"Now." The doctor began, stepping into his office after them, "It does appear to be a tumor." He quickly continued, "However we've caught it very early. We'll obviously have to do some tests and figure out what we're dealing with. But I'd encourage you both to remain positive."
Mark squeezed her hand, nodding for the doctor.
She turned and smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"So, we'll set up some appointments and get onto this as soon as possible." The doctor finished.
"That wasn't so bad." Mark said as they walked away.
"Yeah." Susan agreed half-heartedly.
"Though going into the MRI is scary – like going into a tomb." He tried desperately to lighten the mood. It didn't work. "Let's get some lunch." He deadpanned.
Susan sat down opposite him in the diner and looked at the menu, not seeing it at all.
"We'll have two cups of white coffee and I'll have a cheeseburger." Mark told the waitress.
"Yeah, same." Susan pushed the menu aside and looked at Mark.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm going somewhere."
"Sorry." She looked down, scratching one eyebrow.
He reached out and took her hands. "I need you not to give up." He pleaded honestly.
"I'm not giving up… I'm just… just scared."
"Me too."
"I know, I'm just… I don't know if I'm strong enough to…" she sighed, not sure how to explain herself, "You keep looking at me like I'm some kind of… angel. I know you think I'm strong, but I'm not."
"Yes you are." He squeezed her hands begging her to look at him.
She looked up with tears in her eyes. "I love you Mark."
"Then I'm gonna be fine." He smiled through his own tears.
"Okay." She smiled back and kissed him over the table, not wanting to break the connection.
"Did I mention that you are the best medicine on the market?"
"That doesn't sound very scientific."
Their food arrived.
"No, but no one ever proved that Cheeseburgers work like anti-depressants, and yet I have to believe it."
She grinned – even now he could laugh, and make her laugh. "You're amazing." She whispered.
"Love is blind."
"Bollocks. Love just sees more than anyone else sees – so people think it's blind. It's only cause I see… all… of you that I adore the smudgy bits as well as the perfection."
He smiled at her, chewing on an unfortunately large mouthful of burger that had smeared all over his face.
"If someone only sees you from a distance, they can't understand… they don't really see you – and they certainly don't see what I see. Or else I'd have more competition."
"No you wouldn't. Compared to you…?" he shook his head, taking another healthy bite. "Your burger's getting cold." He almost choked.
She laughed at his awful manners and picked up her burger. As soon as he swallowed she said through her mouthful, "You're not going to want to go skating again are you."
And it's a good thing he wasn't eating cause he would have choked.
Mark squeezed her hand, nodding for the doctor.
She turned and smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"So, we'll set up some appointments and get onto this as soon as possible." The doctor finished.
"That wasn't so bad." Mark said as they walked away.
"Yeah." Susan agreed half-heartedly.
"Though going into the MRI is scary – like going into a tomb." He tried desperately to lighten the mood. It didn't work. "Let's get some lunch." He deadpanned.
Susan sat down opposite him in the diner and looked at the menu, not seeing it at all.
"We'll have two cups of white coffee and I'll have a cheeseburger." Mark told the waitress.
"Yeah, same." Susan pushed the menu aside and looked at Mark.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm going somewhere."
"Sorry." She looked down, scratching one eyebrow.
He reached out and took her hands. "I need you not to give up." He pleaded honestly.
"I'm not giving up… I'm just… just scared."
"Me too."
"I know, I'm just… I don't know if I'm strong enough to…" she sighed, not sure how to explain herself, "You keep looking at me like I'm some kind of… angel. I know you think I'm strong, but I'm not."
"Yes you are." He squeezed her hands begging her to look at him.
She looked up with tears in her eyes. "I love you Mark."
"Then I'm gonna be fine." He smiled through his own tears.
"Okay." She smiled back and kissed him over the table, not wanting to break the connection.
"Did I mention that you are the best medicine on the market?"
"That doesn't sound very scientific."
Their food arrived.
"No, but no one ever proved that Cheeseburgers work like anti-depressants, and yet I have to believe it."
She grinned – even now he could laugh, and make her laugh. "You're amazing." She whispered.
"Love is blind."
"Bollocks. Love just sees more than anyone else sees – so people think it's blind. It's only cause I see… all… of you that I adore the smudgy bits as well as the perfection."
He smiled at her, chewing on an unfortunately large mouthful of burger that had smeared all over his face.
"If someone only sees you from a distance, they can't understand… they don't really see you – and they certainly don't see what I see. Or else I'd have more competition."
"No you wouldn't. Compared to you…?" he shook his head, taking another healthy bite. "Your burger's getting cold." He almost choked.
She laughed at his awful manners and picked up her burger. As soon as he swallowed she said through her mouthful, "You're not going to want to go skating again are you."
And it's a good thing he wasn't eating cause he would have choked.