Page 34 of Sacrifice
“Of course I do. It’s magic,” I say, tossing her a wink. “I wish I still had Gage’s.”
She smiles sadly at me. She starts to say something, but the door opens.
“Mrs. Gentry?”
Julia stands and walks around the foot of the bed. “Hello, Dr. Perkins.” I can see a bead of sweat glisten on her forehead, her lips a thin line.
“There are some things I’d like to talk to you about and I’d like to do it in my office.” He glances at me. “Are you Everleigh’s father?”
“I—” I start, but Julia cuts me off.
“No. He isn’t. This is my brother-in-law.”
I grimace, the sound of her making it clear I am not a part of her immediate family making me feel like a piece of shit. I extend my hand to the doctor anyway. “Crew Gentry. I’m Everleigh’s uncle.”
He shakes it firmly. “Dr. Perkins. I’m the pediatric oncologist. If you wouldn’t mind staying here with Everleigh, I’d like to take Mrs. Gentry for a few minutes.”
Julia looks at me, waiting for me to respond. She’s chewing her bottom lip and I want to pull it from between her teeth. I have no idea what’s going to be said, but I know it will be all right. It has to be.
“Yeah, absolutely. Me and the monkey here will watch some . . .”
“Doc McStuffins,” she says.
“Doc it is.”
“We’ll be back shortly. If you’ll want to be apprised of her condition at any time, we’ll need you and Mrs. Gentry to sign some forms.” The doctor looks at Julia, who hesitates, before nodding with a sigh. “I’ll send a nurse in with them shortly for the file.”
He turns to leave and motions for Julia to follow. She glances at me over her shoulder, her gaze full of trepidation, those dark brown orbs full of fear. It kills me.
“I’ll be here when you get back,” I say quietly.
Her eyes go cloudy, tears lapping across, and I’m ripped apart. I want to hold her, to make her know this will be okay. I want to rip every line out of Ever and toss them both over my shoulder and run away from all this bullshit.
But I can’t. And the inability to do any of those things eats me from the inside out.
I take a deep breath and turn to face Everleigh. She’s watching me curiously. I take the seat previously occupied by Julia and look at her over my shoulder. “What are we doing in here today, monkey?”
“I want to go home.”
“I know. I do, too.” I look around conspiratorially. “Think I could smuggle you outta here?”
“I do.” She giggles. “Please! Take me home.”
I tap my chin. “But if I do that, your mommy will wonder where you are. And she’ll probably panic when she can’t find you. Then she’ll come after me and, I’ll tell ya a secret . . . she scares me.”
“She does not scare you,” she says, giggling. She settles back into her pillows, resting her face so it’s facing me. “But she would worry. She worries a lot.”
“That’s what makes her special.”
“You think my mommy is special?”
I laugh. “Where’d you thinkyougot your specialness from?”
She smiles, but her eyelids are getting heavy. “Read me a story, Uncle Crew.”
That’s one request I’m not prepared for. “I don’t have a book.”
“Make one up,” her voice is drifting off, sleep coming soon. “Or google one.”
