Page 115 of Rematch
Chapter 49
Audrey
Being at the bottom of the seniority list was starting to get on my last nerve.
I was not supposed to work today, but since one of the other doctors called out sick, I had to come in and cover for them. I had half a mind to tell my supervisor I wouldn’t be much good to the team today. That my mind was going to be somewhere else for the duration of the day.
But I knew I couldn’t. It wasn’t just the team that needed me; it was the patients too.
And as much as I wanted to be there for my father’s doctor’s appointment, working through it may do me some good. It took my mind off of my anxiety for a little while.
Fussing over patients helped, but it didn’t stop the shaking in my hands or the clench in my chest every time my pager buzzed.
I hoped it wasn’t noticeable, but nothing scooted past Gianna’s observant eye.
“Hey,” she caught me as I was walking down the hall, reviewing one of my charts for rounds. “Are you alright?”
“I’m trying to be,” I admitted. “The doctors are sharing their findings on my dad’s latest PET scan today, so I’m a little distracted.”
“I understand,” she said, giving my arm a soft squeeze. “If you need a break, just page me. I’ll entertain a patient, so you can have a breather.”
“Thanks, Gi. I appreciate that.”
Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for a breather. We were getting patients back-to-back in the emergency room. Most of them were fevers or extreme respiratory illnesses. I don’t know what it is about kids and the holidays, but they always manage to get sick around them.
By the time I was finally able to clock out, I was physically and mentally exhausted.
I took the long way home, trying to prepare emotionally for whatever news my fathers had for me. They hadn’t called or texted while I was on shift, so I hoped it wasn’t too bad. I’d be grateful for no news at this point. Stagnant tumors were better than growing ones.
When I walked through the front door, I was surprised to see Max and Tatianna’s coats among the ones hanging on the rack. While their presence was always welcome in our home, I didn’t know if it was a good sign or a bad sign on a day like this.
“Dad, Papa,” I called down the hall for my fathers.
“In here,” Papa replied.
Following his voice to the dining room, I saw all of them sitting around on the table. Boxes of pizza and cases of wings replaced the usual home cooked meals usually covering it. A bottle of wine had already been cracked open and poured into the glasses sitting in front of the place mats.
My brows creased at the sight. “Dad,” I started.
“I figured I’d talk to you all at once,” he cut me off before I could ask. He waved me over. “Come, sit down.”
I placed my hands over my clenching stomach as I claimed my seat next to Max.What’s going on?I mouthed.
His mouth tugged downward as he shrugged.
My eyes went to Tatianna who had a frown that mirrored mine. I guess she didn’t know what was happening either. If he was keeping one of his best friends in the dark, then that definitely wasn’t a good sign.
I ran my hands over my legs to stop the tremble from going through them.
Max looked down at my fidgeting hands and grasped one of them, offering a soft squeeze.
“Would you all lose the solemn looks?” Dad scanned the table. “You’re killing me.”
“We will once you stop stalling and spill the news,” Tatianna said. “Or are we all going to start crying next?”
Dad’s eyes lowered. “Well, as you all know, this cancer has been very aggressive. Last PET scan, we learned it’s been spreading like wildfire into other organs in my lower abdomen. And this PET scan…” he trailed off, leaving us all leaning forward, hungry for the next words.
My stomach lurched. My hands gripped Max’s so tight it might’ve cut off his circulation. My breaths got stuck in my chest, suffocating me as if I was underwater.
