Chapter eighteen: Running up that hill
The following afternoon,
Kate's stomach swirled as her mind struggled to comprehend what it was the doctor was actually telling her. "It's really nothing to worry about, the surgery is simple. If the tumor is not cancerous, I can just remove it and you'll be fine."
"And," she croaked. "if it's cancerous?" She was fairly certain she knew what it was he was going to say.
"I will have to remove the entire breast so none of the glandular tissue is left." The doctor's calm tone didn't assure her. "After your body has healed, you can wear some padding and no one will be any wiser that you've had the surgery."
Kate nodded. "When can you schedule the surgery?"
He exhaled and glanced at his calendar. "Next week, Tuesday afternoon?"
She nodded numbly. "Yes. Thank you."
"You're lucky to have caught it this early." The doctor assured her. "We can actually do something about it."
Yet Kate didn't feel so lucky. Thomas had wanted to balance scales and he had, but this time, he may have saved her life again. But how was she going to tell him this?"
Back at the Shelby home,
Kate rang the doorbell and she gripped her purse tightly as she waited for the door to open. The butler, Mr. Elton opened the door and he smiled. "Good afternoon Miss."
"Good afternoon Elton." She stepped inside the house. "Is, Mr. Shelby in?"
"Yes Miss. May I take your coat?"
"No." She shakes her head. "I'm not staying. Just here to pay the rent."
"I see and may I state, it's always nice to have you back on the property? Everyone is much more….chipper, shall we say?"
"Why?" Kate's smiled slightly for the first time since London. "Is he being intolerable again?"
"Horribly." He gestured towards the library. "He's in the library."
"No need to announce me. I'll surprise him."
He nodded. "Very good Miss."
She bit her lip and approached the library door. She hesitated before knocking. How was she going to be able to tell him what was going to happen in a few days? She brought her hand up to knock as she heard two men making a gagging sound on the other side.
"Christ!" That was Arthur. "That stuff has a bite to it!"
"I'll say this," Thomas coughed. "she thinks up unique gifts. F**k, that has a punch." She smiles as she taps on the door. "Come in."
Kate pushes the door in. "Hello gentlemen." Both men spin around glasses in hand. She smirks. "Never, drink tequila by the glassful. Shot glasses are the best. I'll have to teach you two how to drink it the proper way."
Thomas chuckles as he hands his glass over to Arthur. "Kate," she smiles as he approaches her and pulls her into an embrace. She closes her eyes and holds onto him tightly, not wanting to let go of this moment. He presses a kiss to her brow. "good to have you back." Those words caused her heart to stop in her chest. She held onto him tightly. His hands stilled on her back and he held onto her tighter, as if sensing that her heart was troubled. "Are you alright Kate?"
She paused for a long moment, inhaling deeply before nodding. "I will be."
He pulled away so he could study her face. "Did something happen with your family?"
She stepped away. "No, there's something else going on, but first," she cleared her throat as she crossed her hands. "I've come to say goodbye, as I'm leaving for a few weeks." Thomas frowns, as if he's already picked up that something's wrong. She hastened to explain as she reaches into the purse for her rent. "It's just for a few weeks, so, here's the rent."
"Never mind that for the moment." Thomas asked as he gripped a hold of her shoulders, ignoring the envelope. "When we were in London, you said nothing about leaving, so I know something's happened. What is it?"
"I have to have surgery." He blinked. "I have to stay in London and I should recover in a few weeks."
"What do you need surgery for?" he questioned. She bites her lower lip, not wanting to say anything in front of Arthur. Thomas nods his head in understanding as he turns towards Arthur. "Arthur, do you mind?"
Arthur nods. "Sure."
Kate bites her lip, knowing the moment Arthur shuts the door that Thomas is going to pull the information out of her. "Ok," Thomas rubs her shoulders reassuringly. "I know that having surgery is personal but…will there be any complications?" She bites her lip tighter. "I just want to know…is it dangerous?" Again, she doesn't say anything. "Kate, I'm trying to respect your privacy, but I will go f**king mad if I don't have some idea."
"Thomas," she inhales as she covers her eyes, unable to bear the look in his eyes. "I may have breast cancer."
She can't see his face, but she feels his entire body stiffen. "What?" He gently removes her hand from her eyes. "Kate, how'd you find out?"
Kate let out a bitter laugh. "You saved my life, again. In….the hotel room, you touched me. It hurt and…I found a lump. So…I had my doctor check me the very next day."
"And, how is this all going to go down?" He asked ."How long will you be gone?"
"Tuesday, I'm…having surgery to remove the tumor, but if it if is cancer, my breast will need to be removed." His expression betrayed nothing. "And…I'll be staying in London until I make a complete recovery."
"Where are you staying?" He inquired. "For your recovery."
She exhaled. "With my father."
Thomas shook his head. "No. No f**king way."
"He's agreed to pay for a private nurse and I get a whole suite to myself."
"I don't want you there." He states. "I can put you up in a house, get you a private nurse as well."
"I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine." She states. "He promised that he and my brother will stay away from me. While we have our differences, he just wants me to recover at home and know that I'm out of danger."
"You could stay here."
She shakes her head. "That's very tempting and kind of you, but, I need to stay near my doctor, in case of infection."
He exhales. "I don't like this Kate, but, you're the nurse and I trust your judgement. How long will you be recovering?"
"It depends on how the operation goes. It could be a week if he removes the tumor. Or," she inhales. "it could be 4-6 weeks, if it's cancer."Her voice breaks as he pulls her into a hug. "I'm scared."
"I know, I know." he holds onto her tightly. "But you can do this. You survived the war, losing a fiancé, you can beat this."
"I just," he pulls away and studies her face. "I just get so tired of constantly running up hills in my life. I just…I want some peace and silence in my life."
"You'll get it." he assured her. "If things get too stressful over there and you need help, just call me. I'll come and bring you back here. I'll even pay your doctor to have him come down and check on you daily."
"Thank you." she stretched up and brushed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "That's just what I wanted to hear."
"I mean it Kate." He assured her. 'If you need me, I'll be there."
"You're a good man Thomas." He pulled her into another hug and she held onto him for a few more minutes. Neither said anything; all that was heard was the sound of the clock ticking. After what seemed like ten minutes, she whispered. "I've got to pack and close up the cottage."
"Right. I'll send a maid down to help you." She begins to shake her head. "Kate, this will be hard enough. I want you to try and take it easy."
She bites her lip. "Where are Ruby and Charlie?"
He exhales. "Out on a walk. Do you want to see them?"
Kate sighs. "I don't know. I do want to say goodbye but…I don't want to see the looks on their faces when I have to tell them I'll be gone for a few weeks. We were in the middle of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table."
He chuckles. "The book can wait Kate. I promise, I'll read to them while you're gone." He places his hand on her waist as he guides her out of the library. "If they come back, I'll just tell them you had to go to the hospital."
She shakes her head. "I don't want to worry them."
"Kate, they're attached to you. They're going to worry, whether you like it or not." He opens the door for her to find Elton and Arthur loitering in the hall. "Now," he speaks in a gentler tone as he places a hand on her shoulder. "call me from the hospital, so I know the surgery was a success. Ok?"
Kate smiles faintly at him. "Or else, you'll worry?"
"Damn right I will." He turns her towards him, his expression caring. "It's going to be alright Kate."
She nods. "I know, it's just that I-
She never got to finish that sentence. Thomas pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. Kate clung to him, desperately needing some of his strength in this moment. Kate inhaled, breathing in the smell of whiskey, cigarettes and horse on him, imprinting this second on her memory. In this moment, it was as if he could make this whole crisis looming over her go away.
After a few moments, he broke the kiss. He cleared his throat. "I'll drive you once you're packed up." He clearly wanted to say something else, but, it appears that was all he could say in the moment. Not that she blamed him. There was a lot she wanted to say to him now, but she couldn't find the words.
"I can't allow that." She shakes her head. "You just came back home and you've got-
"I'm driving you, no arguing." He states. "Now, Elton will send a maid down to help you with your packing. Call me when you're done so I can pick you up. No taxis. I'm going to be there." Kate's eyes watered. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry, I'm just, overly emotional, it's nice to have someone who cares."
"You're part of the family, Kate." Arthur adds from his position on the porch as he approaches her. "Not sure what's happening, but, we're here."
She wipes her eyes. "I'm sorry there," Thomas wraps an arm around her shoulders. "there hasn't been anyone for years. I'm not used to this."
Thomas turns to Elton. "Kate's going to need help packing up her cottage." Elton glances towards her in surprise. "She's leaving us for a bit, because she's needing surgery. I don't want her getting worn out, so don't let her work too hard."
"None of us do Sir." Elton states. "I shall fetch my daughter and personally supervise it."
Thomas nods. "Thank you. Don't let her work too hard. She needs her strength."
"Of course Sir." Elton turns to her. "And may I say, that I shall keep you in my prayers?" She nods. "This house has been less gloomy since you walked in through its doors."
Kate smiled. "Thank you."
As Elton walked away, Thomas stated. "If you and Arthur weren't attached to him, I'd have him fired."
Kate laughs. "You would not!" She pauses at the foot of the steps and turns, a faint smile on her face for him. "I guess I'll see you in a few hours?"
"Of course."
As she walked down the porch steps, she heard Arthur mutter. "That there's a good woman. Don't let her go."
Thomas said something in Romani to Arthur. She wasn't sure what it was, but she hoped it was akin to "I don't intend to."
