Disclaimers in Chapter 1
Author's Notes: Thank you, first of all, for the excellent feedback I've been getting. I want to say that getting the details right is very important to me, and I really appreciate any input people can give me. jcd1013, I did go back and re-work some of the doctor's comments. Professer, I was going by something I read that said that stage II ovarian cancer has about a 69 cure rate, but if you're a med student you probably know more about this than me. And I'm sure you do need more than an X-ray. I didn't intend to describe the whole process of detecting cancer, but I figured there was probably an X-ray involved somewhere. Jen, I could be wrong about this (someone tell me if I am) but I think that in Emily's case a hysterectomy would be considered emergency surgery and they would therefore perform it as soon as possible. If I got anything wrong in this chapter (I really hope I didn't) I apologize, and please let me know.
Chapter 3
Richard wasn't too concerned when Emily's car was gone Thursday night, and still gone Friday morning. He figured she was out on another date—he'd heard the rumors about Simon MacLaine—and had stayed the night. The thought pained him, and angered him as well. How dare she? She was still his wife, and despite Emily's suspicions, he'd never dated anyone else, and his involvement with Pennilyn Lott had never gone beyond the lunches. She had no right to be out flirting with men like a teenager. Who did she think she was?
After mulling over that possibility for awhile, he wondered if perhaps she was back to staying in a hotel. Maybe her maid had quit or taken ill. He knew that Emily couldn't survive a day without some kind of hired help, and if she couldn't find it at home, she'd find it in a hotel.
His concern only came Friday night when Lorelai and Rory came to the pool house and Lorelai said, "So, the appetizers and the entrée both here tonight, Dad?"
Richard looked up, frowning. "Excuse me?"
"Mom called and told me she couldn't make dinner tonight," Lorelai said, taking off her coat. "She didn't say why."
"Is that so?" Richard peered through the pool house window to the house. There were no lights on and seemed to be no sign that anyone was there.
"You have any idea where she is, Dad? Barring that one time a couple of months ago, you and Mom never miss these dinners without telling us why."
Richard let out a short, bitter laugh. "You mother and I do not often discuss our whereabouts with each other as of late."
"Which opens us to infinite possibilities concerning where Emily could in fact be." Lorelai gasped and turned to Rory. "She has a secret life as a spy!"
"She's a real-life Irina Derevko!" Rory chimed in.
"I wish I'd known," Richard murmured. "I would have had something prepared."
"Well, that's okay, Grandpa," said Rory. "Do you have another frozen pizza? You said you'd get some more after we ate out here last time."
Richard managed a smile. "As a matter of fact, I do, Rory."
After Lorelai and Rory left, Richard dialed Emily's cell phone and got her voice mail, where he left a message. And the next day, Emily called him back. Her breathing was labored and nervous, and the idea that she had something to be guilty about—a date, perhaps—crossed Richard's mind again.
"I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner," Emily said, and paused. Her voice broke when she spoke again. "Richard, forgive me for putting this on you now, but...when I saw my doctor, they detected something." She paused. "Richard, they believe I have…ovarian cancer."
Richard did not move. Emily's statement was so completely unexpected that he couldn't process it at first.
"Richard?"
"There must be some mistake," Richard said finally. "You've never been sick a day in your life, Emily. How could—"
"I know, Richard. But…the fact remains, I am in the hospital recovering from a hysterectomy as we speak."
"What?" Richard gasped.
"They performed it yesterday. I'm waiting for test results now." Emily's voice had taken on a dull, emotionless tone.
"But…" Richard tried to collect his thoughts. "What hospital are you in?"
"Hartford Memorial."
"I will be there immediately, Emily," he said, summoning up a firm and sturdy tone. "I'll get there as soon as I can."
When he got to Emily's room, he found her staring vacantly into space. The sight was jarring. She looked empty, more empty than he'd seen her since Lorelai had run away and she'd lain in bed for a month.
He cleared his throat and Emily turned to him. "Emily," he said, his voice breaking.
Emily's eyes misted as they took him in. "Richard," she managed, and at once his arms were around her and her head was buried in his chest. The love that had never truly died seized Richard, choking his throat. How he'd missed holding his wife like this!
"I'm so scared, Richard," she sobbed. "I should have called you earlier, but…"
"Shh…" he soothed. "Don't worry, Emily. I'm here now."
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The doctor was smiling when he came in.
"Well, I have some good news, Mrs. Gilmore," he said. "The cancer has not spread to your lymph nodes, which means that the chemotherapy has a greater chance of working."
"But chemo is still necessary?"
"It's your best option at this point," the doctor replied. "We could begin tomorrow."
"So soon?" Emily asked anxiously.
"Ovarian cancer spreads quickly, so it's best to start as soon as possible. What we would do is to insert a catheter into a vein to administer the chemo. You would receive six rounds of chemo, three weeks each. The first round would be administered in the hospital so that we can work out the combination of chemo drugs that's best for you, and the subsequent rounds would be administered on an outpatient basis."
"Three weeks," said Emily faintly. "I'd be hospitalized for three weeks?"
"It would be best. The initial doses will probably be very uncomfortable. You'll most likely have nausea, fatigue…you may become anemic and experience hair loss."
Richard braced himself, expecting a full-on tirade from Emily about how she would not lose her hair, she would not allow it, but it never came. Emily simply had one hand absently clutching her hair as her eyes filled with tears. So Richard launched into the tirade for her.
"Are there not drugs to help her deal with these side effects?" he demanded. "My wife will not be put through unnecessary suffering! She must have the best care available to her. I will not stand for anything less!"
"There are indeed drugs that can help with the anemia and minimize hair loss," replied the doctor, "but there are no guarantees. And I assure you, Mr. Gilmore, your wife is in good hands."
When the doctor left, Richard reached for his wife's hand. "I'll speak to as many people as possible," he said firmly. "We will not settle. You will be treated only by the very best doctors, Emily. You deserve nothing less." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I've missed you, Emily."
Emily smiled through teary eyes. "Please come home, Richard," she said. "Get out of that damn pool house."
"Not today," he said. "I wouldn't let them drag me away from you tonight." He opened his arms and closed them around her again.
After a period of silence, Emily said, "We need to tell Lorelai and Rory. As soon as possible."
"Yes," murmured Richard. He knew he'd have to let go of Emily to call his daughter and granddaughter, but he never wanted to let her go again.
To be continued…
Feedback appreciated as always.
