Her brain kept insisting that either her perfectly healthy arms had to go or it would instead. A young woman shares her dark secret with the only person she knows who might understand, and, bypassing the legitimate medical community, finally gets what she needs to be truly happy.
Warning: Some people may find this story to be disturbing, and so it is intended for mature audiences only. If you are 18+, read at your own discretion. This is a fictional account of a young woman with a condition called body integrity dysphoria (BID), which is very real. People who have BID typically have an overwhelming, irrational need to be physically disabled in some specific way, a desire which began in childhood and has only become more intense over time. The desired disability is frequently, but not always, the amputation of one or more limbs.
Becoming Venus, Part 3 consists of the following chapters:
Chapter 6 – Making a Case
Once he got Savannah settled in with being cuffed, Adam immediately wrote down everything she had said as best as he could recall. Later, he did some more extensive research on BID, making sure to limit his sources to legitimate medical and psychological experts and organizations. He then used these to make a case for Savannah having BID, for the Farris family having triggered it, and for it being their moral obligation to pay for the amputation of both of her arms. He then arranged a time where he, Jazmyn, and their parents (father Cody, birth mother Bryana, and biological aunt and adopted mother Alyssa) could all be present. Adam then presented his case, which was fairly compelling, to his parents.
Jazmyn added her thoughts on the matter, which Adam had hoped she’d do. “I’m familiar with BID from my days of running the amputee charity. I understand how tormenting it must be to have this condition and I know there’s no cure or relief for it. I’ve spoken to Savannah about her situation on a few occasions recently, and I concur with Adam’s assessment that she has BID and that we as a family were at least partially responsible for that, inadvertent as it may have been. I support Adam’s request that we pay for her surgery.
“I’ll also take it a step further and say that we should welcome her into our family as one of our own, and help her with her recovery and her ongoing care as if she were a full-fledged family member. Her own family won’t be able to comprehend any of this, and I can’t imagine they’ll support her in any way. In fact, they could very well disown her, try to have her committed to a mental institution, or do any number of other unhelpful things. She needs us to be her new family.”
Cody responded first. “If we were to do that, and right now it’s a very big ‘if’, I would insist that we not rush into it and make a terrible mistake that can never be undone. I would want some rock-solid assurances that Savannah really does have BID, that it really is tormenting her, that there’s nothing short of surgery that will give her relief, and that she’s prepared to live with the consequences for the rest of her life.
“I don’t think any of that is unreasonable under the circumstances. Besides being sure of this for her sake, we’d be protecting ourselves in the event that she or her family were to sue us and say that we coerced her or unduly pressured her to have her arms amputated. We should probably also discuss this with a lawyer and see if there are any other concerns we should have or precautions we should take.”
“I totally get why you’d want her to do all that, Dad. Thanks for not dismissing this out of hand,” Adam said in response. “That’s a lot of hoops to have to jump through, though. I just have one question. Did you make Aunt Bryana do all of that before she had her limbs removed? Did anyone make her do any of that?”
Cody opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. He closed it, thought for a second, opened it again, and still no sound came out. Again, he closed it and thought. Then, finally, he replied. “No, no one made her do any of that. However, there were a couple of big differences. First, she used her own money to pay for it. Second, we had the blessing and support of her parents and sister. No one was going to sue anyone or file charges against anyone.”
“Adam does have a point, though, Cody,” observed Bryana. Four of us – Savannah herself, Adam, Jazmyn, and I – are convinced that she does have BID, and we’re certainly more qualified that the average person to make that assessment. She’s told us the rest herself. How much more proof do you need?”
“Besides, Dad, she’s a competent adult,” Adam pointed out. “Her parents have no legal standing to sue anyone for something that happens to their daughter.”
“I get what you’re saying,” replied Cody. “Maybe I am being too cautious about this. Still, though, I think we’d be reckless if we didn’t have her at least get a professional psychological diagnosis in writing, and consult with a lawyer, before considering this any further.”
Adam reported back to Savannah what his father had said, and she was overjoyed to learn that he hadn’t dismissed the idea of paying for her surgery, nor had he placed any unreasonable burdens on her in order to get his approval. She started looking for a psychologist who could give her a professional diagnosis.
Cody contacted his lawyer and explained the situation. The lawyer agreed that the psychological evaluation had to be a prerequisite to taking any further action. He also strongly advised him to require Savannah to sign a waiver releasing the Farris family from any liability resulting from the limb removal surgery or anything related, such as the travel to and from the place where it would be done. The lawyer was willing to draft that document once the psych evaluation was done and he was provided with a copy, and the arrangements for the surgery had been made, so that he could include specific details in the waiver.
It took Savannah a few months before she could get in to see a psychologist as a new patient. At the initial consultation, she explained her story to a Dr. Giovanni, including the amateur diagnosis of BID that Jazmyn had given her. Dr. Giovanni admitted a lack of familiarity with BID, so Savannah told him what she knew about it, and compared it to gender dysphoria, which he did have experience with. She didn’t hold it against him that he didn’t know about it since she knew BID was a rather rare condition, and she told him that. They made a subsequent appointment for a more in-depth interview, and Dr. Giovanni promised to get up to speed on BID and the various related conditions.
It was apparent at the next appointment that Dr. Giovanni had done his homework. He knew the terminology and asked lots of relevant and thought-provoking questions. Savannah answered them as completely and honestly as she could. They spent a lot of time talking about Mrs. Farris and Savannah’s interactions with her over the years. They had two more sessions after that where he asked follow-up questions and revisited topics in which he wanted to go more in-depth.
Several weeks after that, he gave her a rather lengthy report that included lots of background information about BID and related conditions, an extensive history of her case from childhood to the present day, a comparison of her symptoms with those associated with BID, followed by his professional opinion that she unequivocally suffered from BID.
The doctor emphasized that BID was a neurological (physical) disorder of the brain, not a psychological disorder. A definitive diagnosis would require a brain scan performed by a neurologist. While he was not qualified to make such a diagnosis, BID presented itself with some very specific thought patterns and behaviors, which he was qualified to assess.
He acknowledged that BID was rare and there were relatively few case studies to draw from. He stated that even among BID cases, Savannah’s specific case was fairly unusual for several reasons, one being that she was female, while most documented BID patients were male. A second was her lack of any comorbidity, meaning that she had no additional mental or psychological issues. A significant number of BID patients also had gender dysphoria or OCD or were on the autism spectrum or had some other similar disorder.
A third atypical characteristic was her desire to have both arms removed; he could not find another case involving those specific limbs. Most BID patients seeking amputation wanted a single leg removed, a smaller number wanted either both legs or a single arm taken, or various other body parts removed or made non-functional.
But he emphasized that Savannah being female, having no comorbidities, and wanting both arms removed in no way detracted from his diagnosis of BID. He acknowledged that Savannah’s repeated childhood interactions with a woman missing all of her limbs was likely the reason she had developed her interest in having these specific limbs removed.
The doctor then discussed various potential treatments and rejected them all, saying each one was ‘contra-indicated’. Savannah had to look that word up; it meant he advised against pursuing that treatment. He said that because her thoughts and behaviors were due to an underlying physical abnormality in the brain, and not a psychological disorder, most of the possible treatments would be ineffective, and some of them would actually worsen her condition or be harmful in other ways. There was no known treatment that would address the physical problem directly.
Then he discussed one last possible treatment – the amputation of both of her arms. He recognized that such a treatment was extreme and highly controversial and would be rejected by most of the medical community as unethical. However, he made a strong case for it being the only treatment that would produce the desired outcome, relief from the ongoing psychological distress that she had endured for so long. He reported case after case where patients with BID had obtained their desired disability one way or another, and despite the resulting physical and social challenges, were much happier dealing with those than with their previous, physically intact condition.
The doctor fell short of actually recommending amputation; he said he could not in good conscience make that recommendation, but nevertheless, by all indications, it was the only treatment known to reliably produce the desired effect of eliminating the symptoms of BID.
Savannah laughed and cried simultaneously as she read the part about amputation. She laughed because the doctor had all but recommended what she’d so badly wanted all along. Because she felt vindicated for wanting something so abhorrent and gruesome. Because she now had what she needed to proceed with making it happen. She cried from the sheer emotion of it all, and because the only life she’d ever known – one with full use of her arms and hands – would likely soon be only a memory.
Cody and Bryana called an all-family meeting. They didn’t have these very often, but when they did, their twelve children knew something important was going on that would require all hands on deck – everyone available to help with a problem too big for whoever was experiencing it. The last time they’d had one of these was when Jazmyn was expecting her sextuplets.
All twelve were present along with many of their spouses. Also present was Savannah. Some of the family members gave her strange looks, wondering why she was attending a private family meeting to discuss a family matter.
Cody addressed the assembled family. “I think most of you know the quadruplets’ friend Savannah Ewing. You may or may not know that she and Adam are now in a serious relationship and are living together. You don’t know the rest of what I’m going to say.
“Your moms and I have decided to officially adopt Savannah into our family – not legally, of course, but officially as far as all of us are concerned. With that come all of the rights and responsibilities of being a Farris. Savannah needs our help in a big way, and we’re going to step up and see that she gets it. ‘We’, meaning all of us, of course, as we’re able.”
Cody then explained Savannah’s BID diagnosis and the likely trigger for her to have it. He explained the psychologist’s almost-recommendation that having her arms removed was the only solution. He explained how her own family didn’t know about any of this and would never be able to understand.
“Savannah desperately wants to do this, and we’re going to see that she gets it. That includes paying for it, as we bear some responsibility for what happened to her. It’ll come out of family money, and therefore ultimately out of each of your inheritances, not from Adam’s $250,000 windfall that each of the quads will be receiving soon. Divided twelve ways, that won’t be a big hit for any of you.
“She’s going to fly to Thailand to get the surgery, and she’ll need some of us to accompany her. When she gets home, she’ll need help pretty much 24/7, at least at first. When Adam is working or is otherwise unavailable, that means she’ll need our help.
“I’m planning to personally accompany Savannah to Thailand, since I’ve done this before with your Aunt Bryana and I know the lay of the land. She’ll also need an able-bodied woman to go to Thailand with her, who can, among other things, help her in the bathroom after she has her surgery and on the trip home. I’m hoping one of you can find a way to get freed up to make that trip with us. It’ll likely be two-and-a-half to three weeks long, but all expenses will be paid out of family money.”
“Two questions,” said Brock. “One, if Savannah is now adopted into our family, will she also get $250K and will our inheritance now be divided 13 ways instead of 12? Two, why isn’t Adam going with her to Thailand, since she’s his girlfriend?”
Cody replied, “No, we have no plans to give Savannah a windfall or an inheritance. She’s joining the family in the same way that each of your spouses are now members of the family, even though she and Adam aren’t married. It’s possible that could change if the situation warrants, however. I’ll let Adam answer the second question.”
Adam then said, “As you can imagine, surgeries of this type are illegal practically everywhere in the world. As a law enforcement officer, I can’t be perceived as being involved with any illegal activity, even in another country. It could end my career.”
Cara then spoke up. “I should be the one to go to Thailand, since I’m a nurse and Savannah is my best friend. Besides, it’ll give me plenty of opportunity to give her grief for never telling me any of this before. I’ll have to see if I can get a leave of absence or something.”
“Wouldn’t being involved in an illegal surgery be an ethical problem for you in your career, too?” asked Brock.
“I’m not worried about it,” replied Cara. “It’s not like I’m going to be scrubbed in and participating in the surgery. The standards are different in medicine than in law enforcement, and if it ever came up, I could make a strong defense based on Savannah’s psych eval.”
“Well, it sounds like it’s all set, assuming Cara can get off work,” said Cody. The rest of you will get your chance to step up once Savannah returns home.”
Chapter 7 – Preparations
Since Cody had the connections with the surgeon in Thailand and had done this before, he became the de facto coordinator for the entire trip. They’d have to work around not only the surgeon’s availability, but also when he and Cara could arrange extended time off from their respective jobs. They also needed to work around the worst of the rainy season, when monsoons were most likely and travel in Thailand could be difficult or impossible.
It was currently March, but the surgeon was booked six months out, so it looked like they’d have to wait until September, at least. But September and October were the two months they most wanted to avoid – the height of monsoon season. They’d have to wait until November. They went ahead and booked the surgery for mid-November, which would get them home at the end of that month or in early December. Being so close to achieving her goal, Savannah agonized at the prospects of having to wait that long.
Then, in April, the surgeon’s office contacted them and said they had a cancellation just a few weeks away in May, and the slot was theirs if they wanted it. Cody, Cara, and Savannah all scrambled to see if they could make that work. Despite the short notice, Cara’s employer was happier to give her extended time off in May than in late November, when lots of people would want off to travel for Thanksgiving. Cody was flexible, as he owned his business and was semi-retired anyway. The hotel had a cancellation for the same time from the same people. Getting their airline reservations changed would be more problematic.
However, with some flexibility on their part, they were able to work things out with the airline. They’d have to leave home and arrive in Bangkok a day earlier than they wanted, and take a more convoluted route, but in the grand scheme of things that wasn’t a big deal. The return trip was far enough out that they could get what they wanted.
Once Savannah learned that the trip to Thailand and the surgery were both definitely on in just a few weeks, something very welcome but unexpected happened: She stopped being distraught and crying about still having arms. This wasn’t because she was having second thoughts about getting them removed, but rather because there was now a definite plan, and a date, when they would in fact be gone.
The first night, she fell asleep before she realized she hadn’t cried, but when she woke up, she immediately realized she hadn’t done so the previous night, nor did she feel like doing so then. “Adam!” she said excitedly. “I’m not crying, and I didn’t cry last night, either! I can’t remember the last time that happened! Do you know what that means? I guess deep down, I know this is really all going to be over soon. I’m so excited!”
Adam tried to sound excited, too, but she’d just woken him from a sound sleep. “That’s great, babe… I’m excited for you,” he said.
Fortunately, Savannah realized what had happened and didn’t hold it against him. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I was so excited, I forgot that you’re working second shift this quarter and went to bed late. Go back to sleep.”
Suddenly there was a lot to do and little time to do it. Savannah needed to resign from her teaching and coaching positions, and she knew that it wouldn’t go over well that her last day would be several weeks before the end of the school year. At least she’d be able to coach the last soccer game of the regular season, and though they were close, there was actually little chance that they’d make it into the playoffs this year.
She needed to sell her car and pay off the loan, as she couldn’t imagine driving again for the foreseeable future. She needed to make sure all her bills would be auto-paid while she was away. She needed to figure out what she would need, or want, to take with her on the trip, and what clothes to bring.
She didn’t know if she’d want sleeveless or sleeved tops while her shoulders were bandaged and tender. She probably needed to bring both so she could be flexible. She knew she’d want only shoes and sandals she could slip on and off without using her hands.
Savannah realized her remaining time to be able to hug Adam, to hold hands with him, to caress his face, etc., was drawing very short, and she made use of every opportunity to do these things with him and for him. Whenever they were together, she couldn’t keep her hands off of him.
Adam noticed this and brought it up. “You’ve been really clingy lately, ever since you found out the trip was moved up. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s wonderful!” she replied. “I just know I’m really going to miss you, being away so long. I really wish you could be there with me. But mostly, I’m trying to get in a lifetime’s worth of hugs and handholding with you in only a few weeks. That’s one thing I’m really going to miss.”
“I’ll miss it, too, I’ll admit. I’m just going to have to hug you twice as tight, and I’ll hold your foot anytime you want,” Adam said in response. Savannah smiled at the sentiment.
Then he said, “Changing the subject, how much do you know about Roman and Greek mythology?”
Neither of them had studied mythology in school. “Almost nothing,” she admitted. “That’s a completely random question. Why do you ask?”
“I did a search on Venus de Milo, just out of idle curiosity. I was intrigued by what I learned, and not just about the statue’s missing arms. I think you’d be, too. You’re a lot more like Venus than you realize,” he said with a smile.
“The Romans and Greeks had corresponding gods and goddesses but they went by different names. Venus is the name of the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The Greek name for their goddess of love and beauty was Aphrodite. She’s where we get the English word ‘aphrodisiac’ from. So, you can surmise Aphrodite and Venus were goddesses of sex and erotic love, not something lame like brotherly love.
“The statue was found by a farmer in the 1820s, buried in a field on a Greek island called Milos. They knew it had to be of Aphrodite and not some other goddess, because only Aphrodite was ever depicted topless. It was quickly bought by a Frenchman who gave it as a gift to the King of France, who then displayed it in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it still is today. I suppose because the French language is based on Latin, the language of the ancient Romans, they called the statue Venus rather than Aphrodite.
“Where I was going with all of this is that you’re already my goddess of love and beauty, but you’re soon going to look even more like one, too. Just wanted to put that out there.” Adam smiled broadly, and got a big smile back.
“Well, thanks,” Savannah replied, blushing. “Flattery will get you everywhere, you silver-tongued charmer, you! No, I didn’t know any of that. I just thought Venus was the name of the woman who modeled for the sculptor, you know, like Venus Williams the tennis star. I figured she was named after the planet. The armless goddess of love and beauty, huh?” She smiled again at the thought of soon fully earning that title, and even more that that’s what Adam thought of her. Sex was especially good for both of them that night.
There was also something Adam felt that he needed to do before Savannah left. He needed to propose marriage to her. He realized he was off the hook for buying an engagement ring, since she’d soon have no fingers on which to wear it. But he needed her to know, before she was on the operating table, that he was completely committed to her from here on out.
So a couple of evenings before she was to leave, on his day off, Adam took her out to dinner at a much fancier restaurant that they usually frequented. When she asked what the occasion was, he simply said he wanted to celebrate her upcoming amputations and relief from BID with her, which she accepted at face value.
He decided he didn’t want to make a public spectacle of his proposal; he wanted it to be a private thing just between the two of them. So when they returned home, as she started to head for the bedroom to change out of her dressy clothes, he said to her, “Babe, before you change, would you come sit down for a minute? I need to talk to you.” She sat on the living room sofa and looked at him expectantly.
Adam sat down next to her, held both of her hands in both of his, and looked her in the eye. “Before you leave for Thailand, there’s something I need to tell you. I need for you to know that I am 100% committed to caring for you for the rest of your life, in whatever way that needs to be. I need for you to not just remember that I said that; I need you to know it with every fiber of your being.
“That being the case…” he said as he moved from being seated next to her to kneeling in front of her, all while never letting go of her hands. Of course, Savannah now realized exactly what was about to happen.
But she said to him, “Wait!” Adam was caught completely by surprise by that response, and his face showed his confusion and profound shock at the expectation that she was about to reject him before he could even ask.
But she was sending mixed signals – she had a huge smile on her face. Then she explained. “Before you say what you’re about to say, I have a small request. You’re holding my hands, and in a few days, they’ll be gone forever. I don’t want to ever forget what it feels like, you holding me as you do this, and I’m afraid that someday I will. So would you please hold my feet instead?” She let go of his hands and reached down and slipped off her shoes.
The look of relief was immediately evident on Adam’s face. “Do you want to remove your stockings, too, so you can feel it better?” he asked without looking down at her feet.
“It doesn’t matter,” she replied. “I’m wearing open-toe stockings. I bought some recently; I thought they might come in handy once I have to use my feet for everything, and I thought I’d try them out tonight. You can take them off if you want to, or just pull them back a little, or you can just hold my toes.”
Adam looked down and saw that there was a loop between her first and second toes that kept them from riding up. He’d have to first pull the stockings down a couple of inches to clear her toes before he could pull them back any. “I’ll take them all the way off, if that’s okay,” he said.
He held her feet with both of his hands, resumed looking her in the eye, and asked, “Savannah Ewing, will you be my forever wife?”
Tears of joy were running down her cheeks as she replied, “If you can believe it, I want to be your wife as much as I want to be armless. Yes!” Adam awkwardly held on to her feet as he tried to also kiss her. Savannah leaned forward so he could do so.
When they finished kissing, he said to her, “I didn’t buy you a ring. It seemed rather pointless. I hope that’s okay. If you want one, or if there’s something else you’d like instead, I’ll be happy to get it for you.”
“That’s okay,” she said, laughing. “I don’t need anything; just you. Save your money.”
Two mornings later, Adam drove Savannah, his sister Cara, and his father Cody to the airport. It was an emotional goodbye as Savannah hugged Adam for the very last time ever.
Chapter 8 – Cropped
Savannah, Cody, and Cara arrived at the same medical clinic and surgical center in the same small town in Thailand where Bryana had had her limbs removed well over 30 years prior. The surgeon who owned the facility and who’d performed Bryana’s amputations, a Filipino named Dr. Enriquez, was retired now. In his place now was his son. By all accounts, the son handled illegal surgeries the same way his father had, and was at least as competent of a surgeon as his father, if not more so.
When they met with the younger Dr. Enriquez, Cody mentioned that he’d been there decades earlier when his wife had all four of her limbs removed. “I was just a child then,” the doctor admitted, “but I think I remember that. Your wife might’ve been the only quadruple amputation we’ve ever done here.” The two men then discussed how Bryana had fared since the surgery. “I’m glad to hear she didn’t regret such an extreme modification and that she’s doing well. We usually never hear back from our patients, so we never really know if we helped or hurt in the long run,” he said.
“So our current patient is your daughter?” the surgeon asked Cody.
“No, Savannah is my son’s fiancée.”
Dr. Enriquez seemed surprised at that. “Savannah, why do you want to have your arms removed?” he asked her.
“I have BID – body integrity dysphoria. My brain keeps insisting that I should’ve been born without them, and I that need them gone! I’m so tired of fighting this.”
“Say no more,” he replied. “I understand completely. By this time tomorrow, you’ll be a new woman, and BID will forever be in your rear view window.”
“I can’t wait!” Savannah replied with a big smile.
Savannah slowly came to as her anesthesia wore off. She was disoriented and confused. She was supposed to get her arms removed, but she could still feel them. She could still wiggle her fingers. Had they not started the surgery yet, or did something go wrong? She was aware that Cara and Mr. Farris were at her bedside. She tried to ask them, but she couldn’t get her mouth to make any intelligible words.
Cara was talking to her but she couldn’t make out what she was saying. But she was smiling, so that was a good sign, at least. Gradually, though, she began to catch a word here and there as Cara continued to speak. “… sleepyhead … Dr. Enriquez … lie still … anesthesia … surgery … “ It wasn’t enough that she could tell whether they’d finished or were just getting started; whether the surgery was a success or whether there was a problem.
Finally, Savannah was able organize her thoughts well enough to surmise that if she were waking up and could feel her fingers, they had to call off the surgery for some reason. It took a few tries, but she was able to ask, “Why didn’t they do it?”
“Your amputations?” Cara asked. “They did do them, Savannah. Your arms are gone now.” Savannah actually processed and understood all of that.
“I can still feel them,” she replied.
“That’s just your nerves thinking that they’re still there, but trust me; they’re not,” Cara explained. “Here, let me show you.” Cara pulled out her smartphone, turned the camera on in selfie mode, and held the screen up so that Savannah could see herself. “See, your shoulders are all bandaged up and there’s nothing hanging from them.”
Savannah began to cry. “Why are you crying?” Cara asked, clearly concerned. “This was what you so badly wanted for all those years. I hope you’re not having second thoughts now, because it’s too late for that.”
Cody had a better idea of what was going on, and inserted himself into the conversation. “Savannah, are you crying because you’re sad?” he asked. She shook her head ‘no’. “Are you crying because you’re happy?” he then asked, and Savannah nodded her head emphatically.
“They’re really gone,” Savannah said as she smiled through her tears. “Good riddance. I couldn’t be happier.” She paused, just savoring the moment. Then she said, “I need to send a picture to Adam.”
“I’m way ahead of you, Savannah,” replied Cara. “I sent him one before you woke up. But how about if I take another one, now that you’re awake.”
“Yes, please,” Savannah agreed.
Cara held her phone up to take the pic. Then she frowned and put it back down again. “That blank expression won’t do at all,” she said to Savannah, “especially since it’s obvious you’ve been crying. If you’re really happy your arms are gone, tell your face.” Savannah immediately complied, and Cara held the phone back up and got a good one. She showed it to Savannah and said to her, “I’m going to send this to him with the caption ‘Happy tears’ so there’s no confusion.”
On Mothers’ Day evening, Adam was sitting in a parking lot in his patrol car, doing paperwork in between calls. His personal phone rang, and he saw the caller ID was Savannah’s father. This can’t be good, he thought to himself, but he took the call anyway.
Adam: Hey, Mr. Ewing. I’m on duty right now, but what’s up?
Mr. Ewing: Adam, Mrs. Ewing and I just got off the phone with Savannah, and it was very strange. She was very evasive about where she was and what she was doing there. We finally got her to say she was away on a trip, but it was like pulling teeth to even get that out of her. About a week ago she told us she had a conflict and wouldn’t be able to see us today, but she didn’t say anything about going anywhere, and we didn’t think anything of it. Now she has us worried. Do you know where she is and what’s going on?
Adam: Yeah… I do.
Mr. Ewing: Would you mind filling us in, then?
Adam: Mr. Ewing, I wish I could, but I would be betraying her confidence. She doesn’t want you to know yet. I know she’ll explain it all to you after she returns.
Mr. Ewing: All she would say was that she’s doing something she’s wanted to do for a very long time. The thing is, we don’t know of anything she’s wanted to do like that.
Adam:
Mr. Ewing: Do you know when she’ll be back? She was pretty vague about that, too.
Adam: She has a reservation for a return flight that would get her in a week from Friday. But that’s tentative; it’s possible she’ll need to stay longer.
Mr. Ewing: How long has she been gone?
Adam: She left last Monday.
Mr. Ewing: And she’s kept in touch with you?
Adam: We’ve Facetimed every day since she left.
Mr. Ewing: Well, I don’t like all this secrecy. She’s never kept secrets from us before.
Adam: Actually, that’s not true. You just said yourself that you didn’t know of anything she’s always wanted to do. She’s kept this from you for many years. I wish it didn’t have to be this way; I really do.
Adam wanted to get that point in; he wanted them to understand that she wasn’t doing this impulsively, even though they didn’t know what ‘this’ was yet. Suddenly, his police radio crackled to life.
Adam: I’ve got a call; I’ve got to go. Bye.
Mr. Ewing: Be safe, Adam.
After talking to Adam, the Ewings were even more baffled, and concerned, about what Savannah was up to. Whatever it was, with all the secrecy, it was likely that they wouldn’t approve. Why would she need to be away for two and a half weeks, possibly longer? How did she manage to get that much time off work when school was still in session, anyway?
The next morning, Mr. Ewing called the school where Savannah worked and asked to speak to the principal, her boss. He explained that he was trying to track down his daughter and wanted to know if she’d told them where she was going or when she’d be back. The principal replied, “Mr. Ewing, Savannah doesn’t work here anymore. She resigned, and her last day was over a week ago. She wouldn’t say what her plans were, or even why she was quitting, other than it was for personal reasons. All she would say was that she was beginning a new chapter of her life. I’m sorry I don’t know any more. I hope she’s okay.”
The more the Ewings learned about Savannah, the more worried they became. Why would she have quit her teaching job a month before the school year ended? What did she mean by ‘beginning a new chapter’? And how did Adam fit into this? The couple apparently hadn’t broken up, and so they thought it strange that she’d be doing whatever she was doing without him if she were indeed ‘beginning a new chapter’. But Adam seemed to know what was going on and didn’t act at all concerned about it.
They tried to calm down and stop worrying. The fact that Adam wasn’t concerned, and that she was staying in touch with him, and them for that matter, were good signs. Maybe she quit her job because they wouldn’t give her the time off she needed. Maybe she was on an exotic vacation with friends, and either Adam didn’t want to go or couldn’t get the time off from his own job. Maybe she was somewhere training for a new career. They realized all they could do was wait… and pray.
Meanwhile, Adam had texted Savannah to keep her in the loop about her parents. Of course, she couldn’t physically text back, but either his father or sister could type her responses for her. He told her that he hoped she had a plan for what, how, and when she was going to tell her parents about her amputations once she got back. She replied that she didn’t yet, but she was working on it.
Savannah recovered enough that she no longer needed IVs for pain or anything else and was discharged from the surgical center. She wouldn’t be cleared to travel for a while yet, so she, Cara, and Mr. Farris camped out in the town’s best hotel as she continued to heal. She and Cara shared a room and Mr. Farris had the adjoining room.
Savannah had to swallow her pride and forfeit her dignity now that she was unable to dress or undress, use the toilet, or bathe without Cara’s help. But Cara, being a nurse, had dealt with far worse, and she put Savannah at ease as she did what was needed in a way that was both personal and professional. Savannah couldn’t think of anyone besides Adam that she’d rather have taking care of her in this way.
After a couple of days, Savannah felt well enough to start getting out of the hotel room and walking around, and began going to restaurants for her meals, always accompanied by Cara and Mr. Farris, of course. They’d take turns feeding her while the other ate. She wore short-sleeved tops when in public in order to be as discreet as she could. The local people mostly ignored her, but some gave her knowing looks, especially the staff in the hotel and in the restaurants they’d been to prior to the surgery. Some of the town citizens were aware of the illegal surgeries Dr. Enriquez performed on occasion, but they said nothing because these crazy, rich westerners supported their local economy and subsidized the cost of their own medical care.