Page 94 of Misery and Ecstasy

“Oh.” Her eyes grow wide, understanding what kind of message the club being here may send to everyone.

A threatening message not to fuck around with this patient or her health.

“Do you have any new information for us?” I turn my attention back to Dr. Reeves who addresses McKinsey directly.

“We’re going to get you in for an endoscopic biopsy around five-thirty this evening. You’ll receive general anesthesia, so no food or drink until after the procedure is over. We’ll go in through your nasal canal and sinuses to take a sample of the tissue. It’s a relatively quick procedure.”

“How long will we need to wait for the results?” It’s the most important question, and I need an answer now.

“It can take a few days. You’ll remain here under our care the whole time where we can monitor you and the tumor. If you’ve already had one seizure from it, chances are good you could have another.”

My attention shifts back to McKinsey, and I watch her eyes ping pong around the room as she struggles to remain calm.

“Is there anything you can do for her in the meantime? Something to help keep the seizures at bay?”

“We’ll be administering medications to her while she’s here. One of those will be an anti-seizure medicine. She’ll also receive pain medication, anti-nausea. Things like that.”

She smiles at Kins. She’s a hell of a lot more personable than that fucking Dr. Bennett.

“There are some risks to this procedure, just like any other. They’re minimal, but here is a paper for you to read over and sign, giving us consent to treat.” McKinsey takes the paper from her but doesn’t look at it. “I’m assumingoneof you will be staying here with her overnight?”

“I will.” I can’t get the words out fast enough.

“This chair folds out.” She gestures to the chair I’m sitting in. “I’ll have some bedding brought in for you.”

“Draven,” Kins calls to me. “You don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine staying by myself.”

“I know you will. But I won’t be.” My eyes stay glued to hers until her features soften again. “Listen, you have too much else going on to worry about whether or not you’re inconveniencing me. I’m here, Kins. And I’m not going anywhere any time soon.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

MCKINSEY

Waiting for death is a mind fuck of epic proportions.

I’ve wanted to get out of here since the moment I was admitted.

It’s now been three days, and I’m ready to climb the fucking walls.

My sinuses feel like they’re inflamed from the biopsy.

I’m grumpy and irritable.

No one is safe from my poor attitude. Even those who deserve it least: Draven, Olivia, my nursing staff.

To be honest, everyone has been fucking wonderful.

And I can’t stand it.

I want to talk about what’s happening to me. I want to be able to break things down so I can start figuring out my next steps. But everyone is handling me with kid gloves.

If I try to talk about the future in any capacity, I’m told not to worry. To try to relax and not get too far ahead of myself until we get some answers.

I can’t handle lying in wait. But as much as I want to get a plan in place, I also feel like I can’t move until the results of my biopsy come back. I don’t think my anxiety has ever run so high before.

“I’m going to go grab a coffee. Do you need anything?” Draven stands from the chair he’s been glued to the last few days. Since the moment he found out I have a tumor, he hasn’t smoked one cigarette. While I’m beyond happy about that, he has two new habits to help him cope. He’s wound up on caffeine and popping nicotine gum around the clock. When he doesn’t get a cup fast enough, he gets a serious case of the shakes.

Witnessing it is fucking irritating.

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