Feels Like Home by Beth Andrews

Author:Beth Andrews [Andrews, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Usernet, C429, Kat, Extratorrents
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-01-19T13:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

“IT’S CANCER.”

Through the roaring in her head, Diane was vaguely aware of Dr. Pacquin speaking, his voice calm and unemotional. Professional. Yes, she thought dully, we must remain professional. Must remain strong.

She wanted to throw up.

“Invasive ductal carcinoma,” the doctor continued, his fingers laced together on his desk blotter. He was young, around the same age as her sons. How many more people would he sit across from today to give them news that would change their lives forever?

Al squeezed her hand, his palm warm against hers, his fingers strong, his touch reassuring. As if everything would be all right simply because he was next to her. Because he loved her.

Too bad that wasn’t how things worked. A fact she knew all too well.

She tried to swallow, but it felt as if her throat was blocked off. It took all she had to drag oxygen into her lungs and blow it back out again.

She sensed her fiancé glance her way. He wanted her to say something, to react to this news. But she couldn’t speak. Didn’t know how she was supposed to feel or act.

“What do you recommend?” Al asked, leaning forward on one of the leather seats across from the doctor’s utilitarian metal desk.

Dr. Pacquin shifted and rubbed a hand over the bald spot at the back of his head. “Chemotherapy, followed by a lumpectomy,” he said, reciting treatments as if reading his grocery list, “radiation and hormone therapy. The tumor is just under seven centimeters, so we’re looking at a fifty to sixty percent survival rate.”

Al’s grip tightened, turned almost painful, and Diane blinked, tried to focus. Both men were looking at her, waiting for her to…what? Agree that she was going to be one of the lucky fifty percent who survived? Why should she survive when Tom hadn’t?

“I need some air,” she blurted. She stood and raced out the door.

She hurried down the corridor. The sterile, antiseptic smell of the hospital only added to her growing nausea. She went past the nurses’ station, not slowing when a young R.N. asked if she was all right. With both hands, Diane pushed open the door to the stairwell. The sound of it shutting behind her echoed down the stairs.

She was hot. Sweaty. She pressed her forehead against the cool, gray wall, breathed through her mouth until the churning in her stomach subsided. She slowly rolled her head back and forth. She was sick. She hadn’t needed some doctor barely out of med school to tell her what she’d already known ever since discovering that lump.

Al opened the stairwell door, clearly relieved when he spotted her. “Are you all right?” He shook his head and laughed harshly. “I’ve asked a lot of dumb questions in my life, but that has to be about the dumbest.”

Without lifting her head from the wall, said, “You’ll get no argument from me.”

He held out his arms. “Come here,” he said gruffly.

She almost didn’t. Didn’t want to show any more weaknesses. But she realized he was doing it as much to comfort himself as her, so she stepped forward and let him hold her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.