R&R!!
The doctor re-entered the room solemnly and though his face did not show it, Oliver knew the news he bore was not pleasant. Miley, however, looked hopeful as he sat behind his fancy cherry desk and scanned his charts and reports.
"Mr. and Mrs. Oken, I have the results of Peter's MRI here and I'm sorry, but we found a tumor in your son's temporal lobe." The doctor sighed breathlessly and his eyes grew watery. "I'm so sorry but it is unfortunately cancerous and inoperable." Miley, who had been pacing clamped a hand over her mouth to silence the sobs. Oliver stood and wrapped his arms around her and she half collapsed in them. He too had tears rushing down his face, he put a hand over her head and tried to shut his eyes hard enough so the tears could not escape..
After what seemed like such a long time, they turned back to Dr. Scoll, who had also been crying, and Oliver asked thickly through the tears;
"How much time?"
Taking a deep breath, said, "Ten months to a year I'm afraid." And the Oken's life was thus sent on one hell of a rollercoaster ride of emotional and physical torture.
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The bar smelled of smoke and booze, he sat wondering why he choose such a shit-hole of a place. The door hinges creaked loudly and he turned to face in that direction. Miley caught his eye and took a deep breath before walking over to where he sat, averting her eyes as she reached the stool next to his.
"Vodka and tonic" she said to the barkeep and he turned, nodding. Oliver still looked at her and waited for her to turn back to him, she did not.
"Why did you call?' she murmured it quickly as though the words tasted like something awful on her tongue.
"I think you know why."
"Oliver-"
"I miss you. And I still don't understand why you left Miles. Did I do something wrong? I need to know why." She squeezed her eyes shut and a tear rolled down her smooth cheek. He wanted nothing more than to wipe it away and hold her in his arms but he restrained himself waiting for her answer. The barkeep set her drink down in front of her and she sip it daintily and drew a breath.
"It's hard for me to just move on with my life like nothing happened Oliver,"
"And it's easy for me?" She said nothing, staring ahead at the back wall of the bar. "well at least I'm trying instead of attempting to change everything and pretend that he never even existed."
"Don't! I'm not like you Oliver, I can't-" She looked at him at last but did not finish her sentence.
"How could you even try to forget our son?"
"I don't have a son anymore." The look in her eyes made him cool off at once.
"Just come home, please, I love you." he said. Pursing her lips together and shaking her head she looked down at her wedding ring still shining on her finger and slipped it off.
"I'm sorry." with that she set the ring in front of him, paid for her drink and left without another word.
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Lily sat on the couch with him, her knees up to her chest, her bangs falling half over her eyes, which were solemn. She held a glass of red wine in her hand and offered a second to Oliver who accepted but did not drink it.
"Give her time" she said encouragingly, "You know what she's like, she'll come to her senses." This last bit she said in an unsure voice, he noticed this.
"You said she needed me, you told me that she needed me. Now look what happened. She's gone for good."
"She does need you, she doesn't know it but the only way she'll get through this is with you. You can't give up on her." He did not respond. Her phone rang making her jump slightly.
"Hello? No, I'm at Oliver's. Yeah ok, be there soon. Love you too. Bye." She snapped her phone shut. "I have to go, he's expecting me. Oliver nodded. Lily finished her wine and set the glass on the counter as she walked out of the living room. She re-entered holding her purse and wearing her coat. Call me if you need anything. Okay?" He stood and they hugged goodbye, as they held each other, she whispered; "You're going to be alright" in his ear. With that, she left, and he sat back on the couch staring at the ring on the coffee table.