He was standing by the window when he heard Leo and Dena talking.
"What is it?" He could hear Leo asking impatiently.
"Hey Leo." He turned toward the boy. "Have a seat."
Leo sat down on the battered love seat, barely registering that Dena sat down next to him. Adam pulled over the stool.
"We got the results of your MRI."
"Cool. So I'm good." He started to stand up.
"No, Leo." Adam gently stopped him. "There was something in the images."
"What do you mean by 'something'?"
"Some kind of mass."
"A tumor?"
"Possibly, probably."
"In my leg? Are you going to have to cut off more of my leg?"
Adam hesitated. "No, not in your leg."
"Where?" Leo was oddly calm. It actually made things harder.
"It's in your brain." Adam could barely get the words out.
He could see Leo swallow, hard. He saw the shaking as Leo's breath began faster, panicked.
"Shhh, Leo." Dena said as she wrapped around his shoulders. She looked up at him and silently nodded toward the door. A message unspoken but understood. Leo wasn't ready to hear anything else. It could wait until morning.
Adam was not surprised to find Dash standing outside. Of course he would have been listening, Leo was his friend. Adam put a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a silent nod.
He found himself standing outside the door with no memory of even walking there. He knocked softly and pushed the door open.
"Care for a drink?" Erin held up a bottle.
"Yeah."
Adam followed her to the small sofa in the corner. He poured two glasses and handed one to her. They drank in silence, a toast to a lost patient perhaps. He leaned his head back, the last of his energy draining away. His hands were shaking as he lifted the glass to take another drink.
Adam closed his eyes, trying to shut it all out. He felt Erin take the glass out of his hand. A moment later, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. He laid his head on her shoulder and at last he felt safe enough to let go. To let himself cry.