In Sickness and in Death by Jaye P. Marshall Read Free Book Online

take better care of yourself and not work so hard,” she told him. “You really should pay more attention to what you eat. Why don’t you start taking vitamins?”
    “Look, Adrienne,” he told her. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine. Really I am.”
    She looked doubtful. “I’m not so sure of that. You look awfully pale to me, and are you sure you’re not losing weight?”
    “No, I’m not losing weight. I weigh the same as I have for years.”
    This same conversation replayed many times over the weeks that followed. Then one evening, Brian came home to find dinner on the table and several bottles at his place.
    “What’s this?” he asked, picking one up and looking at the label.
    “Herbal supplements,” Adrienne answered. “Since you wouldn’t get any vitamins for yourself, I got some for you.”
    “Snagree root, wild ginger, squawmint, pennyroyal,” he read from the labels. “What’s all this stuff for?”
    “They’ll increase your energy level. You just wait and see how much better you’ll feel after you’ve taken them for a while.”
    “I don’t see how this stuff could be good for you.”
    “Hey, don’t you trust my medical knowledge? Just take them, okay?”
    “Okay,” he slowly agreed, opening one of the bottles. “I guess you know more about it than I do.”
    “That’s right and don’t you forget it. Trust me,” she said with a smile. 

Chapter 8

    Over the next few months Brian began to think that he was indeed exhausting his body with his work schedule. He was feeling constantly fatigued and periodically he would have spells of dizziness. Not wanting to worry his mother whenever he talked to her, he kept silent about thinking anything might be wrong. He didn’t want to renew her insistence that he take a vacation.
    One evening, after a particularly tiring day, he described his symptoms to Adrienne.
    “You’re just working too hard,” she assured him. “Maybe you should increase the dosage of your vitamins.”
    Dutifully, he followed her advice but, if anything, he started feeling worse. His face began to appear bloated. Sometimes his back ached horribly and he seemed to always have a nagging headache.
    “You’re on the office computer too much of the time,” Adrienne told him. “Maybe you should have your eyes checked.”
    “I don’t think it’s my vision,” he said doubtfully. “I can see fine most of the time.”
    She shrugged. “Have it your way. I don’t know why you bother complaining to me, if you’re not going to do what I tell you.”
    “I just don’t think that I have a problem with my eyes.”
    As the weeks passed, Brian began having bouts of nausea and vomiting. With little sleep and unable to eat, he grew pale and haggard.
    “I’m going to make an appointment with Dr. Harris for you,” Adrienne announced one evening.
    “That the guy you work with?” Brian asked listlessly.
    Adrienne nodded. “I’m sure he’ll get you in more quickly than some of the other doctors.”
    “Alright,” Brian agreed. “I guess I’m about due for a physical anyway.”
    “I’m sure you are. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
    Adrienne came home the next evening and announced, “Dr. Harris’ office is squeezing you in first thing the day after tomorrow. They open at eight-thirty, so make sure you’re there a little before that.”

    As he pulled into the doctor’s office parking lot, Brian punched in his office number on his cell phone.
    When his secretary answered he said, “Cindy, I’ll be a couple of hours late coming in and I’ll be out of pocket until then, okay?”
    “Okay, Mr. Forrester. I’ll see you when you get in.”
    Brian punched off the phone and entered the doctor’s office. The receptionist gave him some forms to fill out, but the nurse called his name before he had them completed.
    “I haven’t finished with these yet,” he told her, waving the sheaf of papers.
    “Just bring them with you. You can finish them in the