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Chapter 5

Addison closed her eyes and sat back in her chair, enjoying the peace and quite for once. Abigail had made it clear to her that seeking treatment was not an option. Time was running out. Addison couldn't for the life of her figure out Abigail's reasoning for not fighting harder. Cancer patients were told they had little or no chances all the time and some made it through. Why couldn't it be her sister? It wasn't something that could be explained but it made Addison's belief in a higher power that much stronger.

The door to her office opened and Pete Finch walked in. He had this annoying habit of just walking into her office without knocking. It drove her nuts but she was so used to it at this point, she decided to blow it off. There were more important things to worry about and she had asked to speak with him earlier.

He sat in the chair across from her and propped his feet on her desk, "What's going on "not interested?"

She rolled her eyes; he had been calling her either "not interested" or "beautiful" since the day she arrived back in LA. It was clearly his way of driving her nuts and even though it worked, she refused to give him the satisfaction of that knowledge. She got up and closed the blinds to the office; just to be sure they were not interrupted.

"Closing the blinds huh? I don't know what I did but obviously I need to do it more often."

She sat next to him trying her best to concentrate on the matter at hand but he was grinning at her like a fool and she found it quite a challenge not to smile back at him. He really did drive her mad. He was the perfect combination of Derek, Mark and Alex all rolled up into one and she couldn't decide if she wanted to slug him or kiss him. She couldn't think about that now though because this was a serious matter and she needed to focus on a plan.

"Okay, I'm going to tell you something but this is in our strictest confidence. I don't want anyone else to know what's going on."

He wrinkled his brow in confusion, noting the seriousness in her voice, "Sure Red, what's going on?"

She scooted closer so she could be closer to him. "You already know that my sister and her daughter are staying with me right? Well my sister is sick. In fact, she's dying and she's refusing treatment. You're an alternative medicine doctor and I was hoping that maybe you could help her."

The color drained out of his face, and he sat up in his chair, "Does she have cancer?"

Addison nodded her head, "Yes. It's already spread and Dr. Knott's has already said there's nothing we can do."

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, "Addison, I'm sorry. I don't know what to say."

She grabbed his hand and looked him in the eye, "I want you to try and help her. I'm not asking for you to cure her Pete. I want her to have some form of pain management plan and she's refused everything I've suggested so far. Alternative medicine seems the only thing she would even consider."

He looked at her. The subtle way she thrust her chin forward suggested to him that she was doing her best to stay strong but he could clearly see the torture behind her eyes. It was the same torture he had been through many years ago when he watched his wife die. He understood what she was going through and although he wanted to say this to her, now was not the time. He also noted the tension in her body and all of the emotional distress she was blocking. He had suspected there was something wrong these last few weeks but couldn't put his finger on it. "Of course, I'd be happy to help in any way I can. Let me know when would be the most convenient to you and I'll squeeze her in."

Addison exhaled; a sigh of relief releasing some of the tension in her body, "Thank you so much. I wouldn't normally ask you for help but my sister is so stubborn and I don't know what else to do." Her voice choked up for a moment but she recovered quickly. "Could you come over for dinner tonight? She may feel more comfortable seeking treatment from you if she were to know you."

He squeezed her hand and nodded, "Why don't you call me and let me know what time to be there?"

She smiled at him, grateful for his help. "That sounds great."

He got up to leave and felt her hand on his arm, holding him back. She looked up at him, desperate eyes searching for answers that he couldn't give her. "Thank you. I don't know what else to do."

He reached out and touched her cheek, "Just remember that I'm here for you if you need to talk. There's going to come a time when you'll need someone and no one's going to understand what you are going through more than I do."

He turned and walked out of the office towards his own; bittersweet memories flooded back to him that he had carefully locked away so many years ago. He knew exactly what Addison was going through and there was no way he would let her do it alone.