Come Away with Me

Come away with me…

Those were the only words that Sean Thurston allowed to linger in his mind.

Come away with me… in the night.

The lyrics to his favorite Norah Jones song were the only relief to the numbing nervousness that began to blanket over him.

As he replayed the lyrics over and over in his mind, he could feel the warmth of relaxation begin to flow from the crown of his head down towards his torso. He inhaled the cold, sterile air of the doctor’s office, which seemed to awake him from his intended relaxation nap.

Come away with me and I will rock you soft…

He closed his eyes tight and thought to himself, Oh, Norah; I wish I could go away with you or anyone else for that matter. I just don’t wanna be here.

Before he knew it, he was gently rocking himself from side to side in the hard wooden chair on his imaginary journey with Norah.

“All right, Mr. Thurston”.

Sean was startled back to reality by the sturdy, English accented voice of the doctor.

“Dr. Wright…”

Dr. Wright was a tall, lanky man with a white, pasty complexion. He walked into the office and sat down behind the cherry wood-grained desk, which was neatly adorned with family pictures and personal trinkets. His glasses sat at the tip of his nose as he looked over the contents of a dark blue folder.

Sean sat up straight in the chair and began to stare at Dr. Wright as if he was studying what was going on behind the doctor’s eyes.

He began to remember how he’d gotten himself into this situation. Two weeks ago, his best girlfriend, Dionne, had asked him had he ever been tested. When he told her that he had never gone through with the testing, she suggested that they go and be tested together.

Dionne had been sweating bullets because she hadn’t used a condom with her latest conquest. She said that after it was all said and done, he looked a little “suspect”. She used that term when she wasn’t 100% sure of what team her men were on. Needless to say, two weeks later, here Sean was… sitting across the desk from a man, who could possibly give him news that could change his life forever.

After further reviewing the contents of the folder, Dr. Wright sat down the folder and intertwined his fingers together.

Sean stiffened his demeanor while tension pulsed through his body.

That familiar blanket of nervousness was back with a vengeance.

Oh God, Sean thought to himself.

Dr. Wright looked at him and smiled.

Well, at least he’s smiling… That could mean that I’m clean, Sean thought.

“Well, Mr. Thurston, I know that you’re anxious to get these test results. I can only imagine how these past two weeks have been for you…”

Beads of perspiration were flooding down the small of his back as he awaited for the results with bated breath.

Our Father… who art in Heaven… Hallowed be thy name…, Sean inwardly prayed.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Thurston, you have tested positive for HIV”.

Thy kingdom come…thy will be done…

Sean looked straight ahead, as if he was looking through Dr. Wright.

He didn’t feel anything…

No anger…

No sorrow…

No sadness…

No shock...

He realized he was drained of emotion. The only thoughts in his mind were the letters H-I-V.

HIV…

Positive…

Suddenly, Sean could feel the gravity of the statement that Dr. Wright had just uttered. The warm sensation of shock began to permeate from the core of his being, as if a fire had been started in his stomach. The blurriness of Dr. Wright’s diagnosis began to come into focus.

“Mr. Thurston?” Dr. Wright hesitantly asked.

No answer.

“Mr. Thurston, are you all right?”

Sean just stared through the doctor, as a single tear ran down the left side of his cheek.

Come away with me… in the night…