After heavy sessions of intense radiation treatments, the cancer released its grip on her spinal cord allowing Gwen to breathe and move freely on her own. She sat up in the clinic bed as Dr. Fraser came to visit his first patient without Dr. Corber taking the lead.
"Good morning, Gwen!" Michael looked proud showing he was able to pull the mother of three back into the living with his precisely calculated radiation therapy. "How are you feeling?" Michael flashed a smile.
Gwen returned the smile, a nod, and a lackluster response," Good." She shrugged.
Her doctor pulled the covers from Gwen's feet and then prodded her big toe with a probe. "Can you feel this?" She nodded. Michael prodded again. "And this?"
"Uh-huh." Gwen looked to the open door.
"Are you expecting someone?"
With a course voice, she spoke his name. "Jeremy."
"Mr. Fartham? I haven't seen him since you collapsed." The doctor covered his patient's feet. "Roll onto your right side, Gwen. I am going to check the radiation burn."
Dr. Fraser pulled the gel-cushioned covering back. "The radiation treatments are intense and caused your skin to heat and inflame." Michael pulled the bandage back. "The intensity of your therapy made your skin blister. Though effective it will take some time to heal Gwen." He replaced the cushioned bandage and gently directed Gwen to lay back.
The doctor turned his medical tablet on proudly showing the scan of receding cancer. "The radiation worked to send this tumor into remission."
Michael swiped left to show how her affected lungs looked much better.
"Wait." Gwen softly interrupted her doctor. She swiped back to the spinal cord scan and pointed as she asked. "Will this happen with Jeremy as well?"
"It is possible." Dr. Fraser pulled Gwen back to her challenge. "Let's concentrate on you." He swiped left on the tab again then pointed. "This is your fight, Gwen!"
Gwen looked away from the tablet.
Dr. Fraser spoke of Jeremy's approach. "Mr. Fartham has chosen a much different path. Quite frankly, a dangerous path that leads to a painful and inevitable end."
His patient did not say a word so he continued. "It looks as though we have found two more cases identical to your cancer." Michael turned the tablet off and sat on the side of Gwen's bed. "They are receiving a radically new treatment with results! I would like to start the same treatments with your cancer." The doctor waited for his patient to respond.
Gwen turned her gaze back to Michael before nodding in agreement.
"Great! You will be required to sign a release form but I think we have found you a future, Gwen!" Dr. Fraser patted her hand. "Patricia will be in with the paperwork. I will contact Toronto oncology to forward the treatment schedule." The doctor excitedly rushed out of her room.
The moment was bittersweet. Gwen had a future but the man she just confessed to loving only days ago has vanished. "Where are you, Jeremy? Why is it, that every time I fall for a guy they leave me holding my heart?"
Patricia knocked at the door before walking in. The knock is just an attention-getter to let the patient know someone is coming. "I hear you are going with plan B!"
Gwen looked at the mother of one and smiled. "Hello, Patricia. How's your boy?"
"Sister, you know I have two boys. The big one eats a whole lot more than the smaller, cuter one!" Patricia must have used that line a thousand times delivering laughter to her patients.
Gwen found it hilarious.
"You hold onto that laughter, cuz I am here all weekend, Baby!" Patricia wheeled the patient table in front of Gwen. "You know the routine. Sign here, doctor saves his butt. This one here, the clinic saves their butt. And finally this one here...I get a raise!"
Gwen laughed again.
"Works every time! I tell ya, I'd be a comedian if I didn't love my job!" Patricia winked at Gwen. "I will be by to spend lunch with you, Sunshine!"
"Really?" Gwen seemed surprised.
"Anyone who appreciates my humor as much as you gets lunch on me!" The nurse removed the table from the bed. "That and we are alone in the clinic!"
Gwen gave a wave to her nurse and laid back on her pillow. "She's a smartass! I love her!"
Uncle Bobby & the kids
After getting news Gwen's condition had improved, Bobby drove the kids to see her. He is two years older than his sister and has seen her go through every heartbreak. He and his wife would love to have children but it just has not worked out. So they play surrogate parents whenever called upon.
The stress of hearing their mother collapse made Austin and Chastity even more rebellious than before. The two fought much more often, not out of disagreements but from frustration. Harmony, the youngest, fell deeper into her princess fantasy world. Watching all the classic princess movies non-stop.
Dressed in her favorite pink Disney princess dress and a matching wand Harmony peaked into Gwen's room to see her mother asleep. She turned and placed her index finger over her mouth. "Shhhhh!" The sound woke the mother of three.
Gwen pretended to remain asleep until Harmony was close enough to sneak a one-handed tickle just below her youngest child's ribs. "Ahhhhhh! I've got you, Harm!"
Harmony twisted away from her mother's tickles falling to the floor at the feet of her sister, Chastity. "Harm. Get off the floor!"
Gwen gave a stern look at Chastity who changed her demeanor diving to the floor tickling her little sister. The tension in the room melted with Harmony's sweet giggles. "Chast, stop! Chastity!"
"Hi Bobby!" Gwen gave a wave to her brother.
Austin couldn't bear to see his mother in the hospital bed and ran out of the room. No need to tell the uncle something wasn't right as Bobby quickly followed his nephew. He caught up with Austin just past the nurse's station.
Bobby called out to the teenager. "Austin. Hey, come on, Austin."
The boy stopped and turned to his uncle. "They said she was better!" Tears filled his eyes. "Uncle Bobby, they lied! Look at her!"
"Hey Bud, you have to remember how bad she was!" Bobby walked beside his nephew. "This will take time. But you will see, she will get better!"
"How can you say that?! Last week we were all at home. Now I...I...I see her so weak!" He pulled away from his uncle again. "It's not fair!"
"Hey, Austin." Bobby walked to his nephew. "Hey. Don't take this out on your mother. She needs everyone pulling for her." The boy looked up to his uncle. "Let's get back in there for your mom!"
Austin nodded and headed back towards his mother's room. "What's up with our neighbor? Mom like him or something?"
Bobby chuckled. "Something like that. He might even think your mom's hot!"
"Now I wanna die! Puke!" Austin blew it out of proportion as any teenage boy would.
"Come on let's be there for your mom." Bobby pulled Austin close and walked him back to the room.
Austin could always trust his uncle Bobby to be there for him. Every time his own father walked away he was there for his sister's son. He would do just about anything for his nephew even when he is rebellious and difficult.
The two got to the room and both girls were laying next to their mom. Austin found some space next to Harmony and Gwen held him so he wouldn't fall off. Bobby quietly snapped the photo of a lifetime as the four lay there with their eyes closed.
The uncle walked out allowing the family their time alone.
Patricia walked up to Bobby with a smile. "Now you are a sight for these eyes! I wondered how long it would take you to round up the posse after getting the news!"
"Hey Patricia, we got here as soon as we could." Bobby checked his watch.
"The kids with your sister?"
"Uh-huh."
"I bet they are starving!" Patricia winked at Bobby. "We had a celebration yesterday. I'll be right back!" The head nurse had a way to get rid of the tempting cake from the staff fridge.
Bobby had a seat outside the room waiting for Patricia.
"Bobby! Bobby, give me a hand!" Patricia performed a balancing act for the ages. The leftover cake in one hand, a bottle of orange juice tucked under her arm, plastic disposable cups, and spoons from the lunch area.
"Whoa!" Bobby stood and helped Patricia with the juice, cups, and spoons. "Were you a circus performer before becoming a nurse?"
"Everything was about to fly away but you saved the day?" Patricia stopped Bobby before entering Gwen's room. "You know, I have to say this, those kids are only able to be together because of you and Liza. We know it because Gwen tells us all the time!"
Bobby silently acknowledged Patricia with a nod.
"They all love you for being there for all of them." Patricia paused. "But..."
"But Gwen needs Jeremy."
"Oh, you are good!" Patricia lit up. "I guess you know your sister better than anyone!"
"I admit I didn't see this one coming." Bobby shook his head. "I mean, I knew Jeremy growing up and I never imagined those two ever falling for each other. They avoided each other rather well for the past eighteen years."
"I see a question popping into your brain Bobby." The nurse smiled. "Why?"
"It's written all over me, is it?" Bobby smiled.
"Well, when you take a little time to appreciate what another person is going through the hard edges begin to soften." Patricia offered even more. "I believe Jeremy recognized what your sister has been going through...and he knew it wasn't right about who he thought she was."
Bobby looked at Patricia and asked a more interesting question. "What does Gwen see in Jeremy? He is nothing like the men who briefly interrupted her life in the past. I remember once, in high school, the guys were in the hall talking cars and the girls would walk by eyeing the ones they liked. I noticed my sister ignored looking at Jeremy." He shook his head again. "She would never have dated him in high school! He drove a truck ~ Gwen liked fast cars."
Bobby continued, "Jeremy worked every weekend and that would have drove Gwen crazy!"
"Why would it have done that?"
"She liked to be free every weekend and anyone who worked stood between her and a good party." Bobby laughed.
"You mean, little miss mother of three, was a wild child?" Patricia pointed towards the room.
"And Jeremy rarely made it out to a party unless his friend, Pumpkin dragged him out." Bobby's eyes widened. "Yet another reason for Gwen to ignore Jeremy."
"Not in the chosen crowd?"
"You might say that."
"Well, that all changed. Your sister changed!" Patricia laughed. "Gwen now sees what Jeremy really is." The head nurse smiled. "That Jeremy's a lover."
This time Bobby laughed. "What are you saying?"
"I am saying Jeremy is a lover of everything good." The nurse saw the blank look on the uncle's face. "The manicured lawn, pristine flower gardens, the trees thoughtfully pruned each year. That man looks a whole lot different to her now than before this began."
"So you're saying my sister...Gwen, now sees all those things Jeremy did in the past differently now?" Bobby frowned.
"That is exactly what happened. Something opened Gwen's eyes. Now it screams out to her that this guy cares about the little things in life. He is there every day to tend to those things that matter to him. Now she wants to be that one thing that matters to Jeremy!" Patricia watched Bobby's mind accept the truth, then she nodded. "Let's get in there!"
"Ah, yeah yeah...let's go!" Bobby had a new smile on his face visible to everyone in Gwen's room.
"Hey, Uncle Bobby, get in here!" Austin pulled his uncle to the bedside. "Family photo!"
Patricia took a photo of an optimistic family looking forward and not back.