We have focused a lot on Davis and his situation. Sorry to leave you hanging with that, but we need to go back to Tessa. We need to make sure she doesn’t get lost in the story. It’s all about balance, and I want to make sure I have that. So, with that out of the way, here is Chapter 14 of What Would You Do.
Chapter 14
The surgeon entered the room, his heart breaking as he looked at his young patient. Dr. Elias was great at his job and he was confident in his skill. However, whenever it involved a child he felt the stakes were even higher. Somewhere in this hospital this little girl’s family was praying for a miracle. The nurses looked at him as he approached. He took a deep breath and then began, letting his mind focus only on the task at hand and not the age of the child. She was too young but he knew cancer didn’t care about age.
What Would You Do
Tessa and her parents sat in the waiting room. It had been hours since Susie had been wheeled into surgery. The staff had tried to reassure them. Dr. Elias was a professional with an eighty nine percent success in these scenarios. Susie was getting the best surgical team the hospital had. The Rhodes heard the underlying implications. The best meant the most expensive. Right now Susie’s health was the only thing that mattered. They would worry about the money later.
“Rhodes?” The family looked up to see a doctor looking around. They quickly stood up and hurried over to him. He looked exhausted, but he was smiling. “Susie did great. We were able to remove a substantial amount of the tumour. Unfortunately, we couldn’t remove all of it. She will still require chemotherapy once she has recovered.” The family sighed. John was the first to find his voice.
“We were told there was a possibility of side effects? Can you clarify any of that?” Dr. Elias shook his head, his kind brown eyes sympathetic.
“A neurologist will run Susie through some tests when she is well enough. They will be able to answer that question a lot better than I can. All I can tell you is that Susie’s chances of beating this have increased substantially.” John managed a smile.
“Thank you doctor.”
Chapter 14
A few hours later Susie was settled into her room and her family was allowed to enter. They were told to call for a doctor as soon as she woke up and not to address her by name. The neurologist wanted to see what she remembered on her own. Tessa settled into a chair by the window, her eyes heavy. Her mother got a blanket and covered her with it.
“Try to get some sleep. We will wake you if she wakes up.” Tessa was too exhausted to argue and was soon fast asleep. John leaned against the wall, his eyes on his eldest daughter. She had taken on so much responsibility since Susie’s diagnosis. It didn’t seem fair that her life stopped because he couldn’t find work. Amanda must have read the guilt on his face and crossed the room to hug him. “Stop beating yourself up. We will get through this.” He just held her, not able to sum up the courage to speak.
What Would You Do
Tessa woke up feeling incredibly stiff from sleeping in the chair. The room was dark but she could make out the form of her mother, curled up in the bed with Susie. Her father was slumped in another chair. Unfolding herself from the chair, Tessa stretched and tiptoed to the door. Slipping out of the room, she blinked at the sudden brightness of the hallway lights. A nurse looked up from the desk and Tessa managed a smile as she approached.
“Can you point me towards the bathroom?” Her stomach growled, bringing a smile from the nurse. “And maybe a vending machine.” The nurse pointed down the hall.
“Bathrooms are just down there to your left. Vending machines are a bit further, next to the elevators. If you go down to the main floor there is a cafeteria that is open at all hours. The food isn’t the greatest, but it’s better than vending machine food.” Tessa shared a small laugh with her before thanking her and heading to the bathrooms.
Chapter 14
Tessa eyed her sandwich suspiciously. She wasn’t sure if it was lettuce or mould on her cheese. Sighing, she opened up the sandwich and tossed the cheese out, investigating the rest before being satisfied. As she ate her sandwich she looked around the cafeteria. Most of the other people were staff members on their break. There were two men sitting in the corner drinking coffee, speaking to each other in hushed tones, but they seemed to be the only other people who didn’t have staff badges.
Finishing her meal, Tessa walked over to the garbage cans, tossing out the garbage and suspicious cheese before exiting the cafeteria. After being assured that she wouldn’t be locked out of the hospital by the security guard, Tessa went outside to get some fresh air. As she strolled through the parking lot she thought about the financial burden that her family was under. Getting a proper job would be great, but she couldn’t afford to go to school right now. All she could do was hope that customers would be generous with their tips. Suddenly a hand clamped over her mouth, a rag covering her face. A strong arm wrapped around her, pinning her arms at her side. She struggled desperately to get away and then her world went black.
Wait. What Just Happened?
Okay, so one minute everything is peaceful and serene and then BAM! Now Tessa has been abducted? What is going on? How much more can the Rhodes family take? Why is she being taken? Guess you will have to wait to find out. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. And to all you mothers out there – Happy Mother’s Day!
