Chapter 7: All for Nothing
[Dean]
Three days later, after MRIS, CAT scans, and X-rays Dr. Thomas called Dean into his office. Dean squeezed Rory's hand. Dr. Thomas came in with a dark expression on his face. Dean's heart dropped down to the pit of his stomach. This isn't going to be good, he thought.
"We're not seeing the kind of progress that we'd hoped to see in reducing the size of the tumor," Dr. Thomas said. "It hasn't shrunk appreciably."
Dean turned to look at Rory. Her eyes widened. Her face paled.
"I can't have the surgery?" Dean said.
"Not a lot of neurosurgeons would attempt this type of surgery," Dr. Thomas said. "It's not just the size of the tumor, it's where it's located- around the brainstem and cerebellum."
"What if you did the surgery anyway?" Rory asked.
"We could paralyze or kill him," Dr. Thomas said.
"What about more radiation?" Dean asked.
"Radiation didn't work, and because you had radiation when you were a child, we can't put him through that again."
"Then what?"
"The tumor is dormant right now and it could remain so. I'm sorry, Mr. Forester. I wish I had better news for you."
The man was being purposely elusive which made anger surge through Dean's veins. He released Rory's hand and stood up.
"It's there it's not there," he said, angrily. "You can remove it. You can't. Can you make up your mind?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Forester," Dr. Thomas repeated.
"You know what?" Dean said, standing up. "I have nothing left to say to you, except THANKS FOR NOTHING!"
[Rory]
"Dean," Rory called.
But, Dean walked out and shut the door. Rory looked at Dr. Thomas apologetically.
"Look, can we come back for another check-up?" Rory asked.
"Come back in a month and we'll see how he's doing," Dr. Thomas said.
"Thanks," Rory said.
Rory got up from the chair and turned down where Dean was heading out the exit. She ran to catch up to him.
"DEAN!" she called. "STOP!"
Dean stopped by the car and waited for Rory to catch to him.
"Dean, calm down," Rory said.
"Calm down?" Dean said. "I'm going to die!"
"No, you're not," Rory said. "The tumor is dormant. That doesn't mean that you're going to die."
"But, I'm going to have to live with a huge thing in my head," Dean said.
"Dean, I'm sorry," Rory said.
Dean sighed.
"It's not your fault," he said, calmly. "I just wish I could've had the surgery."
Rory gave Dean a hug. They stayed like that for a while. Rory wished she knew what to say to him. In the past few weeks he was able to calm her down. Now she wished she knew what to say.
To Be Continued......
A/N: Still dragging it out. Chapter 8 is coming soon.
[Dean]
Three days later, after MRIS, CAT scans, and X-rays Dr. Thomas called Dean into his office. Dean squeezed Rory's hand. Dr. Thomas came in with a dark expression on his face. Dean's heart dropped down to the pit of his stomach. This isn't going to be good, he thought.
"We're not seeing the kind of progress that we'd hoped to see in reducing the size of the tumor," Dr. Thomas said. "It hasn't shrunk appreciably."
Dean turned to look at Rory. Her eyes widened. Her face paled.
"I can't have the surgery?" Dean said.
"Not a lot of neurosurgeons would attempt this type of surgery," Dr. Thomas said. "It's not just the size of the tumor, it's where it's located- around the brainstem and cerebellum."
"What if you did the surgery anyway?" Rory asked.
"We could paralyze or kill him," Dr. Thomas said.
"What about more radiation?" Dean asked.
"Radiation didn't work, and because you had radiation when you were a child, we can't put him through that again."
"Then what?"
"The tumor is dormant right now and it could remain so. I'm sorry, Mr. Forester. I wish I had better news for you."
The man was being purposely elusive which made anger surge through Dean's veins. He released Rory's hand and stood up.
"It's there it's not there," he said, angrily. "You can remove it. You can't. Can you make up your mind?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Forester," Dr. Thomas repeated.
"You know what?" Dean said, standing up. "I have nothing left to say to you, except THANKS FOR NOTHING!"
[Rory]
"Dean," Rory called.
But, Dean walked out and shut the door. Rory looked at Dr. Thomas apologetically.
"Look, can we come back for another check-up?" Rory asked.
"Come back in a month and we'll see how he's doing," Dr. Thomas said.
"Thanks," Rory said.
Rory got up from the chair and turned down where Dean was heading out the exit. She ran to catch up to him.
"DEAN!" she called. "STOP!"
Dean stopped by the car and waited for Rory to catch to him.
"Dean, calm down," Rory said.
"Calm down?" Dean said. "I'm going to die!"
"No, you're not," Rory said. "The tumor is dormant. That doesn't mean that you're going to die."
"But, I'm going to have to live with a huge thing in my head," Dean said.
"Dean, I'm sorry," Rory said.
Dean sighed.
"It's not your fault," he said, calmly. "I just wish I could've had the surgery."
Rory gave Dean a hug. They stayed like that for a while. Rory wished she knew what to say to him. In the past few weeks he was able to calm her down. Now she wished she knew what to say.
To Be Continued......
A/N: Still dragging it out. Chapter 8 is coming soon.
