Page 83 of Doctor Neighbor

“Oh, my God! I almost forgot to tell you,” I exclaim.

I tell her about the call I got from the inspector a few days ago. Two men from the park, employees, were arrested for the death of the man who fell feet from both of us.

“You’ve got to be shitting me! I remember you saying it was suspect.”

“I haven’t heard a thing since I went in to answer questions right afterward until I got a call the other day that I might be called in as a witness.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I love a good murder mystery!”

“We’ve had a lot going on. Just a little,” I indicate with my pointer and thumb. She slaps my hand down.

For the first time since that crazy mutual experience, we both break down how surreal that was. Weirdly, it was an instigating factor in the shift that brought us back together.

Maybe our reunion would have happened anyway, but it’s so much more interesting to start it off there, if not more macabre.

Once we have toiled over the sparse details and how wild it was enough, we switch back to our current situation.

"You know," I say, "aside from having to take today off, this whole process hasn't been too bad. I've been a bit tired at night, but nothing major. Haven't even had to miss any work until now."

Cole raises an eyebrow. "I'm so grateful for that. I would have been a wreck if it had been too hard for you. I can't take two sickies."

I shrug. "Nothing worth mentioning. I guess I'm just lucky."

She leans in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Or maybe you're just tougher than the average doctor." Cole looks around and then naughtily puts her hand between my legs and rubs up, instantly causing my cock to twitch.

I can't help but laugh. "Oh, I'm definitely tougher than the average doctor. It's part of my charm. And, I'm apparently very sensitive to your touch."

Cole waggles her eyes, and I can see the affection in her gaze. “For your pleasure, Dr. Tough Guy.”

Thursday, October 3

9:46 am

It’s been three weeks since Maddie received my stem cells. The past few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster, but now, standing outside her hospital room, I finally feel a glimmer of hope.

I peek in and see her holding Mr. Snuggles to her chest. He hasn’t left her side since Cole and I brought him to her. Besides her mom, he has pulled her through some scary, sometimes painful, days.

During the first week, while I was getting daily injections of filgrastim, Maddie endured a grueling round of chemotherapy. Watching her go through that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced. The chemo was tough on her petite body, but she faced it with a bravery that astounded me.

On the day of the transplant, I sat by her side as they infused her with my stem cells. It was surreal knowing that a part of me was now inside her, working to save her life. The doctors told us the first few weeks would be critical, and they weren’t kidding. We held our breath, waiting to see if her body would accept the new cells.

Now, three weeks later, I step into her room and see Maddie sitting up in bed, a soft glow returning to her cheeks. She’s still pale and frail, but the doctors say her new bone marrow is working. Her body hasn’t rejected the transplant, and her blood counts are slowly improving.

Cole is beside her, a look of relief and happiness on her face. She’s been a rock through all of this, even when I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. We’ve spent countless hours here, holding Maddie’s hand, reading to her, and simply being there.

The thought that she is likely my daughter, a living person who was on this earth for four years and I missed that precious time, somehow feels vindicated by the simple act of giving her my stem cells. I am the one who could help her and, in a way, give her something to make up for what I wasn’t able to do for her before.

“Hey there, brave girl,” I say, smiling as I approach the bed. “You’re looking better every day.”

Maddie smiles weakly but genuinely. “Hi, Buster.”

Cole looks up at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Dr. Nguyen just left. She said Maddie can go home in a few days if her counts keep improving.”

I feel a lump in my throat, a mixture of relief and gratitude swelling inside me. “That’s amazing news.”

Maddie looks up at us, her big eyes filled with curiosity. “Does that mean I get to go back to my room? And see my friends?”

Cole brushes a strand of hair from Maddie’s forehead. “Yes, sweetie. Soon, you’ll be able to go home and start getting back to normal.”

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