The ambulance arrived at the clinic with Gwen in considerable pain. The Director, waited by the door to accept her back. Dr. Fraser made his way back from a summertime weekend get away to be there for his patient.
Carolynne held the door open for the attendants. "To the assessment room if you could?"
The lead attendant nodded. "Sure thing, doctor."
Dr. Fraser entered the clinic just after Gwen arrived. "Michael, sorry you had to cut your weekend short." The Director apologized to her interim lead oncologist.
"No need to apologize Carolynne, Gwen is my patient." Michael shook his head. "I believed we had this cancer beaten back."
The two walked quickly to the assessment room. "These things will happen. We do not have all the answers." Carolynne looked at Michael. "If we did, we'd be gods."
After the assessments were complete, both the doctor and the director viewed the MRI. They could not believe how quickly the cancer regrouped and expanded even further than before.
"How could this be?" Michael rubbed his eyes. "It's impossible to regrow this quickly. Isn't it?"
"I was afraid of this happening." Carolynne has seen almost every type of cancer in her thirty plus years and knew this could be one of those to prove difficult to eradicate. "I would be lying if I said it was impossible. But the truth is, I have seen cancer play hide and seek like this a few times."
Michael stood and yelled at the computer screen. "I hate to lose! When I lose, people die!"
Carolynne looked up at her lead doctor and smiled. "This is what I admire about you Michael. So let's find a solution, okay?"
Gwen lay in her bed looking out her window thinking only about how she is letting her children down again. Chastity's words rang in her ears. "Don't ever scare us again!"
Dr. Fraser returned to Gwen's room. "Our worst fears are now realized as the cancer looks to be even more menacing than it had before." Michael reluctantly suggested. "The only recourse is a heavier dose of chemotherapy. Radiation therapy for direct treatment."
"From what I can hear in your voice, there are no guarantees." Gwen looked up. "I mean, there were never any guarantees when I first came to the clinic but now it feels hopeless."
Dr. Fraser shook his head. "Don't say that, Gwen. You need to fight as hard as you can for life and for your children!"
"What are my chances now, Doctor?" The look on Gwen's face said it all but she spoke to the gravity of her situation. "Dr. Corber would not talk chances when I arrived. I can only imagine the slim chance of surviving this now! I can feel the difference in my cancer this time." She turned away from Dr. Fraser.
"I'll be by in the morning, Gwen." Michael frowned. "We'll find a way!" He began to walk away but turned and added. "Good night, Gwen." But he got no response from his patient.
Outside the room were her three kids with Madeline. She heard the conversation going on inside the room and held the kids back until Dr. Fraser came out.
Madeline sent the kids in to visit with Gwen, then witnessed the grief on Michael's face. "That bad, eh?"
Dr. Fraser walked past Madeline. "It makes no sense. She was in total remission just three weeks ago! Now it's ravaging every organ."
"Oh no! Not good, not good at all." Madeline followed Michael to the computer to view Gwen's scans and bloodwork.
"Any ideas, Maddie? You have been doing this much longer than I have." Dr. Fraser seemed defeated.
"These are the days we, doctors dread most." Madeline touched her colleague's shoulder. "But we can't give up." She had an idea. "Check in with that doctor in Toronto again. See if what happened to Gwen is happening to the other patients."
Inside Gwen's Room
Gwen did not hear her kids walk into the room because she had been crying into her pillow. She knew the writing on the wall. The cancer now felt as if it were squeezing the life from her. The pain is unlike anything she had ever felt.
"Mom?" Chastity broke the silence as the three children approached their mother's bed. "Are you awake?"
Gwen nodded a few times wiping her eyes before showing her face. "Uh-huh. Yep." She took a deep breath before turning over with a smile on her face. "Hey guys!"
The look of emptiness in the children's expressions made her feel she had let them down and the guilt set in.
"You can't tell us, everything is going to be okay." Chastity spoke with with an honesty in her voice. "Your doctor looks like a ghost."
Austin didn't pull any punches either. "You're dying, aren't you?" He did not look away and wanted an answer. Gwen could not say it even though she felt it.
"So now what? Aunt Liza and uncle Bobby?" Chastity rolled her eyes.
"They love you! They will not let you get torn apart!" Gwen fought back. "It's the best I can do!"
"You promised, mom." Chastity pointed at her mother. "You promised!" She walked towards the door.
"Chast baby, don't walk out!" Gwen called to her eldest child grabbing Madeline's attention.
"Or what, mom? You'll ground me?" She walked to the door with attitude in her step.
Madeline ran to the door and in a muffled voice she spoke. "Hey hey hey! This is a clinic. Be respectful or we will have to leave." The doctor then pointed to the visitor's chair. "Take a seat."
Chastity defied the doctor.
"Take a seat Chastity! Now!" Madeline felt the need to step in and provide a calming voice in the midst of storm. "Please sit, Chast." The teen decided to take the seat.
"Harmony, Austin sit with your mom." Madeline tried to think of something poignant to say and calm the family but her mind drew a blank. The two younger children crawled into bed with their mother. "I know you want to hear something brilliant from me but I have nothing."
Chastity folded her arms in front of her chest and rolled her eyes. "Figures. No one has any answers here."
Madeline nodded in agreement. "I know Chast, and you know what? You have a right to be angry...but not at your mother." Tears were coming to the doctor's eyes. "I have known you guys since when? May? You are great kids! All I ask is you love and support your mother. She didn't make the cancer come back."
Chastity felt the guilt and ran towards Gwen and her siblings. She reached out to her brother and sister as her mother pulled her close to repeatedly kiss her time after time. The mother began wiping tears from her children's eyes as Dr. Fraser stepped back into the room.
"Madeline." Michael spoke softly to the doctor taking in the family moment. "Maddie, Toronto's on Zoom. I really want you to sit in on the call."
Madeline pressed her lips together then looked to the heavens. "Could use a little help down here." She sighed then followed Michael out of the room.
Zoom Call
Michael spoke first as Madeline wheeled an office chair to the computer. "Dr. Corber is here. Could you repeat what you have found in your two patients, Doctor?"
"Hello Dr. Corber." The Director of Toronto Oncology Clinic greeted Madeline then began into his assessment of his patients. "The cancer has proven difficult to flush from the system. Each time we reassessed our patients and ordered a different course of action the cancer appeared to weaken then it surged back each time. We are trying to make a connection between the four identical cases but even with an interpreter to translate our need to know we are unable to find a source."
Madeline slowly shook her head and spoke clearly. "All we know is that the two are nextdoor neighbors. They had spoken very few times before being diagnosed in late April early May."
"No interactions at all? They never socialized in the same place or a group of people?" The doctor searched for possibilities.
"Doctor, cancer is not communicable through personal interaction." Dr. Fraser scoffed.
"I am searching for environmental connections. Being neighbors is close enough for this possibility." The Toronto doctor fought the skepticism. "It seems very unlikely these four cases are independent of one another. I know I don't have to say it but I will...time is running out with these patients. Ask more questions so we can help them."
Madeline nodded as Michael disconnected from the zoom call.
"So we're still looking for a source?" Michael never had to look for a needle in a haystack before.
Madeline shrugged. "Those two have very little in common. They never even had take out from the same restaurant."
"They are next door neighbors! They share a fence, treeline, air...I don't know...could be anything." Michael stood in anger. "Damn it!"
Chastity exited her mother's room. "Hey, Dr. Corber?"
"Yeah...Chast, what is it?" Madeline appeared to be surprised by the smile on the teen's face.
"We've decided." Chastity shrugged. "You know as a family? To bring Mr. Fartham...ah, Jeremy back." She smiled again as she raised her eyebrows.
Madeline thought about it for a moment before smiling brightly. "Great idea, Chast!"
"Mom is like totally in love with another guy who ran away from her but who am I to say no to my mom?" Chastity looked to Madeline for help. "Can you contact him?"
"I...I will do my best." Madeline nodded and the eldest child returned to Gwen's room.
Dr. Fraser seemed surprised by the turn of spirits of the family. "I never would of guessed they would have asked that. I know she talked about Mr. Fartham but she is in love with him?"
"Totally, Michael." Madeline mimicked Chastity. "Let's bring the love birds together."
Michael pointed to Madeline. "Love is your department. I am the analytical, realist. I care but I keep my distance." She looked at him. "I really do care but I am not great at this love thing."
"Get out of here!" Madeline half laughed as Michael quickly made his exit.
Dr. Corber made a call to Pete checking up on Jeremy's condition.
"Oh hey, Madeline." Pete sounded happier than expected. "How are things there?"
"Not so great. Really lousy to be honest, Pete." Madeline paused before inquiring. "Say Pete, do you think Jeremy can travel?"
Pete sort of laughed.
"Pete, why are you laughing at me?" Madeline was taken aback by his jovial mood. "Have you been drinking, Pete?"
"Yes, the Migster and I have been drinking." Pete raised his glass to Miguel. "Celebrating with the grandfather!"
Madeline rolled her eyes. "Pete, answer my question - Can Jeremy travel back to Canada?"
"Ask him yourself." Pete stumbled to his best friend. "Maddie wants to know something, I forget what she asked but it seems pretty important." The doctor overheard Pete fumble through the conversation before hearing the phone drop to the floor.
Jeremy reached the phone from floor. "Maddie?"
"Jeremy! Can you travel?" The doctor asked.
"Can I travel?" Jeremy sat up fully now. "Travel? Yeah, I mean I think so."
"Jeremy...Gwen has taken a turn for the worst." Madeline breathed heavily. "And she wants you here with her."
"Gwen wants me there?" Jeremy smiled. "Even after I ran?"
"Even after you ran!" Madeline liked the cheerful mood in his voice. "Go figure?"
"Then yeah! I will be back as soon as I can find a passport and a ticket." Jeremy looked at his bare feet. "Maybe a pair of shoes as well."
Madeline frowned before adding. "Don't take too long."