Free Better Not Love Me by Dan Kolbet Page B

possible. Nate was transferred to the receptionist who said he could come in at any time the next day. The doctor would clear time to see him whenever it was convenient, she said. This comment made Nate nervous. When does a doctor clear a schedule for you when it's good news? The answer is—they don't.
    Clinton was only a few years older than Nate, yet he put off an aura of elderly sophistication. The flecks of gray at the man's temples aged him significantly, despite his trim physique. Clinton's office was just a block from the Riddell Industries building in downtown Dallas. A large fitness center was situated between the two buildings and both men had easy access to it. Often Nate would skip lunch and hit the gym or he would go into the gym during the pre-dawn hours before Chloe and her grandmother were awake to get a workout in before the day even began. It was at the fitness center that he met Dr. Munson.
    One early morning, Clinton needed a spotter for the bench press and Nate was the only other person in the weight area to do it. They struck up a friendship almost immediately and began to work out together a few times a week. The friendship even extended to their families. Chloe and Clinton's daughter would have sleepovers and go to the movies together. Clinton's wife was a very nice woman and she and Clinton were obviously happy together. The couple knew Nate was a bachelor and even tried setting him up on a few blind dates, but each time he declined gracefully, saying he just wasn't interested in a relationship.
    Nate looked over the pictures on Clinton's cluttered desk. There were photos of the Munson family at SeaWorld and golfing by the ocean. They were smiling and happy. It made him think of Chloe. What would she do if something happened to him? She'd already lost one parent. Would her grandmother raise her? Would that be any different than now? He wasn't around for her that much anyway. Always at the office or traveling for work. He didn't want to think about this, especially when he didn't know what his doctor was about to tell him.
    The previous week Nate had come in for his annual physical. It was a requirement for his life insurance and just seemed like a good idea at his age as well. The visits were always completely routine. Blood draw. Reflexes. Bright lights in his eyes and up his nose. Turn and cough. Simple stuff. He'd been experiencing some lower back pain and lost a bit of weight, but he had chalked it up to getting older. That had to be it. He felt fine.
    His thoughts were interrupted by the office door opening. Clinton walked in.
    "I'm so sorry to keep you waiting here," Clinton said.
    "It's only been a few minutes, it's OK," Nate said. He'd waited far longer for an appointment before.
    "Well, I certainly don't like to keep my friends waiting."
    "I appreciate it. So now that you've got me here, what's this all about?" Nate asked, trying to hide his concern.
    "Let me start by saying you're in good hands, but you’re my friend and I can only be honest about your situation. I wish I could say that medicine is an exact science," Clinton said. "And in many ways it is, but we doctors can’t know everything all the time, at least not right away, especially when it comes to the human body. Because of this we do tests and hopefully learn more and determine what's causing someone trouble."
    "I guess that makes sense," Nate said, wondering if Clinton was simply delaying the bomb he was about to drop.
    "By nearly all accounts, you are a healthy man."
    "Nearly?"
    "Well, yes. You see, when you came in last week and complained about your back, particularly your left side I didn't think much of it. There could be a handful of different reasons for such a pain. And with regular activity, that's normal. But as part of your exam we check your blood levels. I ran a test called a CBC or complete blood count. It measures the levels of different cells in the blood, specifically—red, white and also the platelets. Your