Chapter 8

“You could have warned me,” she said smiling.

The voice on the other end of the line was filled with mirth as well.

“If I had would you have believed me?”

“Probably not,” she agreed, “but I didn’t get home until dawn and did I ever have a lot of explaining to do.”

“And again I ask, was it worth it?”

This time she laughed. “Oh, was it ever! I just never would have imagined myself doing something like that --- eight men and women in one night!”

“I told you the adventure would become more intense as we went along.”

“Andre, I want to thank you for providing me with such experiences as I will never forget, but...”

“But what?”

“But ... it’s Daniel. We are supposed to get the test results back today. The doctor said he did not want to hazard a guess until the results were in but he said to prepare ourselves. That means he’s expecting bad news. If so, I’m afraid I’m going to have to call an end to this adventure.”

“Why don’t we wait until you hear the results of the tests. Then we can decide from there?”

“Yes, please call back tomorrow. I should know something definite by then.”

“Tomorrow it is,” he said and the line went dead.

Gwen waited with dread as the morning hours crept into the afternoon. At last the phone rang. It was the call she had expected. The doctor told her he did not want to discuss the results over the phone. Gwen told him she, Robert and Daniel could be there first thing in the morning. The doctor agreed and they hung up, Gwen filled with dread. She knew if it were good news the doctor would not have hesitated to tell her over the phone.

The hours dragged by until she could share with husband and son the appointment time.

Gwen spent a sleepless night.

Dr. Barlow was a bit overweight and balding but spoke with authority as he sat before the three members of the Morrow family.

“The news, I’m afraid, is not good. Daniel, you are experiencing the first symptoms of the disease. It a bit unusual but not unknown to strike someone as young as you, but I had them run the tests twice and there is no doubt.”

Gwen and Robert exchanged worried looks.

“What can he expect?’ asked the father.

“The disease will progress slowly at first. Small tremors, trouble with coordination, especially with small tasks. As time goes on the shaking will get worse. We can control some of that with medication, but the medication will have side effects.”

“What side effects? asked Daniel.

“It will slow your physical and eventually your mental processes.”

“The prognosis?” asked Gwen.

“I wish I could be more hopeful. At the moment there is no cure. We can slow the progression of the disease and relieve some of the symptoms, but over time it will get worse.”

“How much time do I have?” asked Daniel.

“It’s very hard to say. Some people live twenty years before succumbing. With others the disease progresses very fast, sometimes only two or three years. We will, of course, get you started on the medication right away.”

The mood was somber as the three left the clinic.

“Hey, cheer up you two,” smiled Daniel bravely, “at least you’ll have an extra room to make into that exercise room you’ve always wanted.”

Robert tried to smile and engage in some upbeat banter with their son, but Gwen was morose. Sooner or later she would lose her son and there was nothing she could do about it.

“So you see,” she said into the phone, “I want to concentrate on Daniel and his needs and wants. Whatever time he has left I want him happy and I intend to do everything in my power to make it so.”

“I understand,” said Andre, “however I met Daniel recently and ... well, let us say I think I can help in that regard.”

“Really? How? When did you meet Daniel?”

“He called me. He had a feeling that the news from the medical tests would not be good and wanted me to do him a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”