What had changed? What had happened to the Gretchen who’d spend weekends away with the love of her life at the drop of a dime? They were always on the go, always looking for an adventure of some sort. At their most stir-crazy they’d leave the house in search of the best slice of pizza in a twenty-mile radius. Anything to feel alive together.

The startling silence of the machine stopping scattered Gretchen’s thoughts. She let out a long breath in relief. She could move, really move, finally. She watched as the ceiling became visible inch by inch.

“Okay, hon, let me take this off,” the older tech said as she pulled the cage-like apparatus from around Gretchen’s head. Gretchen’s chest felt instantly lighter with less anxiety. “Do you need help sitting up?”

“No.” Gretchen practically shot to a seated position. Her head spun slightly from the sudden move. “The results will be sent to Dr. Melendez, right?”

“Immediately. As per her request.”

“Thank you.” She left the small room. She changed back into her sweater and replaced all her jewelry. For a split second she worried she had lost her wedding ring, and then remembered she wasn’t wearing it anymore. When she got back out to the waiting room, she couldn’t help but smile at Jax, who was watching The Price Is Right intently. She didn’t notice Gretchen approach. “Do you want to stay and see who wins the Showcase Showdown?”

“Hey!” Jax stood. “How did it go?”

“I was stuffed into a narrow tube and wore a cage around my head. I’m glad I was unconscious for everything else.”

Jax shuddered. “At least it’s over.”

“Now we go to Dr. Melendez’s office and find out my fate.”

Jax twirled her keys around her middle finger and ushered Gretchen to her truck. Ocean County Neurological Center was only fifteen minutes from the imaging building, and Jax spent the time on a call with her office.

Gretchen barely listened to the conversation, even with both sides being too loud for her liking. Hands-free communication was great, but unfortunate for a passenger stuck in the car. She watched Jax’s face instead, and the clear dislike written in her ever-changing expression.

“Fine. I’ll make the changes first thing when I get to the office tomorrow. Bye.” Jax disconnected the call and then gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white.

“You hate your job.”

Jax looked at her quizzically before turning back to the road. “Yeah. Very much so.”

“Why don’t you quit?” She couldn’t understand why Jax would suffer like that, day in and day out, for a job. She was the most passionate person Gretchen knew, and none of that was reflected during her conversation.