At 2 a.m. his nurses summon the on-call doctor. A blood transfusion of platelets is ordered for Scott. Scott can't talk. His tongue is swollen. Mucositis is when the fast growing cells in the gastrointestinal tract slough off, leaving skin raw.
Sores pop up in the mouth, throat, lips and tongue.
Carlyn squeezes water from a cold washcloth and dabs Scott's face. As platelets drip into his Hickman catheter, she puts soft jazz on the portable CD player. She massages his feet, then rubs his forehead. After four hours, his nosebleed stops. Carlyn watches Scott sleep, wishes that he could sleep for a week and wake up free of the mucositis.