Screenplay of the Heart

CHAPTER 19

The next day, Scarlett had a long and exhausting series of tests and examinations scheduled by Dr. Saito and his team at the Zurich Medical Institute. Thankfully, Dr. Benson remained by her side through each procedure, his comforting presence helping to calm her nerves. However, the thought of him having to return to LA within just a few days to tend to his other patients saddened her. The prospect of being alone in this unfamiliar place filled her with trepidation.

Her morning began before dawn with an ultrasound technician spreading the customary cold gel across her chest. Scarlett shivered slightly as the wand glided over her skin, capturing images of her ailing heart from multiple angles. She dutifully held her breath whenever instructed.

A few hours later, she found herself in another room, gripping the nurse's hand tightly as they carefully inserted a thin tube through an artery in her wrist. The monitors tracked its progress upward toward her heart. While uncomfortable, it wasn't overly painful.

Throughout the lengthy day, Scarlett was connected to an array of electrodes monitoring her heart's electrical rhythms. At one point, the doctors had her walk on a treadmill, encouraging her to continue even as her lungs burned for air.

Arguably the loudest procedure was the MRI scan - a massive, clanking machine that used magnetic waves to capture cross-sectional images of her heart. The deafening noise necessitated the use of headphones to muffle the clamor.

By evening, Scarlett could barely keep her eyes open as the nurses finally disconnected her from the tangle of wires and monitors. She was utterly drained, both physically and mentally. Yet she understood these rigorous tests were essential, despite having already been approved as a transplant candidate by UNOS before leaving the States.

This time in Zurich would further evaluate her condition and determine her level of priority on the transplant list for receiving a donor heart - her last hope for surviving her worsening dilated cardiomyopathy.

As welcoming as the nurses attempted to be, Scarlett couldn't shake her unease at being in such an unfamiliar setting, soon to be separated from Dr. Benson. And her highly skilled but stern lead physician, Dr. Saito, did little to assuage her concerns with his all-business demeanor.

"Hey Scarlett," Dr. Benson's voice was thick with gentle concern after Dr. Saito's team had abruptly left the room. "I'm going to grab a quick bite to eat. Will you be okay alone for a little while?"

Scarlett forced a brave nod, leaning back against the upright bed frame. Her face mustered a feeble smile, but the washed-out pallor of her complexion betrayed her withering condition. "Of course, don't worry about me. Please, go eat something."

He seemed to linger, searching her sickly features before giving a reluctant nod. "Alright then, I'll be back before you know it." With a tender pat on her shoulder, he headed for the door, steps heavy.

The second she heard the latch click, Scarlett's phone started buzzing frantically on the bedside table. Trixie's name flashed across the screen, bringing a genuine but fragile smile to the ill girl's chapped lips. "Hey Trix..." Her greeting was barely a hoarse rasp.

"Red! Where the hell are you?!" Trixie's shrill tone spiked with panic. "I went to the hospital and you were gone. The staff wouldn't tell me anything!"

A wheezy chuckle slipped out between Scarlett's dry lips. Even scared senseless, her best friend's signature bluntness was comfortingly familiar. "Trix, it's okay, breathe..." She tried to soothe the frantic tone but broke into a pained coughing fit. "I meant to tell you, but it all just happened so fast.... I'm in Zurich."

"Zurich? As in Switzerland?!"

Scarlett nodded, forgetting her friend couldn't see. "Yeah, Switzerland. Dr. Benson told me about this amazing opportunity..." She proceeded to recount the previous night's events in detail, from the Zurich Medical Institute's offer to her hectic travel and admission.