I returned home the next day with an armload of pamphlets on cardiac health. I had an appointment with a recommended cardiologist in two weeks. I wasn't sure I wanted to go. I feared he would tell me SpaghettiOs were off-limits. Of course, if I died, I couldn't eat them either. Maybe I just needed to stay away from jellyfish.

A young man exited the hall bathroom rolling down his sleeves. "Hi, you must be Mr. Dake. I'm Wally Williams." He held out his hand. He looked a bit too young to be a doctor. I took his hand and shook it.

"Molli says you're a detox specialist?" I wanted to verify

that I wasn't going to be doing this without professional help.

"Yep, kind of evolved into the job. I started a clinic in a pretty bad neighborhood. You can say it was on-the-job training." He seemed pleased with his chosen direction. I sensed he was a do-gooder who was in it for the satisfaction. "I usually don't do house calls, but I must say, your generous donation to the clinic made me rethink that position." He chuckled. I tried to not let on that I had no idea how generous I was.

"I'm glad you're here, Doc. I'm kind of committed to seeing that Ms. Perez gets through this." I tried to sound grateful. I was hoping he would handle the heavy lifting. "I've never done anything like this before."

"You missed the easy day. Today and tomorrow will most likely be the worst." His expression became more serious. "It's like the bad flu with a bunch of very ugly side effects thrown in. Just make sure she doesn't try to sleep on her back to avoid aspiration of any discharge. It helps to make sure she stays hydrated, especially if diarrhea kicks in." He was sounding like he wasn't staying. "I put some Epsom salts next to the tub. If she complains of itchy or crawly skin, put her in a hot bath with the salts." He was reaching for his suit jacket that was lying over the back of the chair.

"You're leaving?" I felt like I was being thrown into the deep end of the pool.

"I'll stop back in tomorrow morning. I left my card on the table." He pointed to the end table. "Call me if you run into something unexpected." Obviously, I wasn't generous enough with my donation.

"I'm really not qualified to handle this, Doc." I am sure it sounded like I was pleading. I meant it to be more instructive to illicit a guilt reaction. He just chuckled.

"Mia doesn't need a doctor now. She just needs someone who cares. In a couple of days we can start the real work." He was heading for the door. I considered tackling him but discounted it due to recent heart issues. It was just two days he said. I can suffer through it to keep Molli on board.

"Where's Mia now?" I wasn't even sure where to start.

"In the master suite. It had the closest bathroom." He opened the front door. "See you around nine tomorrow."

Just like that, he was gone. It was the first person in many years that I didn't want to leave.