"Dr. Gardenia? Excuse me, Dr. Gardenia?"      Melinda opens her eyes sleepily, startled awake by the sound of a woman softly calling her name. She looks up at her, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.      "I'm sorry. Yes?" she says.      "I just wanted you to know that we will be landing at the airport in about 10 minutes," the woman says pleasantly.      "Oh, thank you," Melinda responds, straightening herself in the plush airplane seat.      The flight attendant smiles and continues down the plane corridor, looking for more passengers to nudge awake.      Melinda opens the window shade and peers out. She is almost blinded by the bright early morning sun. She winces a bit, and leans back in her seat, allowing her eyes to adjust to the sharp light.'      As soon as she had arrived home from the hospital the last evening, she had gotten on the phone with her travel agent and booked the next flight to a tropical resort. If there was anything she needed, it was some time away from her real life, surrounded by exotic luxuries. It would provide a much-needed distraction and give her some quiet time to think. She hadn't told anyone where she was going, save for the travel agent. She had told the hospital that she had a family emergency, and would need to use up all her sick days. Thankfully, the girl at the other end of the line hadn't protested or asked for too much information.