The day after Jack was released from the hospital, he called his thesis adviser to arrange a few days off and to schedule a meeting with him for the following week to further discuss his situation. He hadn't been off the call very long when his Annie alerted him to an incoming call from Phylicia Hastings. Phylicia was a fellow grad student in his lab.
"Hi Jack, its Phylicia, I just heard that you won't be coming to work for a while. Is something wrong?"
A first-year doctoral candidate, Phylicia Hastings' specialty was DNA sequencing and gene expression. She was short, quick-witted and had a knack for knowing who to call to solve a problem.
“Doing okay at the moment,” said Jack. “But a couple of days ago I was working late in the lab and suddenly got a bad headache, the next thing I know I'm on the floor. It turned out to be a mini stroke.”
"Oh no! That must have been a terrible ordeal, so unexpected at your age. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No, nothing that I can think of. I'm just supposed to rest. I'll be in next week to speak with Professor Camble about what I need to do to recover.”
"Well please be sure to look me up while you're here. I'll probably be in my office, if not, look in the lab. Will you promise to call if you need anything in the meantime?"
"Alright I'll stop by, and thanks.”
Jack had always found Phylicia helpful and upbeat, but he had never considered her a close friend, so it was a little surprising but somehow comforting to hear from her. He had no one else.
Jack spent the next several days thinking about how he could follow the doctor’s orders while still pursuing his research. He soon settled into his new routine with his Annie providing scheduling and diet support. He reviewed his finances and found that if he was careful, he should have enough savings to last for several months. He hadn't made much as a researcher, but he hadn't spent much either.
In reviewing his past Jack came to realize that he had gotten caught up in the business of doing science. He had become so engrossed in grant proposals, publishing, conference presentations and team building, that the core of science, theory and experimentation, was something he did almost as an aside. All that activity had the appearance of progress but in fact, it was no more than a cycle of busyness. He had gotten caught up in that cycle and he now realized that many of his fellow researchers were also.
If only he had applied some of the engineering discipline he had learned as an undergraduate. He might have more to show for his efforts.
Miri had been right about him always rushing through everything without looking back. 'A roller coaster ride', she called his approach to life, always looking for the next thrill. He had dismissed her concerns as unfounded worry. Hadn't she understood that all the hard work was just a means to an end? To hurry the coming of the day when he could slow down and spend more time with her and little Jack. Now his health had imposed upon him the necessity of slowing down and reviewing his days and planning his tomorrows.
Jack's eyes watered.
Miri, without you and little Jack what do I have to plan for?
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