Page 53 of Prognosis Incompatible

Shefelt good.

‘What are the results?’ he asked, pulling back reluctantly.

‘White cells astronomical. Critically low platelets and red cells.’

‘A.L.L.,’ he said despondently.

She nodded. ‘Fill me in.’

Marcus went over Trent’s case for a few minutes. Then the intercom buzzed. ‘Jenny and Trent Smith are here,’ Veronica announced.

‘I’ll bring them through,’ he said.

Marcus made the introductions and sat himself on the edge of Madeline’s desk. ‘I’m sorry, Jenny. The blood tests have confirmed it. Trent has A.L.L — acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.’

There was silence as they watched the confirmation slowly sink into Jenny’s head. She looked at them with tears in her eyes. ‘What is that, exactly?’

‘A.L.L is a cancer of the bone marrow,’ Madeline said, stepping in. ‘Something goes wrong, we don’t know what, that causes an overproduction of immature white blood cells. These crowd the bone marrow, preventing it from making normal cells, like red cells, which is why he’s so pale, and platelets, which is why he has bruises everywhere.’

Jenny hugged a listless Trent to her and rocked him, a tear tracking down her face. ‘So, what happens now?’

‘We want you to go home, pack a bag and take Trent straight up to the children’s hospital. I’ll ring ahead and let them know you’re coming,’ she said. ‘You’ll be seen by an oncologist and treatment will commence immediately.’

‘Chemotherapy?’ Jenny asked.

Madeline nodded. Poor little Trent, he was going to be put through hell in the next few months, trying to force his body into remission.

Jenny shook her head. ‘This is all happening too fast.’

‘Have you told Trent’s father?’ Marcus asked.

‘We’ve been separated since just after he was born,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t have anything to do with him.’

Marcus shut his eyes briefly. Oh, no. Poor Trent. He remembered how much it sucked not having a dad around and felt overwhelmingly protective of this sick little boy. Poor Jenny. She was going to have to shoulder a huge burden.

‘Do you have someone in Brisbane to support you?’ asked Madeline, stepping in for Marcus. She could feel his distress and knew that he wouldn’t be able to walk away from this fatherless boy either.

‘My mother,’ said Jenny absently. ‘She’s away for five days in the back of beyond, visiting my grandmother. I’ve tried a couple of times to ring but they’re not in and mobile coverage is pretty patchy out that way.’

‘Give me the numbers. I’ll keep trying for you,’ said Marcus. ‘Just get Trent to the hospital. That’s the most important thing. I’ll call in later.’

Jenny’s hand shook as she wrote on the pad Madeline provided. She stood, hugging Trent to her for dear life, and Madeline swallowed a lump. Jenny was like so many mothers she had seen in the past in the same situation. Shocked and worried but holding it all together so their child wouldn’t get upset. Madeline knew that the minute Jenny had a spare moment alone or her mother walked through the door, she was going to completely lose it.

When Jenny had left they both stared after her, lost in their own thoughts. Days like this were all part and parcel of their jobs but giving horrible news was never a pleasant task. There were many highs in this line of work but the lows really took the shine out of a day.

She moved closer to where Marcus was sitting on the edge of her desk and hugged him around the shoulders from behind. He laid his head back into her shoulder and Madeline kissed his forehead.

‘Want to go out and eat somewhere tonight?’ he turned to her and asked after a while.

She smiled at him. It would be the first time in six weeks they’d actually eaten first. She understood. ‘Sure, sounds good. South Bank?’

He nodded and gave her a slow, sad smile, pushing up off the desk. ‘I’ll see you after work.’

She nodded and watched him leave the room. The situation with Jenny and Trent had obviously left him as dispirited as it had her.

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‘Did you get hold ofJenny’s mum?’ Madeline asked as they strolled to South Bank, holding hands.

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