmed something that was already true once we’d decided to marry.”

“That does fit your thinking,” Keiko observed. “When you decide to do something, it’s a fait accompli, at least in your mind, which is, of course, what matters to you.”

“It is, but I’m also looking forward to the ceremony on October 8th. And if your treatments interfere with that, we’ll reschedule. I know it’s important for you to follow tradition, if only to please your parents and grandparents.”

“My parents weren’t happy we didn’t invite them, but my grandfather understood, especially once I explained what you had done to arrange it at basically the last moment. They’re happy we’re still planning the full ceremony.”

“Which is sufficient reason to do it in my mind, even if we have to adjust the timing.”

“How do I change my driver’s license?”

“Once we receive the marriage certificate, you simply take it, and your current license, to the Secretary of State’s office, and they’ll make the change and issue you a new license. Once you have that, we’ll go to the bank and add you to the checking and savings accounts. You’ll need to do the same with Loyola and with Doctor Morrison and the hospital. The one thing I’m not sure about is the car title and registration. I can add you to the insurance right away, and I’ll do that on Monday, but I’ll have to check with the Secretary of State on that. I also want to add you to the deed for the house.”

“Are you sure you should do that now...”

“Positive. As I said before, I won’t change my behavior based on your illness unless and until I’m forced to do so by circumstances. I absolutely want to maintain a positive outlook, and Doctor Morrison said that was an important factor in the success of your treatment. And it’s not feigned — I really do believe you can be cured.”

“But the odds...”

“Is this where I quote Han Solo? ’Never tell me the odds!’”

Keiko smiled, “But isn’t that how you make decisions at work?”

“In a sense, but the odds are far fuzzier than any offered in a casino because there are too many unknowns. Similar to a casino, longer odds result in bigger gains. Generally, the more risk you can tolerate, the larger your potential gains, but the more likely you are to lose. But, and this is important, in my mind, I took zero risk in marrying you. I love you, Keiko, period. What’s going to happen is going to happen, married or not, and I’d much rather be married to you than not.”

“It’s hard to be positive when the news is always bad,” Keiko sighed.

“Except that’s not true! It was neutral, not bad, until this last report. And your blast count is low enough that it’s not crowding out the good cells. That’s something, even if you need a marrow transplant. If I understand correctly from what I’ve read, you have much more time than someone who has a higher blast count.”

“You always seem to find the positive in things.”

“Perhaps because of the way I was raised,” I replied. “When every day was a struggle, even the smallest positive development was important. I could have focused on how poor we were, and how little I had, and that we had to manage carefully to have enough to eat, and I could have blamed the universe or ‘the man’ or whomever, and let that hold me back or get me down. I didn’t do that then, and I won’t do that now.

“That said, I’m not blind to the possibility, and I know it frightens you, but I promise you that no matter what happens, I will be there for you and with you, and do everything in my power to care for you and help you. Nothing is going to interfere with that, Keiko. Nothing. And it’s my fervent hope we have sixty or seventy years together. And it’s on that hope that I base my actions.”

Keiko smiled. “It makes it easier for me to know you have that determination.”

“And you have the same determination,” I replied. “We’ll beat this thing together. On a more mundane note, what do you want to do about dinner?”

“Are there any newlyweds here?” Jack called out.

“In the Japanese room,” I called back.

Jack and Kristy came in carrying a cake, which, to my surprise, had Keiko’s and my names on it, as well as bride and groom figurines.

“We ordered Italian,” Jack said. “Kristy will go pick it up. Kristy is fully aware of Keiko’s diet, and there will be things she can eat. Bianca and Juliette will be here shortly; they went to get ice cream.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I had just asked Keiko about dinner, so perfect timing.”

“The food will be ready in about forty minutes,” Kristy said. “We’ll put the cake in the fridge and leave you two alone until dinner.”

“Thanks, Kristy,” Keiko said. “We really appreciate it!”

“I wonder how they had the cake made so fast on a Saturday afternoon,” I said once Jack and Kristy had left the room.

“Asks the man who arranged a marriage license and a marriage ceremony on a Friday night after 5:00pm, and had us married before 10:00am the next morning!”

“You might have a point,” I chuckled.

“I want to ask a philosophical question — does it bother you that you were able to do something that most people could never do?”

“I think my answer has to be ‘no’, so long as I don’t misuse it to hurt others. Using what happened last night as an example, the clerk made several hundred dollars, and so did the judge. As for Mr. Spurgeon, he did it because he wants to keep me happy and earning money for him. A counter-example would be those judges, lawyers, and police who took bribes and payoffs to fix murder trials. Or corrupt politicians who enrich themselves and their friends at public expense. Do you have a problem living a life of privilege?”

“No, I was just curious given what you’ve said about growing up.”

“I never resented anyone who had more than I did, and I don’t now.”

“What do you think about giving to charity?”

“It’s a good thing, and it’s something I intend to look into once I receive my annual bonus. Do you have a specific charity in mind?”

“No, but I think it’s important for people who are well off to be charitable and philanthropic.”

“I agree. I’ll do some research and speak with Jeri — her mom supports all manner of charities from the Foundation.”

“When’s your next dinner with your friends?”

“On the 31st. It was originally set for the 23rd, but we changed it because you have chemo that week, and it’s Wednesday because I have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

“You know, I haven’t asked, but how is your client development going?”

“Slow, but that’s normal for someone who is just starting out and doesn’t have an industry-wide reputation and a track record of market-beating gains. Part of my plans for the coming week are to make follow-up calls for the letters and prospectuses that I sent out.

“Remember, my timeframe is longer because I’m still an analyst, which means I don’t have any specific business development goals to earn my bonus. I do that by finding opportunities for Mr. Matheson and other traders to make money. Granted, bringing in new business helps, but it’s not my primary job.”

We had a very nice Italian meal with Jack, Kristy, Bianca, and Juliette, followed by cake and ice cream. After dinner, the six of us watched Blazing Saddles, which Bianca had rented at the video store. After the movie, Keiko and I went up to our room and made love for the first time as husband and wife.

August 14, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I can’t believe you got married yesterday!” Violet exclaimed when I arrived at her house for our usual Sunday visit.

“Did my mom tell you why we did that before she left this morning?”

“No.”

“On Friday, Keiko received her test results, and her oncologist says she needs a bone marrow transplant. We don’t know when that will happen, so we might not be able to have our Shinto ceremony on October 8th. Because of the uncertainty related to finding a donor and scheduling the procedure, I arranged to have a marriage license issued Friday night, and to have a judge marry us yesterday morning.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it?”

“It’s not good,” I replied. “I’m going to take Keiko to Mayo Clinic for an evaluation and investigate any new drug trials to give her the best possible chance to beat her leukemia.”

“I’m sorry,” Violet said. “I should have said ‘congratulations, not said what I did.”

“It’s OK,” I replied. “You were surprised by the news, just as our families were yesterday. Keiko’s cousin had the same reaction you had.”

“You’re not taking a honeymoon, are you?”

“No. We’ll travel once Keiko recovers from her transplant.”

“You say that as if it’s a sure thing.”

“I’d rather focus on the positive than the negative. I do want to apologize again for missing the game yesterday.”

“It’s totally OK. Are we still going to be able to meet after classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting in two weeks?”

“Yes. I want to, and Keiko would insist.”

“Will you help with dinner?”

“Yes, of course!”

August 15, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday morning, I completed my usual tasks, and at 9:00am, went to see Mrs. Peterson in Personnel. I described what had happened, and after an expression of concern and surprise, she explained what I would need to do.

“First, you may want to fill out a new W-4, changing your status to married, and possibly adjusting your deductions. Do you have an accountant?”

“Yes.”

“Then verify with him what you should show, because what you don’t want to do is under-withhold. I can’t provide you with specific advice, as I don’t know the totality of your financial situation. You can fill out the form at any time, but sooner is usually better.”

“OK. I’ll call Robert Black as soon as I return to my desk.”

“Good. Next, you should change your beneficiaries on your life insurance forms. Illinois law requires you to list your spouse unless she signs a waiver.”

“OK. My intent was to name her as beneficiary.”

“Last, there’s the question of insurance. Our policy does not have any pre-existing condition exclusions, but there is a ninety-day waiting period when you add someone to your policy except on your hiring date or in the case of a baby. I take it Keiko has insurance?”

“Through her parents, as a full-time student.”

“They should keep her on their policy until the end of November, when your policy here will begin covering her. Depending on how the policy works, they may need to keep her on it until the end of December, but it would become secondary after the ninety-day waiting period. That means it might, within the policy limits, cover anything not covered by our policy, but our policy is basically the gold standard.”

“OK. I’ll make sure her father is aware. Anything else?”

“No, that’s it for now. You’ll obviously need to take care of any personal financial accounts, and so on, and your CPA or attorney can advise you. If you don’t have a will, I suggest creating one, but again, speak to your attorney about that.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Peterson.”

“You’re welcome. I hope things turn out well for your wife.”

“Me, too.”

I left her office and returned to my desk, then placed a call to Robert Black. Once again I explained the situation, and, after he expressed concern for Keiko, he asked several questions, then advised me to modify my withholding. I thanked him, ended the call, then placed a call to Nelson. After congratulations and expressing concern for Keiko, he and I discussed creating simple wills. I also asked for advice on changing the deed for the house and the title for my car.

“Not to be insensitive, but I’d advise you not to do that, as it could complicate things if the worst happens.”

“Maybe so, but the symbolism is important to me,” I replied. “What’s the downside?”

“Probate, mostly. There are other considerations for high net worth individuals, but I know you’ll reject protecting yourself in the case of divorce out of hand.”

“You’re right. And I’m not exactly ‘high net worth’.”

“Not yet, but you will be, and you do have significant assets. It’s too late for this now, but you probably should have had a pre-nuptial agreement that limited your wife’s ability to force liquidation of positions in your fund.”

“That would be insulting and show a complete lack of trust,” I protested.

“I understand your feelings on the matter, but my job is to advise you about worst-case scenarios. In any event, it’s water under the bridge, given your spur-of-the-moment marriage. What about October 8th?”

“We’re still hoping to have the Shinto ceremony that day, but a lot depends on Keiko’s treatment.”

“Keep me posted. I’ll draw up the simple wills and send them to you. I assume you simply want to leave everything to Keiko, and vice versa?”

“Almost. I want to set aside $25,000 for my mom. I’ll increase that in the future, but for now, that’s the number.”

“OK. I’ll take care of it.”

“There’s one other thing,” I said. “And this has to be completely confidential.”

“Everything you say to me as your attorney, except for expressing intent to commit a crime, is confidential.”

“Bianca is pregnant. We’ll need to draw up some kind of document.”

“I know you well enough that had to be intentional.”

“It was. Bianca wanted to have a child with me, and odds are Keiko cannot have biological children, so she agreed to Bianca and me having one together. Keiko and I will adopt when the time comes.”

“That complicates things a bit,” Nelson said. “Let me review this with a partner in family law and get back to you, but the basic rules in Illinois are that your unborn child does have some claim on your estate.”

“Just let me know, please. See you next week at Jeri’s.”

I ended the call, then called Cheryl, one of Mr. Spurgeon’s secretaries, to relay my request for the contact at Mayo Clinic. Cheryl gave me the name and number of an oncologist that Mr. Spurgeon’s contact had provided, and who was expecting my call. She also let me know Mr. Spurgeon had made the corporate Gulfstream III available, as he’d offered on Friday night. I thanked her, ended the call, then called Keiko to relay the oncologist’s name and number.

All of that out of the way, I returned to my analyst duties, including working with Bianca on the volatility model. She and I ate lunch together, then went to the gym to work out. When I returned to the office, I found a message slip noting that Thad Baker, a partner at Allen & Baker, had called about the prospectus I’d sent. I returned the call, and his secretary put me through to him.

“Thanks for returning my call, Mr. Kane.”

“Jonathan, please,” I replied. “You called about the proposal and prospectus I sent you?”

“Yes. Do you have some time to meet with me to discuss it?”

“Of course. What’s convenient for you?”

“How about Thursday at 1:00pm?” he offered.

“I’ll be at your offices at 1:00pm on Thursday,” I replied.

“Thanks, Jonathan; see you then.”

We ended the call, I made a note on my desk calendar, then went to Mr. Matheson’s office to let him know about the meeting.

“It sounds preliminary,” he observed.

“I agree. I’ll gather information and answer his questions. I suspect he’ll have to take it to the other partners for approval, similar to Hart-Lincoln.”

“I’d say that’s a sure thing. Just let me know how it goes. On another topic, Noel let me know about your weekend activity. Are you sharing that?”

“Our families and closest friends know, and I saw Mrs. Peterson this morning to discuss changing my taxes, insurance, and beneficiary. Did Mr. Spurgeon let you know about me taking Keiko to Mayo Clinic?”

“Yes. He said he’d authorized as much time off as you need. I know you well enough that you won’t neglect your job while taking care of your wife.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Keep me posted.”

“Will do!”

I returned to my desk and continued my usual afternoon research and analysis. Just after 3:00pm, Keiko called to say she’d spoken to Doctor Weiss at Mayo.

“He can see me at 2:00pm on Friday afternoon,” Keiko said. “Will that work?”

“I just need to let Mr. Spurgeon’s secretary know we need the jet and let Mr. Matheson know I’ll miss Friday. Did you speak to Doctor Morrison?”

“Doctor Weiss promised to call him to get my records and discuss treatment while we wait for a bone marrow donor.”

“OK. Let me make the arrangements. I love you, Keiko!”

“I love you, Jonathan!”

We ended the call, and I dialed Cheryl’s number and asked her to make arrangements for Keiko and me to fly to Rochester on Friday. She promised to do that and call me back with the details. She called back about an hour later.

“The plane will be waiting for you at Meigs on Friday at 10:30am. It will fly you to Rochester, wait for you, and bring you back to Meigs that evening.”

That schedule would allow me to work for a few hours on Friday morning, assuming Kristy could bring Keiko to Meigs. I was sure she could, but if not, I’d work out another plan. Being able to create my daily analyst report was very important, and Mr. Matheson had made a point of how he’d missed it during my two-week leave.