She kept her face neutral, but I watched her documentation get longer. She was writing more than a standard intake form required.
Then came the questions. When did the symptoms start? Any medications? Any changes in diet or routine?
I mentioned the tea. The brand switch. The taste change. The fact that Leo made it every single night.
Tanya did not react with dramatic pause or widened eyes. She wrote it down. But I noticed her pen slow for a moment on the word tea, and she underlined something I could not read from my angle on the ground.
Leo had come back from the backyard when the ambulance arrived. He stood about four feet away with his arms crossed and began talking to Tanya, not to me, explaining that I had been like this for months, that it was probably stress-related, asking if she could check my anxiety. He was performing the role of helpful, concerned husband managing a difficult situation.
