Ms. Zephyr's Notebook by KC Dyer

Family Medicine
Office: 101-45l6-7890
November 15
To: Ms. Abigail Zephyr
Evergreen Hospital Education
Department Head
Re: Recommendation regarding course methodology for patient
Regarding your question about Kip Graeme’s schoolwork, I must say I am in hearty agreement about allowing him to use his laptop computer in the hospital. As I mentioned to you on the telephone yesterday, his blood tests indicate that his renal function is rapidly deteriorating and I have a very real concern that he may reach a crisis point in the next short while if the response to meds does not improve. Any action we can take with his school work to redirect his attention from the additional daily blood testing will be a welcome distraction, I am sure.
Rob Valens, MD.
    November 15
    Logan K.
    Noonish
    Hey Abs,
    Finally broke down and talked to the new kid with the kidney problem. Friendly little guy, but a bit of a pest. I hadn’t known him sixty seconds before he was showing me his scar. I guess when it’s emergency surgery they just slice your whole side open to get that thing out, huh?
    I felt kinda sorry for the kid after that, plus I remembered I hadn’t done my journal entry for today, so I took a few notes. (Hey, you can get back up off the floor, Abbie. I am only joking.)
    Anyways, here’s the scoop for you because we all know — repeat after me, children — a completed journal entry means unrestricted TV, right? Right.
    Me: What’s your name, kid?
    KK: Kip. But around here, people call me the Kidney Kid.
    Me: That’s pretty stupid.
    KK: I was born with only one kidney that didn’t work so well. And I think it’s because my name is Kip. It’s like three Ks, right? Kip the Kidney Kid.
    Me: Oh, God.
    KK: Oh, sorry Logan, are you in pain?
    Me: Uh — it’s okay. When you leave it’ll pass.
    KK: You’re pretty funny, Logan. How tall are you anyway? I guess seven feet. Want to see my scar?
    Me: That’s too many questions, kid. And I’m only six foot one.
    KK: Wow. Six foot one is pretty tall. Do you call Jacqueline “kid” too?
    Me: No. Her I call “Weird.” Because she is. She’s a little like you, kid.
    KK: Uh, thanks.
    Me: And I think I hear her calling you.
    KK: Really? Maybe she wants to play poker.
    Me: Oh yeah, I heard her say that. You’d better go see her right away.
    KK: Okay. Bye, Logan.
    Me: Nice scar, by the way.
    KK: Thanks, dude.
    Me: Don’t call me dude. Get outta here.
    And that’s it, Abbie. Now you know all about the little pest. That I can sic him on the little weirdie is the best part. They’re both irritating so they suit each other. And now… I do believe it’s time for Sports Central on ESPN.
    Logan
    November 18
    Jacqueline H.-M.
    11:00 a.m.
    Dear Ms. Zephyr,
    Feeling much better today. I took the liberty of going back to change my signature from my November 12th journal entry. I must have still been under the effects of the medication after the fainting spell.
    It was Remembrance Day on the 11th but I guess I didn’t notice. In today’s mail I received an interesting letter from my Nona. The two people I miss most in here are my dog Zoë and my Nona.
    The letter was only a week late — not bad for Nona! She sent me a poppy. Not a real poppy — a plastic poppy. Nona was my age when World War II was on. She always says she has a soft spot for a man in uniform. Since you asked us to write our journal entry on the most influential person we know, I am working on the story of my Nona. I should have it completed by this afternoon, even though it is not due until tomorrow. This will be a first where my Nona is concerned. She is just about always late for everything. She says now that she’s retired she’d rather have fun than always be on time.
    And Abbie, I wonder if you could arrange for me to have my watch