The nun's belly was so smooth and utterly unmarred. No scars, no bruises, nothing but a modest expanse of alabaster skin. I put my hands on her belly, gently at first, lightly scanning the lovely skin to get a sense of it before probing more deeply. I started over on the left side, the unaffected side. I pushed in with my fingertips, causing a slight wince. Releasing the pressure caused more than a wince. I asked her where it hurt and she indicated her right side. I moved my hands to the painful side. Before I even applied pressure, I could feel warmth and fullness. It wasn't apparent to my eyes, but my hands could tell something was wrong. I pushed in very gently, causing pain. When I released my pressure this time, the nun blanched and gasped. I told her what I thought -- that her appendix was infected. She refuted me -- it couldn't be -- she had Ash Wednesday services the next day, and she was flying to Seattle the following Monday. She simply was too busy to be sick.

But she looked sick. This lovely nun normally had a sparkly, shiny aura. She always smiled. She smiled this day too, but it wasn't a glowing smile. She was grey.

I agreed not to send her immediately to the hospital. She agreed to let me draw blood and arrange a CT of her abdomen for the next morning. (This was late in the day. I could get the CT early the next morning, prior to her Ash Wednesday services.) I was worried. I made her promise to go right to the ER should her pain worsen, or her fever go up. She agreed.

The next morning we got a fax from the imaging department. The nun had appendicitis. The hard thing was finding her. I called her home, the church, her emergency number. All I got was recordings. I left messages, but was not happy about it. I was considering calling the police to go find her, but first asked my doctor what he would do.

One of his talents is knowing everyone. He knew who the nun's best friend was. He called her and told her what was going on. The friend knew where she was. Within 15 minutes she had called me back and we made arrangements for her to go right to the hospital.

Her appendix was removed in short order, and she was home in time to make her flight to Seattle.

And I will never forget her lovely smooth belly. It was the prettiest belly I have ever seen. I think I am in love.