Remedy by Eireann Corrigan

Author:Eireann Corrigan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

The next morning Mama tells me that my cancer is out of remission. Sort of. She sits on a blue leather armchair in a local television studio and casually mentions this fact to Stuart Porterfield and Stella Repollet, the cheerful hosts of Channel 7 Sunshine.

Stuart and Stella do not react as cheerfully to this news as they did to the collection of my baby pictures that Mama displayed or her funny anecdotes about learning how to work the camera for her YouTube channel.

“I’m so sorry, did you just say that Cara Jean’s cancer has returned?” Stella leans forward in her chair to ask.

I watch the TV version of my mother nod and lower her eyes as if to give over a moment of silence to my future. Next to me, my real-life mother keeps her eyes fixed on the television screen. She does not move to comfort me or offer any kind of explanation. I look to Dr. Eric, who my mom surprised with this viewing party. He arrived at 7:00 a.m. to take my blood pressure and some blood samples and then Mama sat him down in the living room and handed him the remote control. Currently, he sits on the opposite end of the sofa, rubbing his temples as if it physically pains him to be present. The remote control rests on the table in front of him. I’m tempted to reach for it to shut the TV off so that I can demand some answers.

TV Mama smiles bravely. “Mildly. We are very lucky that Cara Jean is now under the personal care of an extremely talented physician. He feels strongly that her disease is not only treatable but curable. That is the best news we’ve heard for quite some time.”

“But the cancer represents a different issue than her autoimmune disorder, isn’t that right?” Stuart asks as Stella looks on in her worried way.

“They are related. These kinds of complications occur when a patient suffers from certain forms of childhood cancer. And it’s possible there’s a genetic component at play; I am a survivor. My own cancer derailed my skating career.” A picture flashes of Mama in her tiny, shimmering dress. “Oh my word—you have a picture ready to go!” Mama exclaims about the photograph she must have recently provided to the production team. “My greatest hope for Cara Jean is that she can pursue all of her dreams, that nothing has to take a back seat to these terrible diagnoses.”

There is a lengthy pause, during which it’s clear that no one knows what to say. Stella Repollet clears her throat and then regroups. “Shaylene, I’m sure that all of our viewers at home wonder one thing—how can we help?”

Yep, Stella. That’s all I’m wondering. TV Mama launches into an explanation of the Caring for Cara website. Actual Mama sits beside me and nods along.

On-screen, Stuart reaches over to pat Mama’s shoulder in a mechanically comforting way. “We understand now why Cara Jean couldn’t join us today.”

“Oh, she wanted to.

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