Hannah and Chris drove to Dr. Weller's office in downtown Dallas in Chris' black Chrysler 200. He had gotten it the year before and loved its sleek sophistication yet sporty look and feel. It was exactly the perfect car for him. His dream was to get an Audi someday. He often teased Hannah about her 'ancient' car and offered to get her something newer but she said that she was too attached to her Toyota to get anything else. She said that when it died then she'd get something new like a Prius. Chris would always roll his eyes and laugh at her. She was frugal but in a good way.

    There wasn't anything funny about this trip they were making together. Hannah was so nervous about getting the results from the doctor that her knees kept bouncing and she gripped her hands together until Chris reached out and took one of her hands in his as they drove into the center of town. A lot of the buildings were typical corporate America; steel and concrete. The doctor's office was located in a smaller one with only 7 stories as opposed to close to 20 that made up Dallas' downtown. Dr. Weller wasn't the only doctor in that office; it was a group of about five of them; both male and female. She was both a primary care physician and a specialist in undetected illnesses. She was a brunette with green eyes and a soft gentle demeanor.

    As Chris parked the car in the underground garage underneath the building, he and Hannah got out, took a deep breath, and walked hand in hand into the building. They signed in at the security desk and took the elevator to the third floor. When they entered the office, there were people everywhere. Hannah checked in and sat down. They hoped it wouldn't be a long wait. Sure enough, fifteen minutes after getting there, the nurse called Hannah's name and ushered her and Chris into Dr. Weller's office. As Hannah looked all around the familiar office; her attention span was nil. Chris, who was still holding her hand said:

"It'll be OK, don't worry. You'll see. Just breathe and relax." Hannah nodded robotically just as Dr. Weller walked in and shook hands with them both. She had Hannah's chart in her hands and sat behind her desk. She opened the file with the results and began to explain.

"Hannah, just as I suspected due to the fact that we have ruled out everything else and your symptoms aren't getting any better; I believe you have something called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or M.E. That is the name by which it's known worldwide; here in America it is known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and that is because due to a lot of uncertainty and poor research by the CDC, most specialists call it CFS. It should however be called just M.E. Your MRI showed white areas in your brain which are more and more commonly associated with patients with M.E. Also your blood work came back positive for the Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) and Hashimoto's; both of which are triggers for this illness."

    She stopped for a moment to let both Hannah and Chris digest what she had just told them. Now it was time to get to the tough explanations. As suspected, Hannah spoke up first and asked:

"But how did I get it? Is it contagious? Does it have a cure or treatment of any kind? How long does it last?" Dr. Weller took a deep breath, looked both in the eye and told them the truth.

"It is not contagious. The EBV comes from Mono; which many have as young adults or children. EBV is said to exist though dormant in 96% of the population in America. What causes it to become active could be anything from other viruses to stress. The illness has been around for over 80 years and sadly, we don't know that much about it but we're trying. Unfortunately, at this point in time; we do not have a cure for it. As of the latest census, 1-4 million people that were properly diagnosed suffer from M.E. in the United States alone and more than 17 million worldwide. Treatment varies as each body is different and it can last for many years. I've seen patients that were bedridden for 10-20 years while others got better in 6 months or 2 years. I'm sorry Hannah; there aren't any easy answers here." 

    Hannah sat there stoically as tears gathered in her eyes. She was right the night before; sometimes not knowing was better. At least things like cancer if caught early can be cured or properly treated. Here was this illness that could leave her bedridden for life. What about kids? Her marriage? Her existence? What happened now? Chris spoke up next:

"What about children, doc? Can she still have them? And is this illness fatal?" He gulped through that last part.

"M.E. isn't fatal but people like with any other illness have been known to die from it. It compromises the immune system and if certain measures aren't taken, these things happen. Yes she can still have children but I wouldn't recommend it until she is in the recovery process. As her body and immune system have been compromised, I am not sure how it will react during and post pregnancy. The last thing we need to do is exacerbate the illness. It wreaks plenty of havoc on its own." Chris nodded briskly.

"What kind of measures though? You said it wasn't curable." Hannah all but whispered.

"Well like vitamins to help give your immune system the extra boost that it needs to help fight the viruses. Once they become inactive or dormant again, you start to recover. How that happens or when is still a big mystery. A lot of people also try homeopathic treatments to help stabilize the body more. It all depends on what you want to do. I will caution you though that not a lot of doctors believe M.E. exists and will make you feel crazy. So it's best to always seek out those who want to help you not just take money from you." Dr. Weller replied wisely.

"What is your recommendation for what I should do next?" Hannah asked.

"Honestly; sleep on it. You have a lot to process and then call me in the next couple of days and we can go from there. This will not be an easy process. You will definitely feel worse before you get better. And unfortunately, I don't know how much worse you'll feel or for how long. Just take things a day at a time." Dr. Weller smiled her warmest smile then. She felt incredibly sorry for Hannah. It was not an easy diagnosis to receive. She just hoped that Hannah wouldn't become a 20 year bedridden statistic. She had so much to live for at such a young age.

    Chris and Hannah then thanked Dr. Weller for her help and straightforwardness. They left the office shell shocked and didn't speak the whole way back home. They didn't have any idea on what to do next. They pulled up into the drive way and got out just as Scarlett was trying to get her kids inside for dinner. She waved and smiled at Chris and Hannah. Chris had the wherewithal to nod and wave back as Hannah just limply lifted her hand in Scarlett's direction without even looking at her and hurried into the house with Chris behind her. It was getting dark and dinner had to be made; though neither Hannah nor Chris were hungry.

    Scarlett hid a smile as she walked into her own house. Trouble in paradise? She had had her eye on Chris ever since he and Hannah first bought the house next door. She thought of Hannah as no more than a waif and easily disposable. Scarlett Johnson was the type of woman that would always get the man she wanted; married or not. That is how she ended up living in a nice house though with three children from three different husbands; two boys and a darling little girl. Whatever she lacked in morals she made up for being a good mother to her children.

    Scarlett Julia Johnson was originally born in Pensacola, Florida but moved to Texas with her first husband when he got transferred for his job. She quickly understood that she wasn't the working type and he made enough to support them both. After his constant being away from home got the better of her, she started going to bars and meeting men there. It didn't take her long to start sleeping around; she was the master at seducing men. They became addicted to her body, her speech, the way she carried herself, and the way she made them feel in the bedroom. Besides, who didn't love a blue eyed blonde? She wasn't just some housewife, some novice in this game, she learned a long time ago that in order to get what you want; nothing and no one could or should stand in your way.

    Her first husband caught on to her cheating and threatened her with a divorce but she panicked, not wanting to lose her lifestyle and promised she would never cheat again and a short time later became pregnant with her first child. After having the DNA tested to make sure the child was his, her first husband retracted the divorce proceedings. The good times didn't last long as Scarlett returned to her old ways and met the man who would become her second husband. Ironically, he lived with his then wife on the same street and the same house Scarlett lived in now. He was loaded with money but was frugal and therefore, they didn't live in a bigger house just a few minutes away in a more upscale neighborhood.

    It didn't take a long time for Scarlett to have the man 15 years her senior wrapped around her finger. Her first husband had divorced her as soon as he found out about the affair, this time for good. As soon as the divorce was finalized, the 2nd man's wife left him as well which was sad as they had been married for 20 years and here came this "money sucking tramp" as his ex-wife called her, who gave him more excitement then he had ever experienced in his entire sexual life. He thought he won the lottery when he married her and Scarlett was faithful up until he changed his living will to include her and the stipend if they ever got divorced, that the house would be all hers. She even gave him a son which made the man cry with joy, meanwhile Scarlett wasn't planning to stay faithful or forever with "some old fart".

    She was already looking around for younger flesh and found it in husband number three who had worked under her current husband. He was a cautious man and knew she was married to his former boss but she would constantly play the victim saying how he was impotent and they were barely able to have a child. Between the fake crocodile tears and the lies about her husband's impotence and other short comings, this younger man also fell under the spell of temptress Scarlett Johnson. Third time was not the charm but it did produce a little girl and her second husband divorced her upon those circumstances alone. She wed her third husband before the ink was dry on the divorce papers. That union didn't last more than 1.5 years as Scarlett went back to her old tricks and this man finally got the nerve to walk out.

    That is how Scarlett Johnson had been living her life and now she was more than willing to be "celibate" if it would win her the prize of Chris Peters from next door. Something about him was different than any of the other men she had been married to or slept with. She thought that perhaps, just perhaps, he might be what she was craving but she could see he wasn't ready to let go of his precious Hannah yet. She would have to be as patient and as friendly as a saint with the mentality of a shark. She was the predator and Chris was her prey. After all, patience was virtue and he was going to need his ego stroked when the time was right. She knew enough about men to know all about when and how to do that properly. She smiled to herself as she and the children ate their dinner.

    Meanwhile, next door at the Peters' home, both Hannah and Chris pushed their food around their plates. Chris grabbed a beer from the fridge and just about downed the whole thing as Hannah couldn't take it anymore and got up from the table and left the dining room for the master bedroom. She lay on the bed with her clothes on curled into a ball. Chris came in a few minutes later and lay down next to her. He put his arms around her and she turned and lay snuggled against his chest. He stroked her hair and said:

"Don't worry honey. We'll get through this. We'll figure it out." Hannah wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince her or himself more.

"But how?" She whispered to him. He sighed and answered honestly:

"I don't know."

They had entered uncharted territory from which there was no escape.