Are you there God, it's me, Joan
Author: Jen - ladybug218
Title: Are you there God, it's me, Joan
Fandoms: House/Joan of Arcadia
Characters: Mainly Joan and House - but also Cameron, Chase, & Foreman from House and Will, Helen, Kevin, Luke, Grace & Adam from JoA.
Written For: Brynaea
Author's Notes: This wasn't one of Bryn's original requests so I want to first thank her for letting us switch her fandoms around - I hope you enjoy this! I also want to thank storydivagirl and dragonsinger for the betas.
I’m drifting in and out of consciousness. I know I’m in a hospital, but I can’t quite remember why. The doctors have been asking me a thousand questions, stupid questions, like what’s my name and how old am I. I remember being at school and seeing You in the bathroom and in the hallway and You gave me conflicting instructions. Where are You now? And why am I here?
***
“Mr. and Mrs. Girardi?”
“Yes, doctor, how is Joan?” Helen’s words tumbled out in a rush.
“To be quite honest, her symptoms have us rather baffled. We’d like to recommend transferring her to Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. There’s a team of doctors there that specializes in treating unusual disorders.”
“That’s in New Jersey.”
“I know, Mr. Girardi, but it’s only about 45 minutes from here by helicopter. You and Mrs. Girardi would be welcome to ride along with your daughter. We’ve managed to get the fever down for now but so far all of our test results have been inconclusive and unless we can figure out the root of your daughter’s illness, we can’t get her better.”
Helen and Will exchanged a look. Helen shrugged helplessly.
“If you think that’s what is best for Joan, doctor, then we’ll go along with it,” Will finally said.
“We’ll prep her for the transfer and call ahead so they are prepared. We should be ready to take off in about twenty minutes.” The doctor turned back through the doors that led to the critical care unit.
Helen and Will walked back to the waiting area to let Kevin, Luke, Adam and Grace know what was going on.
“I’ll drive up and meet you there,” Kevin said after his parents explained why the doctors wanted to transfer Joan.
“Why don’t you all go back to the house and wait for us to call,” Helen suggested, nervous about her children driving on the highway so far when they were upset.
“No way, mom, we want to be there for Joan,” Luke insisted. Adam and Grace nodded in agreement.
Helen sighed. “Okay, but I want you to wear your seatbelts, obey the speed limits and be careful. Please.” All four kids nodded. “And Grace and Adam make sure you let your parents know what’s going on.”
Just then, the doctor came out to let Helen and Will know that Joan was prepared for her transfer. Helen hugged her sons and told them one last time to be careful before she and Will left for the helipad.
***
My mom and dad are crying. Am I dead? I haven’t seen my dad cry since Kevin’s accident. But if I were dead, wouldn’t You be here? I can’t understand why You’re not with me when I need You the most. I’ve done everything You asked me to do.
***
“We’ve got a case coming in for you from Arcadia,” Dr. Cuddy said, walking into Dr. House’s office and handing him a slim file.
“Arcadia, Maryland?”
“Yeah, the local community hospital there wasn’t comfortable treating the girl and they’ve heard of your outstanding diagnostic abilities so they recommended a transfer here.”
He flipped through the chart which consisted solely of a few faxed records from Arcadia General.
“When will the patient be arriving?”
“Within the next ten minutes, get your team ready.”
***
Helen and Will were bewildered as they entered the bustling hospital.
“Mr. and Mrs. Girardi, I’m Dr. Chase and this is Dr. Cameron. We’ll be part of the team taking care of your daughter.”
“You don’t look old enough to be doctors,” Helen blurted out as she looked at the young man and woman in white coats. She immediately blushed and stammered an apology. “I’m sorry, its just that I’m worried about my daughter.”
Cameron smiled at her. “Its okay, Mrs. Girardi, we understand. We’re going to do everything we can to make your daughter well. But we’ll need you and your husband to answer some questions so we can determine what tests we need to run.”
“Anything you need, Dr. Cameron,” Will said.
She led the Girardis to a conference room. Chase excused himself to go check in with Foreman and House and to do an initial exam of Joan.
***
Is that You? A cute, young, blonde doctor with an accent seems like it would be one of Your disguises. I know You’re not the cranky guy with the cane; he’s too unpleasant to be You. Ouch! I guess I’m not dead. Why do they keep sticking me with needles? And why are they asking me the same questions that I’ve already answered a thousand times? I’m so tired. Can’t I just sleep?
***
The doctors met in House’s office. He already had a list of symptoms on his white board.
“Okay, so let’s start at the very beginning,” House said once his team was settled.
“It’s a very good place to start,” Cameron responded, eliciting groans from Chase and Foreman.
“Did you two go to that sing along Sound of Music over the weekend?” Foreman asked.
“No, but Cameron gets extra credit for playing along. But now we need to get down to business. The parents said the first symptom they noticed was a rash. According to the friends from school, she was sweaty which could indicate a fever. She then progressed to nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and finally she fainted, which is when she was taken to the hospital.”
“It sounds like it could be the flu,” Chase said. “I still don’t understand why she’s here.”
“But a rash isn’t generally the first symptom of the flu that someone exhibits,” Cameron argued.
“Rashes are usually a sign of an allergic reaction to something,” Chase countered. “And an allergic reaction wouldn’t generally cause the rest of those symptoms.”
“So are we dealing with two illnesses again?” Foreman asked, trying to keep up.
“Are we?” House asked enigmatically.
“I think its lyme disease,” Cameron said. “That usually presents with a circular rash that spreads and can often be misdiagnosed as the flu.”
Chase and Foreman both nodded.
“So we should start a course of antibiotics,” Chase said.
“But there is one symptom that the lyme disease won’t explain,” House said.
The three looked at the white board and didn’t see anything listed that they hadn’t discussed.
“What are you talking about?” Foreman asked.
“The girl has been having severe hallucinations.”
“What? You don’t have that on the board.” Chase spoke up.
“Let me rephrase, I think the girl has been having severe hallucinations.”
“What makes you think that?” Cameron asked. “There is nothing in the history that indicates any mental illness.”
“When Chase was doing the initial exam, I observed her behavior. She’s mumbling incoherently and she had a strange look in her eyes.”
“I’m still not understanding why you think she’s having hallucinations,” Foreman said.
“In the history, the mother said that the daughter has been acting odd since they moved. She’s been joining and dropping various activities for no apparent reason, doing things that are very out of character and balking when questioned about her reasons for doing these various things.”
“So?” Chase asked.
“So, when you were doing the initial exam, she was asking if it ‘was you’ and ‘why aren’t you talking to her’ and saying something about ‘doing everything you asked her to’ and I don’t think she was actually talking to you, Chase.”
***
Is this another one of Your lessons? What am I supposed to be learning from this? I can’t handle seeing my parents so sad. We’ve all hated hospitals ever since Kevin’s accident. Why can’t the doctors figure out what’s wrong and get me better and send me home? Why can’t You make me better? Are You punishing me for something I did wrong? Where are You? Why aren’t You here when I need You? I’m scared and I’m all alone.
“Joan, who are you talking to?”
That voice sounds familiar. I open my eyes and see the cranky doctor with the cane.
“Is that You?” I ask.
“I’m Dr. House and I’m trying to help you feel better. Can you tell me who you keep talking to?”
Oh no. Does he know? Does he think I’m crazy? Are You trying to trick me?
“Um… no one,” I finally respond lamely.
He’s looking at me in disbelief. What am I supposed to do?
“Joan, you have to be honest with me. I can’t make you better if you don’t tell me what’s going on. We think you may have lyme disease, but that wouldn’t account for hallucinations. Your tox screens came back negative for drugs, so I need to figure out who you’re talking to and why.”
Hallucinations? Drugs? What is he talking about? Why aren’t You here protecting me? What am I supposed to tell him? Can I trust him with the truth? Where are You? Why have You abandoned me when I need you the most?
“Joan.” This guy is being really insistent. What’s the worst that can happen if I tell him; I could get locked in a mental institution I guess. But that’s better than being dead.
I take a deep breath. “I’m not having hallucinations, Doctor. God started talking to me shortly after we moved to Arcadia. He’s been giving me assignments, telling me to join various school clubs, to get a job, stuff like that.”
I watch him carefully for his reaction. His eyebrows furrow a little and he purses his lips as he processes my words. He doesn’t strike me as a God kind of guy, so I close my eyes while I wait for his response.
“Okay, so did God send you on a mission in the woods where you might have gotten bitten by a tick and contracted lyme disease?”
I’m trying to remember. I’m not really an outdoorsy person so it seems unlikely. Oh wait!
“Well, my boyfriend and I went on a picnic in the park a few weeks ago.”
He looks thoughtful. I wonder if he is going to be calling in psych for a consult or if he’s going to tell my family I’m crazy.
“That would do it. And it makes sense. We’ll get the IV antibiotics started and you should start to feel better in a few hours.”
He isn’t saying anything about my revelation. Should I ask or should I let it go? Oh I’m so scared. Why aren’t You here to guide me?
He’s walking out of the room. “Dr. House?” I stop him. He turns and smiles at me.
“Yes?”
“What about… the whole… you know… God thing?” I’m trembling as the words leave my lips.
“What about it Joan?”
“Do you think I’m crazy?”
He’s looking at me as if trying to make up his mind.
“No.” He turns and walks out. No explanation, no nothing.
I’m confused. And I’m lonely. Are You still with me?
***
House walked into his office where Cameron, Chase and Foreman were anxiously waiting for his opinion.
“Start the IV antibiotics to treat the lyme disease,” he said, walking to his desk and sitting down, ignoring his team’s curious stares.
“Greg, what about the hallucinations?” Cameron asked.
House was staring at something in his desk drawer and didn’t hear her question. The three younger doctors exchanged a glance. They’d never seen their mentor act like this.
“Greg?” Cameron said, walking closer to him.
He slammed the desk drawer shut before she could see what had him so fascinated. “What’s the question, Allison?”
She started a bit at his use of her first name in the hospital. They’d had a relationship for some time, but he always referred to her by her last name when they were at work. Chase and Foreman noticed the familiar name also.
“What about the hallucinations?” she repeated her question, but her concern about him was obvious.
“She’s not hallucinating, I was wrong.”
“But what about her ramblings during the intake exam?” Chase asked.
“A result of her fever. They meant nothing. And now that the fever is down, they’ve stopped.”
The three stood there, watching him, confused about the whole situation.
“Why are you all staring at me? Go take care of our patient, that’s what doctors are supposed to do, right?”
Chase and Foreman walked out. Cameron lingered for a moment.
“What do you want?” he asked her, a little gruffer than usual.
“Greg, what’s wrong with you?”
“What makes you think something is wrong, Allison?”
“You’re not acting like yourself.”
“People can change.”
She regarded him carefully and sighed. “Fine, you don’t have to tell me. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
He realized that she was genuinely worried and took her hand. “I’m fine, Allison. But thank you for your concern.”
They shared a warm smile.
“Now, go take care of the patient,” he ordered, a smirk on his face.
She laughed. “Yes, sir.” She gave him a mock salute and left the office.
Greg expelled a loud breath when he was finally alone. He didn’t realize how profoundly his conversation with Joan had affected him. He opened the drawer again and stared down at the object within. Tentatively, he picked it up, taking care not to drop it or bump it against the desk so it wouldn’t break.
Gently, he set it before him and stared at it. He remembered the day it had been given to him and the young girl who’d given it to him. It had been the day he’d been diagnosed with his nerve damage and he’d been feeling particularly low. The young girl had been skipping rope on the sidewalk on his way home and he’d nearly tripped over her.
He’d gotten angry and yelled at her for being in the way. She’d looked at him, her eyes older than the age she appeared. Something about her demeanor calmed him down. She’d told him that things aren’t always as they appeared. That sometimes, something that seems bad, ends up being a good thing. He’d been speechless, probably for the first time in his life. She’d giggled then and told him to wait for her on the bench. For reasons he couldn’t fathom, he did.
She came back and handed him a perfect robin’s egg. He’d looked at her like she was crazy. She told him to turn the egg over. There was a slight crack in the bottom. She told him to keep this with him always to remind him that everything wasn’t always as it seems and sometimes your flaws didn’t really matter.
He had walked away slowly, staring at the egg, trying to figure out how that little girl had gotten so worldly and wise. He realized he hadn’t thanked her, but when he turned back, she was gone. There was no trace she’d ever been there.
Ever since that day, he’d kept the egg in his desk drawer and he often stared at it wondering about the girl and what she’d said.
Now that he’d spoken with Joan, he wondered if he’d been visited by God.
***
I’m still in the hospital, but I’m starting to feel better. The doctors have all been giving me weird looks, especially the girl. Dr. House hasn’t been back to see me again. I still don’t understand why he’s keeping my secret. He seems like the most unlikely person I’ve ever met to believe me.
I still miss You though. I hope that when I get back to Arcadia, You’ll talk to me again.
~Fin~
Title: Are you there God, it's me, Joan
Fandoms: House/Joan of Arcadia
Characters: Mainly Joan and House - but also Cameron, Chase, & Foreman from House and Will, Helen, Kevin, Luke, Grace & Adam from JoA.
Written For: Brynaea
Author's Notes: This wasn't one of Bryn's original requests so I want to first thank her for letting us switch her fandoms around - I hope you enjoy this! I also want to thank storydivagirl and dragonsinger for the betas.
I’m drifting in and out of consciousness. I know I’m in a hospital, but I can’t quite remember why. The doctors have been asking me a thousand questions, stupid questions, like what’s my name and how old am I. I remember being at school and seeing You in the bathroom and in the hallway and You gave me conflicting instructions. Where are You now? And why am I here?
***
“Mr. and Mrs. Girardi?”
“Yes, doctor, how is Joan?” Helen’s words tumbled out in a rush.
“To be quite honest, her symptoms have us rather baffled. We’d like to recommend transferring her to Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. There’s a team of doctors there that specializes in treating unusual disorders.”
“That’s in New Jersey.”
“I know, Mr. Girardi, but it’s only about 45 minutes from here by helicopter. You and Mrs. Girardi would be welcome to ride along with your daughter. We’ve managed to get the fever down for now but so far all of our test results have been inconclusive and unless we can figure out the root of your daughter’s illness, we can’t get her better.”
Helen and Will exchanged a look. Helen shrugged helplessly.
“If you think that’s what is best for Joan, doctor, then we’ll go along with it,” Will finally said.
“We’ll prep her for the transfer and call ahead so they are prepared. We should be ready to take off in about twenty minutes.” The doctor turned back through the doors that led to the critical care unit.
Helen and Will walked back to the waiting area to let Kevin, Luke, Adam and Grace know what was going on.
“I’ll drive up and meet you there,” Kevin said after his parents explained why the doctors wanted to transfer Joan.
“Why don’t you all go back to the house and wait for us to call,” Helen suggested, nervous about her children driving on the highway so far when they were upset.
“No way, mom, we want to be there for Joan,” Luke insisted. Adam and Grace nodded in agreement.
Helen sighed. “Okay, but I want you to wear your seatbelts, obey the speed limits and be careful. Please.” All four kids nodded. “And Grace and Adam make sure you let your parents know what’s going on.”
Just then, the doctor came out to let Helen and Will know that Joan was prepared for her transfer. Helen hugged her sons and told them one last time to be careful before she and Will left for the helipad.
***
My mom and dad are crying. Am I dead? I haven’t seen my dad cry since Kevin’s accident. But if I were dead, wouldn’t You be here? I can’t understand why You’re not with me when I need You the most. I’ve done everything You asked me to do.
***
“We’ve got a case coming in for you from Arcadia,” Dr. Cuddy said, walking into Dr. House’s office and handing him a slim file.
“Arcadia, Maryland?”
“Yeah, the local community hospital there wasn’t comfortable treating the girl and they’ve heard of your outstanding diagnostic abilities so they recommended a transfer here.”
He flipped through the chart which consisted solely of a few faxed records from Arcadia General.
“When will the patient be arriving?”
“Within the next ten minutes, get your team ready.”
***
Helen and Will were bewildered as they entered the bustling hospital.
“Mr. and Mrs. Girardi, I’m Dr. Chase and this is Dr. Cameron. We’ll be part of the team taking care of your daughter.”
“You don’t look old enough to be doctors,” Helen blurted out as she looked at the young man and woman in white coats. She immediately blushed and stammered an apology. “I’m sorry, its just that I’m worried about my daughter.”
Cameron smiled at her. “Its okay, Mrs. Girardi, we understand. We’re going to do everything we can to make your daughter well. But we’ll need you and your husband to answer some questions so we can determine what tests we need to run.”
“Anything you need, Dr. Cameron,” Will said.
She led the Girardis to a conference room. Chase excused himself to go check in with Foreman and House and to do an initial exam of Joan.
***
Is that You? A cute, young, blonde doctor with an accent seems like it would be one of Your disguises. I know You’re not the cranky guy with the cane; he’s too unpleasant to be You. Ouch! I guess I’m not dead. Why do they keep sticking me with needles? And why are they asking me the same questions that I’ve already answered a thousand times? I’m so tired. Can’t I just sleep?
***
The doctors met in House’s office. He already had a list of symptoms on his white board.
“Okay, so let’s start at the very beginning,” House said once his team was settled.
“It’s a very good place to start,” Cameron responded, eliciting groans from Chase and Foreman.
“Did you two go to that sing along Sound of Music over the weekend?” Foreman asked.
“No, but Cameron gets extra credit for playing along. But now we need to get down to business. The parents said the first symptom they noticed was a rash. According to the friends from school, she was sweaty which could indicate a fever. She then progressed to nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and finally she fainted, which is when she was taken to the hospital.”
“It sounds like it could be the flu,” Chase said. “I still don’t understand why she’s here.”
“But a rash isn’t generally the first symptom of the flu that someone exhibits,” Cameron argued.
“Rashes are usually a sign of an allergic reaction to something,” Chase countered. “And an allergic reaction wouldn’t generally cause the rest of those symptoms.”
“So are we dealing with two illnesses again?” Foreman asked, trying to keep up.
“Are we?” House asked enigmatically.
“I think its lyme disease,” Cameron said. “That usually presents with a circular rash that spreads and can often be misdiagnosed as the flu.”
Chase and Foreman both nodded.
“So we should start a course of antibiotics,” Chase said.
“But there is one symptom that the lyme disease won’t explain,” House said.
The three looked at the white board and didn’t see anything listed that they hadn’t discussed.
“What are you talking about?” Foreman asked.
“The girl has been having severe hallucinations.”
“What? You don’t have that on the board.” Chase spoke up.
“Let me rephrase, I think the girl has been having severe hallucinations.”
“What makes you think that?” Cameron asked. “There is nothing in the history that indicates any mental illness.”
“When Chase was doing the initial exam, I observed her behavior. She’s mumbling incoherently and she had a strange look in her eyes.”
“I’m still not understanding why you think she’s having hallucinations,” Foreman said.
“In the history, the mother said that the daughter has been acting odd since they moved. She’s been joining and dropping various activities for no apparent reason, doing things that are very out of character and balking when questioned about her reasons for doing these various things.”
“So?” Chase asked.
“So, when you were doing the initial exam, she was asking if it ‘was you’ and ‘why aren’t you talking to her’ and saying something about ‘doing everything you asked her to’ and I don’t think she was actually talking to you, Chase.”
***
Is this another one of Your lessons? What am I supposed to be learning from this? I can’t handle seeing my parents so sad. We’ve all hated hospitals ever since Kevin’s accident. Why can’t the doctors figure out what’s wrong and get me better and send me home? Why can’t You make me better? Are You punishing me for something I did wrong? Where are You? Why aren’t You here when I need You? I’m scared and I’m all alone.
“Joan, who are you talking to?”
That voice sounds familiar. I open my eyes and see the cranky doctor with the cane.
“Is that You?” I ask.
“I’m Dr. House and I’m trying to help you feel better. Can you tell me who you keep talking to?”
Oh no. Does he know? Does he think I’m crazy? Are You trying to trick me?
“Um… no one,” I finally respond lamely.
He’s looking at me in disbelief. What am I supposed to do?
“Joan, you have to be honest with me. I can’t make you better if you don’t tell me what’s going on. We think you may have lyme disease, but that wouldn’t account for hallucinations. Your tox screens came back negative for drugs, so I need to figure out who you’re talking to and why.”
Hallucinations? Drugs? What is he talking about? Why aren’t You here protecting me? What am I supposed to tell him? Can I trust him with the truth? Where are You? Why have You abandoned me when I need you the most?
“Joan.” This guy is being really insistent. What’s the worst that can happen if I tell him; I could get locked in a mental institution I guess. But that’s better than being dead.
I take a deep breath. “I’m not having hallucinations, Doctor. God started talking to me shortly after we moved to Arcadia. He’s been giving me assignments, telling me to join various school clubs, to get a job, stuff like that.”
I watch him carefully for his reaction. His eyebrows furrow a little and he purses his lips as he processes my words. He doesn’t strike me as a God kind of guy, so I close my eyes while I wait for his response.
“Okay, so did God send you on a mission in the woods where you might have gotten bitten by a tick and contracted lyme disease?”
I’m trying to remember. I’m not really an outdoorsy person so it seems unlikely. Oh wait!
“Well, my boyfriend and I went on a picnic in the park a few weeks ago.”
He looks thoughtful. I wonder if he is going to be calling in psych for a consult or if he’s going to tell my family I’m crazy.
“That would do it. And it makes sense. We’ll get the IV antibiotics started and you should start to feel better in a few hours.”
He isn’t saying anything about my revelation. Should I ask or should I let it go? Oh I’m so scared. Why aren’t You here to guide me?
He’s walking out of the room. “Dr. House?” I stop him. He turns and smiles at me.
“Yes?”
“What about… the whole… you know… God thing?” I’m trembling as the words leave my lips.
“What about it Joan?”
“Do you think I’m crazy?”
He’s looking at me as if trying to make up his mind.
“No.” He turns and walks out. No explanation, no nothing.
I’m confused. And I’m lonely. Are You still with me?
***
House walked into his office where Cameron, Chase and Foreman were anxiously waiting for his opinion.
“Start the IV antibiotics to treat the lyme disease,” he said, walking to his desk and sitting down, ignoring his team’s curious stares.
“Greg, what about the hallucinations?” Cameron asked.
House was staring at something in his desk drawer and didn’t hear her question. The three younger doctors exchanged a glance. They’d never seen their mentor act like this.
“Greg?” Cameron said, walking closer to him.
He slammed the desk drawer shut before she could see what had him so fascinated. “What’s the question, Allison?”
She started a bit at his use of her first name in the hospital. They’d had a relationship for some time, but he always referred to her by her last name when they were at work. Chase and Foreman noticed the familiar name also.
“What about the hallucinations?” she repeated her question, but her concern about him was obvious.
“She’s not hallucinating, I was wrong.”
“But what about her ramblings during the intake exam?” Chase asked.
“A result of her fever. They meant nothing. And now that the fever is down, they’ve stopped.”
The three stood there, watching him, confused about the whole situation.
“Why are you all staring at me? Go take care of our patient, that’s what doctors are supposed to do, right?”
Chase and Foreman walked out. Cameron lingered for a moment.
“What do you want?” he asked her, a little gruffer than usual.
“Greg, what’s wrong with you?”
“What makes you think something is wrong, Allison?”
“You’re not acting like yourself.”
“People can change.”
She regarded him carefully and sighed. “Fine, you don’t have to tell me. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
He realized that she was genuinely worried and took her hand. “I’m fine, Allison. But thank you for your concern.”
They shared a warm smile.
“Now, go take care of the patient,” he ordered, a smirk on his face.
She laughed. “Yes, sir.” She gave him a mock salute and left the office.
Greg expelled a loud breath when he was finally alone. He didn’t realize how profoundly his conversation with Joan had affected him. He opened the drawer again and stared down at the object within. Tentatively, he picked it up, taking care not to drop it or bump it against the desk so it wouldn’t break.
Gently, he set it before him and stared at it. He remembered the day it had been given to him and the young girl who’d given it to him. It had been the day he’d been diagnosed with his nerve damage and he’d been feeling particularly low. The young girl had been skipping rope on the sidewalk on his way home and he’d nearly tripped over her.
He’d gotten angry and yelled at her for being in the way. She’d looked at him, her eyes older than the age she appeared. Something about her demeanor calmed him down. She’d told him that things aren’t always as they appeared. That sometimes, something that seems bad, ends up being a good thing. He’d been speechless, probably for the first time in his life. She’d giggled then and told him to wait for her on the bench. For reasons he couldn’t fathom, he did.
She came back and handed him a perfect robin’s egg. He’d looked at her like she was crazy. She told him to turn the egg over. There was a slight crack in the bottom. She told him to keep this with him always to remind him that everything wasn’t always as it seems and sometimes your flaws didn’t really matter.
He had walked away slowly, staring at the egg, trying to figure out how that little girl had gotten so worldly and wise. He realized he hadn’t thanked her, but when he turned back, she was gone. There was no trace she’d ever been there.
Ever since that day, he’d kept the egg in his desk drawer and he often stared at it wondering about the girl and what she’d said.
Now that he’d spoken with Joan, he wondered if he’d been visited by God.
***
I’m still in the hospital, but I’m starting to feel better. The doctors have all been giving me weird looks, especially the girl. Dr. House hasn’t been back to see me again. I still don’t understand why he’s keeping my secret. He seems like the most unlikely person I’ve ever met to believe me.
I still miss You though. I hope that when I get back to Arcadia, You’ll talk to me again.
~Fin~