Starring:
Summary: Alicia's follow-up appointment with her family doctor comes with a bit of a revelation.
Date It Happened: December 17th, 2007
Flexible Condition
Aldric's Family Practice
Hartsdale, New York
"Ah, well then, Ms. Osborne, how are you today? It's brave of you to come out in this weather." A rustle of papers fills the small, neatly organized exam room as Dr. Aldric looks into a drab manila folder and sits down on a stool near the end of the examination table. He lays the folder, closed, on the end of said table and adjusts his lab coat. Underneath is a business casual tan-coloured shirt a few shades lighter than his corduroy pants. The lab coat goes a long way in making him look professional — as well as the dark, thick-framed rectangular glasses on the older man's nose.
"Just another day." Alicia says with a chuckle. "I'm used to weather. Well, almost. After so many years of florida, it's still too cold. But the snow and ice, just another way of driving." She says with a grin as she moves to take her own seat. Of course, she hates sitting on paper, who doesn't… but in a doctors examining room, sometimes you don't have a choice. "I hope everything came back ok."
Dr. Aldric gives a barely audible chuckle under his breath, smiles tightly and nods to the small talk. Afterward, he spends a moment tapping his knee with a few idle fingers. Hesitation to answer: never a good thing from a doctor. "To be honest, the biopsy was … inconclusive. The results showed that you have more elastin in your tissue than the average person, enough that I'd suspect a connective tissue disorder of some kind…" He's quick to hold up a hand. "But, uh, where you've been having no real health problems, and you don't show any outward signs of something serious like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, I wouldn't be worried. I'd just like to order a few more tests."
"Well, that's one I've never heard of." Alicia says as she tries to think of it. "I… I don't know of any disorders running in my family or anything of that nature." Connective tissue? Elastin. Things do click in her head, though. She knows what those are… she is a well-read woman. "Oh, of course. Tests. After all, we need to find out everything we can." She nods. While it does cause a little worry, she knows better than to get upset until anything is actually proven.
"It's genetic," Dr. Aldric says-even as he does so, he's getting up from his stool, distracted by his thinking ahead of what he's going to do next. "Many connective tissues disorders are, in uh, one way or another. They can affect the heart and other internal organs as well as joints so, I want to take precautions." On that note, he presses a stethoscope to Alicia's chest and brings the rest of the contraption up to his ears to have a listen. He waits out several beats, stops, and continues like he hadn't paused his somewhat monotone speech. "Has your son ever shown any signs of hypermo— of increased flexibility?"
"Not that I've seen. Hyperactivity, yes, but not hyperanything else. He's a little bit more flexible than some people, but I don't think nearly as much as I am. Or… I can be." Alicia says with a slight sigh as she remembers how she got out of the car. It's not one of her fondest memories. "But then, he's going through a lot on his own right now and… doesn't talk to me all that often, lately."
"I see." Dr. Aldric lays a hand clinically on Alicia's right shoulder. "It wouldn't hurt to test him also. And your parents? Grandparents?" He squeezes gently, then a bit firmer, and glances above the frames of his spectacles to the woman's face, searching for signs of pain. "Any discomfort? Hmn. How long did you say since you'd noticed this increase in movement?"
"No, my parents never had any problems." Alicia ponders for a moment. "I'll bring him around at some point. When I can get him to listen to me long enough." That's her one failing point. Everywhere else in her life, she considers herself successful. "No, no pain." Concentrating on the question, she sighs softly. "Ever since last year. When… when Mark crashed the car. I got out of a buckled seatbelt and out through the window. Ever since then, I've just been able to bend better. No worries about arthritis here." She offers with a weak chuckle.
"Oh?" The doctor's eyes narrow, crinkling in thought. He tests Alicia's other shoulder; nothing, of course. "Through the seatbelt and window, you said?" he prompts. "I have to say that's unusual. Of course, it's possible you didn't notice it before then."
There's a shake of Alicia's head. "No. I had regular thumbs before. Now, just holding them up, they're hitchhiker's thumbs." She holds them up. Both are lightly curved backwards. "They used to be straight." She shrugs. "I dunno. It was that day. That's when it all changed. I don't know why or how, really."
"Hmmm…" Dr. Aldric mumbles under his breath, sighing and rubbing at his moustache for a moment. "May I?" he reaches for Alicia's hand, focusing on her wrist, rather than the hypermobile thumb. "Tell me if you feel any discomfort," he says and starts to extend the wrist backward.
"Oh, of course." Alicia breathes in deeply as she closes her eyes. There is no pain, of course. And her hand does bend back easily. There's a little bit of temporary stopping where it would have naturally, but then that gives with only a little extra pressure. It moves further back to lie back against her arm before the doctor is done.
…Well. That's far beyond the norm, but given Alicia's last visit, he's not exactly surprised. He is, however, all the more intent. He lets go. "Have you noticed any other… extreme incidences since the car accident?"
"This is in confidentiality, right?" Alicia asks, getting a slightly worried expression on her face. Her breathing increases slightly as well. She has noticed things, but won't say anything yet. She is, after all, an author with her name on books. She has to keep her reputation sacrosanct. Though, she does know doctor's aren't supposed to talk about things, she wants to be sure.
"Of course, yes," Dr. Aldric answers without hesitation — it's a practiced response. He moves to be seated once more, plucking a pen from the front pocket of his white coat. He gestures at Alicia to go on.
Extending her arm to Dr. Aldric she takes a deep breath. "Pull. Don't worry about dislocating my shoulder or anything. Just a steady pull." She keeps her eyes closed as she does this. After all, she's still a little scared of her ability. She's seen herself do a few interesting things, and doesn't know what it means.
Dr. Aldric quirks a concerned look at Ms. Osborne and … rather frowns at her request. He does, however, lean ahead, reach out, and take her wrist in a secure grip, pulling. He stops at the end range — or what should be the end range — before pulling further.
"Keep pulling." Alicia says with a firm nod. "It's ok. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't feel like anything. It's just… different." She explains as she pulls back a little on her own, her arm beginning to extend a little beyond it's natural range.
Dr. Aldric keeps pulling. "…are you sure?" Maybe her pain receptors are off. Maybe her stretch receptors are off. Maybe— "My word," he mumbles under his breath.
"Yes. That and… similar things. What I never told anyone… was that the window was only open about two inches when I got out through it." Alicia says, breathing calmly as she looks at the length of her arm.
"Two-two— !" The doctor appears flabbergasted by his patient. He examines the position of Alicia's arm and shoulder, gently lets go and opens the file to make a note. "That is exceptional," he comments, looking up over his glasses. "You are exceptional, Ms. Osborne."
The arm slowly returns to it's natural state. It doesn't take long. "Two." Alicia nods slightly, sighing at it herself. "I don't know where it came from or what it means. All I know is that that's the way things are for me now. It doesn't hurt, so I didn't know if there was anything actually wrong with it or not."
"I suspect that you're in perfect health," Dr. Aldric ventures. "In fact, your health may be— well, it may be better than it was before. I'd still like to run some further tests… and you'll keep me updated on any changes?"
"Of course." Alicia nods slightly. "Any… ideas on what this could be? Or is it just some random thing?" She asks as she wiggles her arm, now that it's back to normal. "And tests are understandable. You have to figure things out."
"Well, that's— that's hard to say exactly," Dr. Aldric manages to say. "You exhibit a… a quality that's beyond the norm. It could be genetic, like a disorder would be… now, this is also confidential," he eyes Alicia meaningfully. She said her piece in confidence; he'll say his and expect the same deal. "There are certain individuals who can also…" He waves a hand. "Do certain things the human body isn't normally capable of. I've been in the medical field a long time, I've met— a few."
"Hmm. Here I write modern fantasy and science fiction, and I end up in one of those thing." Alicia say with a nod. "I know. I can keep things to myself." She grins slightly as she ponders things. "Well, I don't know of my parents doing anything, or my son, but I wouldn't know for sure." She admits. She'll have to start watching Jamie a little more closely.
Dr. Aldric chooses not to mention Alicia's son again; where he suggested he get tested before, now he stays silent. He simply nods. "It's not a fantasy, or science fiction, Ms. Osborne, it's… perhaps it's evolution. I'll ah, I'll have the office call to arrange test dates. Some heart tests, perhaps an X-ray."
"Of course." Alicia nods quickly. "It just… hits a funny spot to me. That's all." She says. At least she keeps her sense of humor about her. "Whatever you feel needs to be done." Though in her mind she's running some of those tests that her scientists ran on the paranormal creatures they found. She shakes the idea out of her head.
"I uh, I know it's… a little… strange to think about," Dr. Aldric says, getting to his feet, tucking the folder under his arm. "But on the bright side, at least you don't appear to have a serious disease that could kill you," he deadpans.
"Oh, it's always quite pleasant to know that whatever this freaky thing is isn't going to be the death of me. At least, in the standard sense." Alicia says with a shake of the head. "But yes, just let me know what you think needs to be done, Doctor and I'll fit myself into your schedule. Being an author, I can work around your times. It's easier that way."
"Sure, good," Dr. Aldric nods, looking rather deep in thought as he opens the door for Alicia. "See you at our next appointment." Not great at smalltalk, this man, but he adds, "You have a good afternoon Ms. Osborne."