A/N: Thank you all for being so patient with me, and thank you Maria for contacting me about completing this story. RL has been really hectic, especially in dealing with the sudden loss of my father just a few short weeks ago, but as I try to deal with that, I realize I need to get back to my stories; stories that people have been waiting for me to finish, so here I am; back…to try my best to finish at least some of them.

Hope and Memory

By

Numb3rsfan

Chapter Three: Complications and Results

It had been roughly two hours since the doctors had taken Keith back to get x-rays taken of his brain, and in that span of time Reuben had arrived with the rest of the Partridge Clan, and all of them were then waiting in the doctor's office, waiting for the doctor who had examined Keith to come in with the test results. Shirley hoped it wasn't anything too serious but deep in her heart she knew better. She had never seen her son act that way before; had never seen him that sick before so whatever was affecting her son, it had to be serious.

"I'm sure Keith's going to be fine." Reuben Kincaid, the family's manager and friend said, hoping to lighten the mood. Shirley smiled, nodded her head and patted Reuben's arm, trying to make light of the situation…for the sake of the children. "Reuben's right mom, I'm sure Keith is fine; maybe a touch of the flu or something." Laurie said, hoping to cheer her mother up.

"I hope so, Laurie…I…" Shirley began, but she was interrupted when the door to the office opened and in walked the doctor in his white lab coat, pale green suit, red tie and black pants. Shirley saw a file folder in the man's hands; Keith's file. Knowing from past experience how mothers could be, the doctor decided not to mince words. Opening up the file, he took out several x-rays and hung them up to the Partridge family could see them.

"Mrs. Partridge, I am afraid there is no easy way of saying this. The scans have revealed that your son has a brain tumor. You can see it in the pictures here." The doctor said. Turning, he watched Shirley and the rest of them gather round to see the pictures. He knew that more than likely none of them would even know what to look for, so Dr. Reyes took his pen and circled the area.

"It's the size of an orange." The doctor said.

Hearing that, Shirley put her hand to her mouth in shock, while Laurie moved up behind her and put her hands on his mother's shoulders. She was doing her best to try to support her mother, but hearing what the doctor had just said; Laurie felt that she herself needed support!

Lowering her hand, Shirley shook her head. The doctor had to be wrong, he had to be! Keith couldn't have a brain tumor…he just couldn't! Somehow those words must have reached her lips because she saw the remorse in the doctor's face.

"So…what do you plan on doing about the tumor?" Reuben asked. He was trying to be the calm voice of support and reason. He doubted that Shirley would be able to think clearly after receiving this news, so he felt he had to take on the responsibility of paying attention and trying to make calm, rational decisions, even though the final decision would have to be Shirley's.

"I haven't seen a tumor quite like this one, and there is no one here that can read the scans in greater depth, so I am going to send him to Baptist hospital to see a neurologist." The doctor replied, looking from Shirley to Reuben and back. Nodding her head, Shirley took a few steps forward and fixed the doctor with a semi serious look. Taking a deep breath she said, "There is one thing I want to know and I want to know it straight, doctor. Is Keith going to die?"

The 'Death' question. Dr. Reyes knew it well. Some families couldn't handle reality so he dumbed down his response, but Shirley; he could see in her eyes that she was strong enough to hear the truthful answer, and besides she had asked him to be truthful. "It is a possibility." He replied.

The next day found Keith in the 5th floor ICU wing. He had been transferred to the hospital in the early morning hours and had just now gotten settled in. He had been poked, prodded, moved and adjusted and had gotten really tired of it, but now it seemed to be done…at least for now. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head and smiled when he recognized his mother and Laurie come in to view.

"Hey mom." He said softly, the smile on his face when Shirley bent down and kissed his forehead. Normally, like any teenager he didn't like his mother to kiss him, but he had really missed her over the past few hours and now her motherly kiss did seem to make him feel better.

"How are you feeling?" Laurie asked, sitting down in one of the two metal chairs that was beside Keith's bed.

Keith sighed as he thought about the question. He supposed he could make up a drawn out response, but he doubted Laurie would appreciate that so he replied, "Better now that you guys are here, but where is everyone else?"

Sitting down next to her daughter, Shirley put on a forced smile as she reached over and patted Keith's hand in a loving fashion.

"They are in the waiting room; Reuben's watching them. ICU rules; no one under 12 can come in." Shirley explained. Seeing Keith nod his head, Shirley sat back in her chair, grateful that he would now understand why Danny, Chris and Tracy wouldn't be in to see him.

"It's bad, isn't it?"

Looking up, Shirley could see Keith studying her. He always knew when she was in one of her 'moods,' and today was definitely one of them. During the transfer, Shirley hadn't been allowed to come with Keith, so this was the first time she had been allowed to see her son since watching him get wheeled away for x-rays at the other hospital.

When at home Shirley always wanted her children to be truthful to her, so how could she now not be truthful with her son…no matter how much it would pain her to say what she had to?

Sniffling, trying to keep the tears at bay, Shirley said, "The doctors said that um…the x-rays…well…they said that you have a brain tumor."

God, it really tore her apart to say that, but she had to. Watching her son's face; seeing the wheels turning behind his eyes, was almost unbearable to watch. How could a parent have to tell their child that he or she has a brain tumor and could possibly die? No parent, no matter the circumstances, should have to bury their own child.

"Is it cancer, mom?" Keith asked. He couldn't believe it was a brain tumor, and to him a brain tumor automatically meant cancer.

"The doctors didn't know, that's why they are running some more tests." Laurie replied. Walking footsteps caused all three Partridges to look to the right to see a nurse approach them and tell Shirley that the doctor was ready to see her now. Nodding her thanks, Shirley stood up, followed seconds later by Laurie. "We will be right back, honey." Shirley replied, giving her son a hug before she left the ICU, with Laurie in tow.

PFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPFPF

Shirley and Laurie followed the nurse who showed them to the office of the doctor who would be essentially taking over Keith's case. Entering in to the large office, Shirley saw the doctor leaning against his desk, an x-ray in hand.

Noticing Shirley and Laurie, the doctor put the x-ray down, stood up and walked over to them.

"Good morning, I am Doctor Ftesi." The doctor said, shaking hands with Shirley and Laurie before guiding them to the chairs.

Once they were all seated, Doctor Ftesi immediately got in to the thick of things. "I assume Doctor Reyes told you that Keith's condition is very serious?"

Shirley shrugged her shoulders. "It's a brain tumor. How much more serious can things be?" She asked.

Laurie, ignoring her mother's comment, asked "Is it cancer?"

Dr. Ftesi picked up the x-ray and glanced at it before replying, "We don't know yet. The immediate problem is the fluid building up around the tumor. If left unchecked it could burst the cavity wall."

Shaking her head, Shirley asked "Is that what feels like water in his ears?"

"Yes, it is also what causes his ear aches. We will have to drain this fluid before I can operate, so in a few hours I will be inserting a shunt in to Keith's brain." Doctor Ftsei replied.

This was all hard to listen to. Tumors, cancer, shunts. It was almost too much to understand, but both Shirley and Laurie did need to understand; if not just for them but so they could explain it to Keith. It always sounded better coming from a loved one rather from a cold, careless doctor.

"When would you operate on the tumor?" Laurie asked.

"Well, if Keith survives the next few days and he gains strength quickly I could operate next week." Dr. Ftesi replied.

"And then he'd be cured?" Shirley asked.

Doctor Ftesi was looking for that question and now with it asked, he had to be truthful. Putting the x-ray down, Doctor Ftesi put his hands together and leaned forward.

"Mrs. Partridge. The tumor is in a difficult position. It's in the mid brain. This area controls a lot of different functions; vision, hearing, speech…appetite control. Any or all of these functions could be affected by the surgery. It is possible that Keith could be paralyzed…assuming of course that he survives the operation at all."

The rest of the meeting was all a blur. All Shirley could think of was the fact that her son could die or become paralyzed. The walk back to the ICU was also a blur. What could she say to Keith? The truth? How would he take it? Heck…she herself was barely coping with it and she wasn't even the one who was sick!

"Mom, it'll be okay. Keith'll make it through the surgery." Laurie said, trying to be supportive.

Glancing at her daughter, Shirley tried her best to keep the tears out of her eyes as she replied, "I hope so honey, I really hope so."