Chapter 3
Addison nervously tapped her fingers on the desk. She was waiting for a phone call with Abigail's test results. She had already spent a good part of the last few days looking for treatment options and making phone calls to friends of hers to see what else could be done. She rubbed her pounding forehead which was most likely due to stress and the fact that she hadn't eaten anything all day. It was just about time to head home but still she sat there, glued to her seat, waiting for the verdict. The phone finally rang after what seemed like eternity. She answered on the first ring, "Hello?"
"Dr. Montgomery?"
"Yes?" She recognized Dr. Knott's voice on the other end and immediately braced herself for the diagnosis.
"This is Dr. Knott's, I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you." He paused, "I have your sister's test results."
She felt her entire body tense up, "Please tell me you can help her."
He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry but she's in stage four and it has already spread to her lymph nodes. The only option at this point is radiation and chemotherapy. I wish I had better news for you. Had we caught it earlier, she may have had more of a chance."
She tried her best to hide the devastation in her voice but her hands were shaking too bad. This doctor was the best in his field and he was also giving her sister a death sentence. "When can she start treatment?"
"Dr. Montgomery.."
"I don't want to hear about the statistics Dr. Knott's, I want you to tell me when my sister can begin treatment because I refuse to believe that she's dying. Miracle's happen all the time, many that we as doctors can't explain so I ask you again, when does she start treatment?" All the stress of the last few days came pouring out of her. She momentarily felt guilty about the relief that came when she yelled at the doctor but quickly recovered. "I'm sorry Dr. Knott's; I didn't mean to lose control. You do understand though that this is my sister we are talking about and I can't just give up."
"I understand Dr. Montgomery and I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes." She heard the pages of his calendar flipping in the background. "We can start her on Thursday. I'll get all the consults set up and my staff will be in touch with appointment times."
She swallowed, "Thank you, I'll let her know." She hung up the phone and sat there for a minute, willing herself to completely clear her mind. It was hard enough to accept that her sister was sick but knowing the odds were stacked against her made her feel helpless. She didn't like feeling helpless. She was always in control and this wasn't going to break her. She shut off her computer and turned out the lights to her office. Now she just had to tell her sister what she had known all along. She squared her shoulders and walked out of the clinic toward her car. She made up her mind at that very moment that she was going to be strong for her sister. They had missed out on so much in their lives. She was a big sister again and her little sister needed her. There was plenty of time to fall apart later…