Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Ainslee Harper.
A/N: Hey guys thanks for the reviews, hope you enjoy this chapter. My medical jargon is not too brilliant but I tried to research this as best as I could! Off to work now, to serve the masses at Tescos! Enjoy.
"I'm sorry Ms. Harper but the brain tumor you have seems to have grown at such a large scale. Its spread throughout the brain", the doctor began looking at his chart and then at Kara.
She felt unable to catch her breath, "What?" It was almost as if she hadn't heard him but she knew she had.
"Its a grade four malignant tumor. If it helps I can explain what has happened?" The doctor wondered.
She nodded, clueless of the horror that was about to unfold.
"Astrocytomas represents the most common type of glioma. And they develop from the supporting cells of the brain, which are star-shaped glial cells called astrocytes. With children it is considered to be more of low-grade tumour where in adults it is a high-grade tumour. Normally with Astrocytoma we would determine a course of Radiation Therapy after surgery. But in your case Ms. Harper the tumour is too advanced. With most higher grades cases, the astrocytomas have a tentacle like structure, which invades the surrounding tissue, which adds to the increase in intacranial pressure. These tentacles make it hard to remove the tumour through surgery. Sometimes the symptoms do not appear, until a trauma occurs like a car crash where it may be discovered during a head scan", the doctor ended.
The tears in her eyes were evident, "So I'm dying?"
He nodded, not being able to say it himself. "I'm sorry", He mumbled.
"Don't be, its not your fault, do you think I could borrow someone's phone? I need to make a call", Kara asked.
He saw her sat on the couch, her legs tucked up beneath her. A beer in one hand, and her cell in the other. She was rapidly talking in Punjabi, her face set in an angry glare. Closing the door quietly behind him, set the 'please forgive me' groceries on the table, hung his jacket up and went to get himself a beer.
Ray closed the fridge as Neela ended the conversation with a furious sounding Punjabi sentence. She angrily tossed the phone at the floor; it didn't break but made a thud.
"Jeez what did the phone do to you Neela?"
"Don't start Ray", She rubbed her temples.
"Bad call?"
She sipped her beer quickly, "My father, He's very difficult".
"Can't be as difficult as mine, he's six feet under", Ray gave a smile.
"Ray!"
He shrugged his shoulders, "What its nothing new, He died a lonely, useless alcoholic".
"My father, he's... he just wants the best for me. I sent him a check; I am paying for my brother to get through school now. It bounced, he's just angry", Neela, explained.
"Don't worry about my checks bounce all the time", He laughed. Neela gave Ray a glare, "Do you need some money, cause they paid us a little extra at the last gig", He offered.
Neela shook her head, "No I don't need money".
"If you do Neela, just ask. I know I owe you money from various things", He rattled on but she stopped him.
"Ray I'm not borrowing money from you ok?".
Suddenly the phone rang, Ray quickly answered it nodding and muttering.
He placed the phone back down, "I gotta go into work".
Neela noticed the change in his facial expression, "Ray what's wrong? do you want me to come with you?". But by the time she had said it, he was gone.
He stormed into the E.R., and saw Abby stood by the nurse's desk, "What the hell is going on!"
"She said she knew you, you're down as next of kin. I had to ring you, its procedure", Abby explained.
"What room is she in?" Ray demanded.
Abby didn't look at him, "Maybe you should."
"Room Abby!"
"Room five", She told him as he ran towards the room, opening the door and slamming it behind him.
Ray glanced at her, She was half awake. Laying on the gurney, the covers pulled up to her head. She groggily looked at him.
"I didn't want them too", She said quietly.
"But they did, what the hells going on Kara!" Ray said as he started pace the floor next to her.
"The doctors found a lump, it turned out to be a brain tumour", She said to him loudly.
He ran a hand threw his hair, "What? a brain tumour?".
She nodded, "I've got astrocytomas, its grade four".
"Shit, well when are they sending you to surgery, I'll go speak to the attending on call", Ray told her firmly, He started to walk away.
"You can't Ray, it's too advanced. There is nothing to do. I'm dying", Kara said slowly, the tears falling freely.
He gave a nervous laugh, "You came all the way out here to tell me this? cause if you did I do not need this right now", Ray said nastily.
"No I didn't, it was part of it".
He looked at her, "What was the main reason?"
"I came here to tell you that you have a daughter".
He coughed, "I have a what!"
"A daughter, you know a child".
"I know what a daughter is thank you, Why do I have one?" Ray wondered.
"Ray don't make me tell you the story of sex", Kara gave a smile.
He glared at her, "You mean to tell me I have a daughter I didn't know about and you are dying from a tumour! Just fucking great, anything else I need to know".
"She's right outside with that doctor woman, Annie, Amy whatever her name is".
His brows furrowed, "Her name's Abby".
"Well she's there with her, if you want to see her".
"What's gonna happen when you die? Who will look after the kid?".
"That's why I rang you, you're her father Ray. When I'm gone, your all she's got", Kara told him.
It had taken a hell of a lot of his courage to walk back into that room, Kara was the only person that Ray had truly loved. But they were young and stupid and it didn't work out. He never knew that when he left to join med school that she had been pregnant.
The little girl was led in by Abby; She gave him a knowing smile as she dropped the girl off. Ray held the bear in his hands that he had found lying on a gurney in the trauma room. He didn't know why he picked it up; it gave him some kind of comfort.
"Mr TED!" The girl cried running to the bear. "Mommy look they found Mr Ted! I bet he was scared", She said grabbing the bear from Ray and hugging it in his hands.
"Ainslee baby, Mommy wants you to meet someone", Kara said interrupting her daughter.
He took a breath, this was it. A life changing experience was about to hit him with the force of a truck, and it could go horribly wrong.
Ainslee glanced at Ray, "Who are you", She demanded. Her little hands going to her hips.
"This is Ray, Mommy's friend. Remember when Mommy told you about your Daddy living far away", Kara said softly to the child.
Ainslee nodded, Her brown curls swaying. Ray noticed the similarities between him and his daughter.
"Daddy lives far far away".
"Well sweetie, Daddy's not living far far away anymore. Mommy's sick, She's really sick. Its time for Daddy's to take care of you", Kara informed her.
Ray looked at his feet, telling himself to breathe regularly.
"Why can't you take care of me?" Ainslee asked her.
"Mommy's too sick, Daddy will be there for you now".
The five year old turned to Ray, "You won't leave me will you, Because Mommy promised she wouldn't", Ainslee said choking back her tears.
He held the sleeping child in his arms, as he struggled to open the door. After a few attempts, he managed it and he strolled in. He placed her into his bed, and pulled the covers up to her chin, left the door slightly ajar and headed straight to the drinks cabinet.
Father, He was a father. He now had actual responsibilities. Ray's head was swimming. He couldn't even think straight.
"You aware that we have a child in our apartment?" Came Neela's sleepy voice.
He turned to see her stood in her pyjamas, hair sticking up. And yawning slightly. The pyjamas had little fuzzy rabbits on them; He found it hard not to laugh.
"Its a long ass story Neela", He poured himself a shot of bourbon. She sat down next to him, and poured herself a shot.
"And I can't sleep".
"I got a call from Abby about a patient, somebody requesting next of kin. The next of kin was me; it was my old high school girlfriend Kara. She was admitted with a grade four, brain tumour. She can't have surgery it's too advanced, so basically she's dying. Oh and then to drop a bombshell, She tells me that I'm a father. I have a five-year-old daughter that I've never known about. And I'm now her legal guardian", He said to her.
Neela stared at him open mouthed, "You have a child, you Ray Barnett, a man who can't even take care of a TV. Man has a five year old".
"Don't, I'm just getting my head around it too".
She gave a smile, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be ok, I'm not good with kids but I can help you out if you want".
He smiled back, "I'm gonna need all the help I can get".
Alright people tell me what ya think, hit the lil' purple button!.
Luv ya
QMO1