Once in Sweden by Emma Sterner-Radley

Author:Emma Sterner-Radley [Sterner-Radley, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heartsome Publishing
Published: 2020-05-15T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Coming to Her Senses

Aubrey woke up from surgery, slowly and dazedly, like she was climbing out of a treacle jar. Her mouth was dry, everything was confusing, and most of all, her chest ached.

Still, gratitude crept in. She had a lot to be grateful for. Sure, the biopsy she had when she settled in London had shown that it was cancer, like she’d known. Invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common form of breast cancer, to be exact. Nevertheless, it was only a small tumour, which hadn’t seemed to grow, and which hadn’t spread to her lymph nodes or anywhere else. The minor surgery to remove the tumour and a small portion of surrounding breast tissue she had now undergone would solve the problem.

She was also grateful that she had clearly survived the procedure, not that it was a high-risk operation, but there were no guarantees in life.

She was lucky—so damn lucky—to have found the lump so early on and that it had been in such an easily discoverable place. The doctor wasn’t even certain she should have chemo to ensure the cancer didn’t come back, considering her excellent health and all the negative side effects of chemotherapy. Nevertheless, Aubrey was contemplating it, considering her family history. Her dad had voted that she insist on chemo.

Her dad. Introverted and often distant, but a rock to rely on in times of trouble. He had temporarily moved back to his native Britain when he heard about Aubrey’s tumour, before she’d even had a doctor’s appointment. A bit of an overreaction? Yes. But did he panic as much as Aubrey did at the mere mention of a tumour in a breast? Also yes.

She had stepped off the flight from Sweden, and suddenly the loneliness had been too much. She called him, told him everything, and asked him for help, profusely apologising for dragging him through this.

His voice had been surprisingly clear and confident. “Sweet baby girl. What proper parent wouldn’t want to do anything to help their child when they’re in trouble?” Then he’d coughed, the way he always did when he had to talk about things. “Not to mention that your mother took away my chance to help when she, well, you know. I could never help her through this. I’m glad—no, I’m overjoyed—that you’ll let me help you instead.”

Now, lying in this hospital bed, she was so relieved that her dad was here and would be waiting out there somewhere for her to call and say that she was ready to be picked up. She could rest easily knowing that he would help.

Somewhere a TV blared out Antiques Roadshow. Or perhaps that was the anaesthesia not having left her system yet. She closed her eyes and smiled as she was told the price of a nineteenth-century grandfather clock.

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