Finally, the car arrived at Valerie’s Dad’s house still located humbly next to John’s Dad’s. John got out this time and got out Valerie’s bag for her and walked her to the door. Before she got to ring the doorbell, he finally spoke to her.

            “Are you sure your all, right?” He said with a hint of worry laced in his words.

            “Yes, I’m fine,” she lied again. She turned away from him and rang the doorbell. Her sister answered it with an awfully excited scream that rang throughout the house.

            “Ah! You’re here! Thank you for picking her up, John!” Reina screamed in excitement.

            “You’re welcome. Let me know if you ever need help,” he smiled at her and then turned around to head back to his car. He got in and drove away.

            ‘Wow, John had nothing but displeasure when dealing with me,’ Valerie thought rolling her eyes.        

            “Come in, come in. Was that all you brought from Japan?” Reina asked motioning to the tiny suit case.

            “No, no. I had the other stuff packed and shipped to my house near the medical school.”

            “Oh, okay. I can’t believe you’re here! We left your room the way you left it back before you left for high school,” she said.

            “Okay, thanks.”

            “Just, go in and freshen up, come out when you’re done, we have so much to talk about,” Reina pushed Valerie to hurry up.

            As soon as Valerie entered her room, she felt as though it had belonged to another person, a different version of her. It was simple and filled with girly things her family thought she would have liked. Valerie walked to the foot of the bed and struggled to lift her suitcase up, eventually placing it on the dark pink comforter. She unpacked her suitcase neatly, pulling out a set of clothing to wear after her shower. With her toiletries all set up she started the shower and undressed herself. In the vanity mirror within the bathroom, she looked at all the little red pricks she had up and down her legs. Some were red, others were scabbed over. Valerie was looking for her most recent injection trying to see how good it was considering it was conducted through her clothing which she did not do normally. It was sensitive to the touch but it did not have any leakage of fluid.

            After her shower Valerie felt better. The sweat that had clung to her from earlier today was gone and its smell replaced with her wonderfully rose scented body wash. Her clothes were warm and comfortable encouraging her to relax. She was beyond tired and felt that perhaps her sister wouldn’t mind if she took a nap, rather than talked at that moment. When Valerie didn’t come out of her room for a while, her sister popped in to check on her, finding her fast asleep in her bed. Reina let her sleep, understanding that she must have been jet lagged. Plus, for dinner they had been invited to Dr. Griffin’s house, she would hear everything Valerie had to say there.

            As Valerie slept, she dreamt tortuous dreams that she’s had since her diagnosis. The main one being entering a high rise in Japan and going into its white lobby, finding an elevator and getting off on a floor that offered only one hallway that was painted white, with nor adornments or doors, except the one across the elevator. Valerie walks to that door taking forever to reach it and when it opens, she finds herself talking to her doctor, learning about her diagnosis, the reason for why she had been feeling extremely sick the last month. The terror wasn’t finding out her diagnosis it was what would come after, because when she would turn to leave the doctor’s office she found she couldn’t open the door, and when it eventually would open there would no longer be a hallway to the elevator, just an endless abyss that she would always fall into. In the last scene Valerie’s body is always jolted awake and the reason why she often has trouble sleeping.

            This time Reina did come in to check on Valerie and let her know the plans for dinner.

            “Hey, Valerie? Are you awake?” Reina gently called.

            “Uh, just woke up. What’s up?” Valerie asked, sensing Reina was going to relay some information to her.

            “Well, we are going to have dinner at Dr. Griffin’s house. It’s in thirty minutes,” she said beginning to notice Valerie’s pale complexion. “Are you okay?”

            “Yes, I am just really tired. Um, ok, I’ll get ready for the dinner.”

            “Ok.”

            Valerie peeled herself out of bed and dressed in her more business casual attire, brushed her teeth and left her room. She found Reina sitting out at the breakfast table, which was nearest their bed rooms.

            “Are you ready to go? We can head over now.”

            “Sure.”