One Of The Lucky Ones
Betty blinked a few more times as she stared at the doctor. He said it again and her eyes could only watch on as his mouth formed the words. The sound didn't seem to reach her ears but she knew what he was saying.
Stage 4.
Cancer.
Terminal.
She knew now that he was listing the various treatment options. None of them were going to save her. But they may add on months, weeks, years if she was lucky. But then again if she was lucky she wouldn't have a cancer diagnosis would she.
She nodded absent mindedly, as pamphlets were stuck in front of her. Her eyes skimmed them over. Some were about the treatments. The side effects. The possible benefits. The decisions that lay out in front of her. The others were about end of life planning. Future planning they called it as if it was some kind of sick joke.
She turned to her husband to see that he was leaning forward now. Where as she let the doctor's words wash over her, he seemed to be hanging on every single word listening inventively as if the secret to her survival was in there somewhere and he just had to pay attention.
Her mind returned to her body as he stood up. He was shaking the doctor's hand as she remained seated. Focusing on the picture on the wall. The doctor and his family. She could tell. She had an eye for details. For seeing the story behind the picture and piecing it all together. She was sure that there was one just like it in her own home. Of her, Juggie and the girls. Back when they were all living together. Before the girls moved out of home for college and then to get married and start their own families.
She could just hear the doctor telling them that he would give them some time to process the news. As if time would help. Time wouldn't help. Time was now the enemy. The more time that passed the closer she would come to reaching her destination. She felt Jughead's hand wrap around her own and the slight tug as he tried to draw her attention to him.
He was kneeling in front of her and she could see the tears starting to well behind his eyes as he blinked them back furiously. And she knew that he was trying to be strong for both of them. But she knew the truth because she could feel it too. He was scared. She pushed back the hair from his face, smiling gently at him.
He brought her hand to his lips kissing her knuckles gently like he had done a million times before.
"We are going to get through this Betts." He pulled her into an embrace and she fell into his body as he pulled her from the chair. Both knelt in the doctor's office. Their arms wound tightly around the other. She could feel a wetness on her shoulder through the thin material of her blouse and the hitching of his chest against her own. He couldn't keep the tears at bay anymore and she gripped him tighter as she made her promise.
She was going to make sure that he survived this.