***All characters are over 18 and are fictional. Any resemblance to any real-life persons or situations is purely coincidental.
***Based on a joke, expanded into a story.
...
The wait was excruciating for Robert. He and his wife, Stella, have been waiting in the doctor's office for nearly half an hour, waiting for the results of his medical tests. Robert hasn't been feeling well for several months. No other doctor has been able to figure out what was wrong with him. The other doctors were able to determine that it was not cancer or a heart condition, which Robert was grateful to hear, but still couldn't come up with any other explanation for what was wrong with him.
Finally, they were sent to Dr. Morris, an expert on unusual medical cases, to determine what might be wrong with him. Patients from all over the country came to see him for medical problems no other doctor could solve. Robert and Stella were lucky that they were able to get an appointment with him. After several days of tests where every aspect of his body was thoroughly examined, they were asked to come in for the final results.
Dr. Morris finally arrived. He was an older man with thin-rimmed glasses and a big smile on his face. He greeted Robert and Stella, apologized for being late, and sat down behind his desk.
"So, I've got good news for you, Robert. You should be just fine," said Dr. Morris.
Robet and Stella both let out a big sigh of relief. After having to wait so long in the office, they were both worried that it meant bad news.
"So, what's going on with me, Doc?" Robert asked. "Why do I feel sick all the time?"
The doctor answered. "It's a rare but simple neurological disorder that's throwing off your biological functions. It should be easy to take care of with a simple prescription that is covered under your health insurance. You'll have to keep up with that prescription the rest of your life, but other than that, you'll live a long and healthy life."
"That's great to hear, doctor," said Stella very happily. "I've been worried sick about Robert for months now."
"That brings me to you, Stella," said Dr. Morris. "I need to talk to you in private, if you don't mind."
Robert and Stella gave each other a concerning look, then looked back at Dr. Morris.
"Is something wrong?" Stella asked.
"I just want to talk to you about some simple things you can do to help make Robert feel better," Dr. Morris assured her. "Robert, you don't need to wait around and listen to these boring details. You should probably wait outside."
"He's probably right, honey," said Stella. "Get yourself some fresh air. I'll meet you at the café next door a little later."
Robert agreed to leave. He was tired of doctor visits and was glad to be out of there. He heard the first good news about his condition in months and couldn't wait to finally be done with doctors. Robert shook the doctor's hand, thanked him for his help, and left the office.
When Dr. Morris was sure that Robert was gone, he turned his attention to Stella.
"Stella, your husband is seriously ill," Dr. Morris revealed. "His condition is much more serious than I let on."
"What?" Stell asked, with a shocked expression. "How much time does she have left."
"A few weeks at the most."
Stella was breathing heavily and she could feel her heart pounding hard in her chest. She had never felt so scared about anything in her life."
"This is unbelievable. Why the hell did you tell him that he was going to live?" she asked.
"Because I needed him out of the office to talk to you about his condition and how you're the only one who could help him. I've been in this situation before. This is deeply personal stuff I need to talk to you about, and it's usually better when I talk to the wife about it in private."
"OK, I think I understand," said Stella, as she began to calm down a little. "I'll do anything to help my husband. Tell me what I need to do."
"First, let's start with his diet. I understand you got him on a vegan diet. Is that right?"
"Yes, it's much healthier," said Stella.
"Stop that immediately; that diet is killing him," he told her.
"But it's a healthier lifestyle and Robert loves it."
Dr. Morris continued. "It is healthier for most people, but not for people with Robert's condition. That diet is throwing off the neurological functions of his brain, and that's affecting his entire body. He needs to start eating meat immediately."
Stella was stunned by the revelation. She was sure being a vegan was a healthy way to live, but she had no idea that it was hurting Robert. She would not have pushed him to do it if she knew what it was doing to him.
"OK, I'll start getting him on all kinds of meat right away," she assured the doctor.
"It's not just meat he needs to start eating. You need to cook for him whatever he likes as well. If he suggests it, you can't question it. Just cook it for him, no matter what it is."
"Yes, of course I will," Stella replied nervously.
"That's good to hear. Now that brings me to my next subject. He shouldn't be doing any kind of physical labor around the house. He's too weak to be doing this stuff, so it needs to all be done by you. Yardwork, moving furniture, plumbing, painting, electrical problems, and so on. Anything you expect a husband should be doing around the house now needs to be done by you alone."
