Page 8 of Sweet Heart

“I figure the levels slowly rise?”

Now she full-on smiles and nods at me.

“That’s a reasonable thought. But do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night feeling really cold or hungry?”

“Yeah, of course. Don’t we all?”

The doctor frowns and shakes her head.

“No, actually. That’s not common in people without diabetes. It isn’t even that common in people with diabetes.”

“Huh?” The sound escapes me, and I stare at her for a beat. “What are you saying, Doctora?”

She winces, and for the first time, I regret teasing her with that nickname. Her throat bobs, and she lifts her chin slightly. When the words come, her voice is flat and factual.

“The reason for these spikes might not be the dawn phenomenon but something called the Somogyi effect. This happens when your blood sugar drops too low during the night.” She gazes at me to see if I am still with her. I nod. “Your body releases a cocktail of hormones, trying to regulate your levels. But it often overshoots…”

“…resulting in those spikes in the morning,” I finish for her.

She nods and holds my gaze for another moment.

“It is rare, but not impossible.”

“Okay,” I whisper, suddenly feeling very bare in front of her.

“Will you consider a CGM?” Her brow furrows slightly when she asks. “Or at least talk to your GP about it?”

I bite my lip as heat flushes my cheeks. Her dark eyes regard me with such intensity that I almost buckle under the pressure. My stomach twists as I drop my gaze to the floor, hearing her soft intake of breath as realization dawns on her.

“You don’t have one, do you?”

There is no malice in her voice, no disapproval. I highly doubt that I am her first patient without a family doctor. No, what’s laced through her voice is something highly unexpected. Worry.

“No,” I admit, my cheeks burning.

“I see,” she whispers.

She doesn’t ask me why, doesn’t need me to explain. Maybe she is not even allowed to. Whatever the reason, I feel a little more at ease because she doesn’t press and instead moves on. After another soft breath, I raise my head just in time to see her nod with determination.

“Well,” she says, as if the conversation didn’t just halt for a moment. “You can always consider getting one. Your insurance might cover it, but it can cost a little over a hundred dollars if you pay out of pocket.” She glances at me. “It might be worth looking into. You can also set an alarm and measure your levels every night for a week.”

The way she casually offers me options soothes me, and I smile up at her.

“So, I’ll see you next week, then?” I quip, and her eyebrows shoot up.

“Why?”

This time, I blink. “For the follow-up.”

The doctor shakes her head. “There won’t be one. You are medically cleared.”

And just like that, my stomach drops.

Chapter 04

Cat

As soon as the screen turns dark again I blink. I move the mouse and stare at the incident report I am desperately trying to finish reading so that I can go home, but the words in front of me currently have no meaning. They just blur and disappear from my vision time and again.