In which we find out who Wilson's patient is.

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments, and even if you don't have the time to leave me a line or two, for reading my story.

Chapter 19. BAD NEWS JIM

Mr. and Mrs. Swenson were waiting for me. Ingrid clutched some papers and a disk from her doctor. She looked petrified, but that wasn't so unusual. If your doctor sent you to an Oncologist, you'd be too. Just hearing that word seems to scare people.

I sat down and, as calmly as possible I asked her, "Has Dr. Madison explained why he sent you to me?" She looked at her husband who answered for her.

"He said he saw something on a scan and felt something when he examined her. He wants you to evaluate his results, find out if it's a cancer." Mr. Swenson stared at me.

"He probably said a tumor. If we see that it is, then we'll biopsy it to find out if it's cancerous or benign, determine the size and whether it's spread." I've found that if I spell everything out in a matter-of-fact way, it helps later on.

"Give Dr. Wilson the disk," Mr. Swenson ordered his wife. It was obvious he was used to being in charge. Was he frightened, too, underneath? His need to be in control was probably helping him control his fear.

"Why don't you tell me what led you to go to Dr. Madison in the first place," I

prompted, addressing them both. I wasn't surprised anymore when Mr. Swenson answered.

"My wife has been having stomach cramps for a while, but we just thought it was some women's ailment." Translation: he'd dismissed her complaints as unimportant. She was in her sixties, so this was hardly menstrual cramps. "When the pain became severe, I insisted she see a doctor." He should have taken her to one sooner, or she should have gone without him.

"Have you told Audra yet?" I asked.

"She'll be devastated!" Ingrid finally spoke. I wasn't in a position to tell them that it would be even worse if this really was serious and they hadn't told her.

"Well, let's take a look." I slipped the disk into my computer. The results of Madison's tests, including the colonoscopy and PET scan, were all there. I could see the suspicious spot he had found. Unfortunately, it didn't look good. It was large and there were additional splinter spots indicating that it had spread. "I'm going to have to do further tests," I told them.

Mr. Swenson sighed. "Where do we go for these tests?"

"I want to admit her. Remove the growth and do a biopsy." As I studied the scan I tried not to telescope my own fears. Unsuccessfully, I guess.

"How do we tell our granddaughter?" Ingrid pleaded. "Nils, you'll have to tell her I'm in the hospital. You know how much she hates hospitals!"

The man nodded. I've seen the sadness and dread in too many family members. I should be used to it by now, but I'm not.

"Mrs. Swenson, we'll do everything we can to take care of you." I tried to

reassure her.

"I know you will," she said softly.

I handed Mr. Swenson the sheet with the order to admit Ingrid overnight for testing, then watched as they slowly walked out.

A little while after they left, there was a knock on my door as House barged in. Why was I not surprised?

"What did the Swensons want?" he asked.

"You know I can't tell you that!" I objected, thereby telling him all he wanted to know. One of them was my patient and he knew as well as I did what that meant. He watched my face, probably to see how serious it was. But I quickly changed the subject. "Guess we're rid of Dr. Douche."

House nodded. "I heard your wife went after him with both barrels."

"You could say that." I smiled at the thought. "But now he's threatening to sue the hospital."

He brushed that off. Maybe someone who's been sued as many times as he has can

dismiss threats like that, but I couldn't. Too bad that wasn't the worst of our

worries.

Chapter 20. DOCTOR, LAWYER, INDIAN CHIEF - 5:30 PM

"Are Alex's eyes gonna stay blue?" I asked Dad.

"What?" He seemed to have been thinking about something else. "Do they teach you about genetics in fourth grade?" he finally asked as my question sank in.

"Third," I reply. "If the mother has green eyes and the father has blue, than the baby could have either, right?"

"It's not that simple, but probably. Why do you ask?"

"No real reason. It's just something I wondered. I remembered that most babies have lighter eyes when they're born but then they can change, or not."

"Some ethnic groups only have brown eyes," he points out.

"Oh." I think about that a minute. It's true. The Asian kids I know, like Nelson and Em's friend Ningfang, all had dark eyes and black hair, and the black kids mostly had brown eyes and black hair, too. Then I begin to wonder how much genetics has to do with the way we each look. Does it also decide the things we're good at and like to do?

I remember the day our class got to pick the jobs we'd have at 'Our Town'. Was there any doubt that I chose to be a doctor? Back then I thought doctors could solve every problem, that they were om-ni-po-tent. That was my new favorite word.

But Tommy surprised us. He wanted to be the Mayor. Elizabeth decided she'd be a

teacher. It was a good choice. She always explains things very well and she's very patient. Nelson and Monique wanted to be musicians, of course, but those weren't jobs, so Nelson, who's good in math, would be our banker. And the always fashionable Monique would run the dress store.

I couldn't convince Audra to be a doctor, too, or a nurse so we could work together. I understood. She hated hospitals, and she didn't think doctors were omnipotent. We didn't know about her grandmother at the time, but Audra was there when her mother spent so much time in the hospital before she died. No, Audra much preferred to be a baker and run a bakery. I realized I still hadn't taken her to Games and Grub, but maybe she'd like Ttingel's more.

Ruth wanted to be a nurse. I figured it was because she took care of her mother so much and thought she already knew something about nursing. Everyone else picked their jobs: policemen and shopkeepers, auto mechanics and a dentist, even a minister and a rabbi.

Tara was the last. I think she wanted to be King, or rather Queen, but that wasn't on the list. Even Mrs. Bean, who doesn't get angry often, was becoming frustrated with her.

"You can be the chief of police or the fire chief," Mrs. Bean suggested. "Or a lawyer or a judge."

"I want to be Mayor," Tara said.

"But Tommy's already chosen that," Mrs. Bean reasoned, and we all nodded in agreement.

Everyone liked the idea of Tommy as Mayor. I don't think anyone wanted Tara to have the job.

"Well, who bosses the Mayor?" Tara asked.

"The people of the town." Mrs. Bean explained. "He has to answer to them, since they elected him."

"Then we should have an election, me against Tommy."

Didn't she know she'd never win? Everyone liked Tommy, and very few of the kids liked her. I may have been the only one who even tried to. I think Mrs. Bean realized how disappointed Tara would be if there were an election.

"OK, how about this?" Mrs. Bean said. "Tara and Tommy can share the job."

A few of the kids groaned, but Tommy didn't seem to mind the arrangement. I knew she wouldn't be able to boss him around, even though she probably thought she could. I wasn't even sure anymore that I wanted to be her friend.