Page 71 of Undoing

For once, Cass was grateful for Lima’s no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point attitude. If she had made them wait like some dramatic reality show, Cass would have gone a little crazy. She sat back heavily, the intense rush of relief nearly leaving her body limp.

Rebecca let go of the breath she’d been holding. “Benign,” she repeated just to hear it again. “So, it’s over?”

“I was able to remove one hundred percent of the tumor. The chances of it coming back are minimal. I will suggest that you come back in six months for follow-up care and an MRI.”

“O-okay. That was quick and to the point.” Rebecca sat dumbfounded for a moment. She didn’t know what she was expecting. Perhaps a little more fanfare? Maybe some emotion from her doctor?

Dr. Lima looked at Rebecca curiously. “I thought that would be good news.”

“It is, it’s just…”

“Your delivery could use a little warmth,” Cass finished for Rebecca. Her wife probably would have been more diplomatic, but Cass’s nerves were too raw to be tactful.

“Cass,” Rebecca scolded gently.

“Sorry, but…”

“I apologize for being abrupt,” Dr. Lima interrupted. “If you would like someone more familiar with you personally, I could confer with Dr. Vale.”

“No.” Rebecca took a cleansing breath. “I like it when people get to the point and say exactly what’s on their mind.” She glanced at Cass who was looking at her intently enough to make her blush.

What a fucking day, Rebecca thought. Information swirled in her head. It wasn’t even noon, and she was already exhausted. Married and cancer-free. All in the span of an hour. Married for almost three years, Rebecca reminded herself. She blew out a breath, fighting off the headache she felt coming on.

“Now that we have the results, can we talk about the amnesia? Why have I forgotten…” Rebecca looked at Cass again. “The good in my life?”

“Your tumor was located on your frontal lobe, which is responsible for many of your cognitive functions. Including memory. Your amnesia is most likely a result of swelling.”

“Most likely,” Cass echoed. “So you don’t know if it was something you did or some normal side-effect?”

“Cass,” Rebecca whispered harshly. But Cass’s stare was relentless. There was something familiar about this scenario that tickled the back of Rebecca’s brain.

Dr. Lima, however, never even flinched. “The other explanation for memory loss is the removal of cells responsible for memory during the craniotomy, which was not a procedure I performed. I am very good at what I do, Cass. But I am keenly aware that the brain is highly delicate, and as much as we doctors want to believe we know everything about the way the brain works, we still have so much to learn.”

While Cass appreciated the doctor’s honesty, it didn’t help her situation. “Will it come back? When the swelling is gone, will Rebecca’s memory return?”

Dr. Lima steepled her fingers in front of her and addressed Rebecca even though she didn’t ask the question. “I wish I could give you a definitive answer. Memory loss isn’t uncommon after a craniotomy, and the length of time it lasts varies. If you have not regained your memory by this time next week, I would like for you to come back for an MRI.”

Next week! Cass just hoped she could survive another week without Rebecca by her side.

Rebecca nodded, but inside, she wasn’t as calm. There had to be a way to speed up this process, and she might have an idea of how.

“Come in, Rebecca.”

Rebecca poked her head around the ajar door. “How did you know I was out here?”

Willamena lifted a brow. “You’re pacing and mumbling like you’re deciding what to say to a room full of CEOs.” She waved her hand, beckoning Rebecca to come in, and patted the space next to her. “Do you remember when you used to come into my room after a bad dream? You’d pretend like you weren’t scared or sad but wanted to keep me company.”

“I remember.” Rebecca climbed onto Willamena’s bed and settled in beside her. “But don’t pretend you weren’t crying yourself half of the time.”

“You heard that?”

“Mmhmm. Oddly enough, it made me feel better.” Rebecca rolled her head to the side to look at Aunt Wills. “Not better that you were crying, but that I wasn’t alone with my emotions.”

“You never are, my sweet girl.”

They sat in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. For Rebecca, those thoughts replayed the entire day from when Cass came to pick her up until Cass left about an hour and a half ago. Dinner had been awkward because Rebecca felt betrayed by having the truth kept from her. However, the flip side of that coin was relief and happiness over the biopsy results. What a weird fucking day.

“I’m still mad.”

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