Patsy shook their daughter awake.
"I…what the hell mum," Ellie grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Ellie," Patsy whispered, "I'm taking your mam to the hospital."
Ellie immediately shot up.
"What?! What's wrong, what's happened?!"
"I…we… She needs something checked out," Patsy said vaguely.
"What?"
Patsy sucked in a breath and looked up at the ceiling. God, this was hard.
"We found…a lump…"
Ellie stared at her mum, opened mouthed. The statement was pretty universal.
"She's 34," Ellie whispered in shock. Patsy sat down next to her daughter.
"I know," she said, fighting off tears, "but it could be anything…it doesn't have to be…"
"Cancer," Ellie finished softly. There was a pause.
"I'm coming with you," Ellie said, making to get up.
"I…no, you have school!" Patsy exclaimed.
"And my mam might have cancer!"
"Ellie," Patsy said urgently, grasping her daughter by the shoulders, "I know you want to come, I know you love her… but she wouldn't want you to come, sweetie. You know how she is; she wouldn't want you to worry."
"But I am worrying."
"I know," Patsy soothed, "but let us figure out what's going on before we worry too much, okay?"
Ellie looked like she was going to refuse, but then she slowly nodded her head. Patsy kissed her brow before rising up.
"Call us in the morning if we're not back, alright?" Patsy said at the doorway.
"Okay."
"Patsy, Delia!" a nurse exclaimed at the sight of her friends, soaked and disheveled as they walked into the lobby.
Patsy was holding Delia's hand and seemed to be guiding her around.
"Is there a nursing expert here?" Patsy asked in a strained voice.
"Well, of course there is! Why do you ask?" the friend inquired with a frown.
"Delia…needs to be examined," Patsy said slowly, hoping the meaning would come across. The nurse's eyes widened.
"I…I'm afraid we don't have a Mammogram technician here," she murmured, stepping closer to the pair, "but we will see what we can do."
Patsy sat in the corridor, leg jiggling up and down as she felt the urge to light up. Placing her head in her hands, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced at the clock. Two in the morning. The ginger looked back down at her feet and continued with her restless movement. She heard footsteps and her head snapped up.
"Here ya' go," her friend, Jackie, said as she handed her a cup of coffee before taking the seat next to her. Patsy took the Styrofoam cup with numb hands.
"Thanks," Patsy mumbled.
"I rang the tech," Jackie murmured, "He says he'll be here around five…apparently your name has gotten around to Chelsea."
Patsy gave a short, dry laugh that came out choked. The dark-haired woman bit her lip anxiously before placing a reassuring hand on Patsy's back.
"Patsy, everything is going to be alright," she said soothingly. The ginger fidgeted.
"I don't want to lose her," Patsy whispered hoarsely, fighting off tears.
"You won't," Jackie said with utter certainty.
The two looked up as the door opened and the Nursing technician, Dr. Palstine, came out.
The woman spotted Patsy and stepped towards her with an extended hand.
"You must be Delia's wife," she said simply as they shook hands. Patsy numbly nodded.
"Well, I'm not an oncologist," she said briskly, "but a mammogram is most definitely in order. Your wife is otherwise in fine shape, and the mass seems to be exceedingly small and intact, which is promising."
Patsy lowered her gaze and fitfully nodded at the floor.
"May I…go…" Patsy asked hoarsely, gesturing desperately at the examination room.
"Of course you can," Dr. Palstine said, "We will come get you when the technician arrives."
Patsy didn't remember opening the door, or how she managed to move her legs into the room. All she knew was Delia, sitting on the examination table, wearing a hospital gown, tears streaking down her face.
"Darling," Patsy sputtered, dashing over to her.
And then she felt the brunette wrap her arms desperately around her, she smelled her scent and felt her sobbing against her shoulder and all she could do was hold her beautiful wife.