She brought her coffee to the area by the window shutters that opened up into the indoor gardens her room overlooked, then pulled a chair to sit on it  She pulled her knees up, gazing out into the garden, and rested her coffee on her knees, thinking about her emergency visit to a hospital in Singapore about 5 months ago.

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Singapore, late January

The kindly doctor called out from outside the dressing area, “May I come in?”

Bette buttoned up the last of the buttons of her blouse, then answered, “Sure.”

He drew the curtains aside, then pulled a chair up to sit across from Bette, who sat on the edge of the bed.

When she’d called Arvind from her hotel, to ask if he knew about any doctors he’d recommend for her to consult in Singapore, he said he didn’t, not heart specialists, at least, so he’d called friends in Singapore, and found Dr. Lee.

Bette found out that after a few calls that Dr Lee was on call in a hospital near the city center, so she’d taken a cab to the hospital, and asked to see him.  Arvind’s friend had called ahead, so he was waiting for her.

They’d run a few tests, and he was now about to talk to Bette about the results.

He started with an encouraging tone, “You’re in excellent health, Bette, one can see that, but the diagnosis that you told me about, was right.” He showed her an MRI, and explained that the irregular heart beat was likely due to a congenital issue.  “In most children, this problem resolves itself as they grow.  But in some cases, the problem isn’t completely resolved, and manifests later, right around 30 years of age or thereabouts.”

Bette smiled, and responded, with an ironic tone, “Wait… are you telling me I literally have a hole in my heart?”  She shook her head and looked up at the ceiling.

He tilted his head, sensing there was more to her question than just the condition in her heart. Gently, he said, “Yes, but manageable.”  He proceeded to give her advice on precautions, and other options she could consider.  He put all the materials in an envelope, and told her everything he’d said, as well as the various tests, were in a compact disc inside the envelope.  Bette stayed quiet.