The thought of Becca sitting beside her at a family gathering both warmed her and sent her into a panic. “Uh, I’m working.”
“So? I am too.” Rick studied her. His eyes narrowed. “Never stopped us before.” He continued to look at her. “Is it Sandra that’s got you all hesitant? I thought you guys—”
“No, we’re fine. Probably never going to be best friends.”
Rick groaned. “It’s Becca, isn’t it? I thought you guys were at least bein’ civil to—”
“We’re just in a weird place right now,” Dani interrupted.
“Well, yeah, but still it’s Thanksgivin’. We’re all the family she’s got, no matter what’s goin’ on.”.
When he put it like that… “Okay, I guess it’s fried turkey for four.”
Rebecca turned from her back to her side in an effort to get comfortable. Peyton blinked slowly at her. “What? Am I botherin’ you?”
Peyton didn’t answer. Rebecca rolled her eyes, and she wished that was followed by them closing so she could get some sleep. No such luck. Maybe if she actually turned off the bedroom light? Regardless, her head was heavy with thoughts and feelings all centered on Dani.
Work hadn’t even offered her a break. The case with Alvin was over before it had started. What was up with people making false reports? And how had no one caught on to that? No one needed attention that badly, and what was with the way that father had kept trying to hug her? All the crying that guy had done could have won him an Oscar. He’d been snotty and pale already, so that probably helped. The penalty for lying about a crime should be much harsher than it actually was. Stupid bastard.
She flipped over to the other side. Her cell phone was right in her line of sight. Rebecca wanted so badly to call Dani just to hear her voice, but she was sure that right now that would wreck her. It was hard enough as it was checking herself when she sent a text, keeping them as straightforward as possible. Hell, even that hurt, but overall everything stung a bit.
Dani was going through a lot. Rebecca wanted to be there for her, to further show her who she was now, but could she pay the price? Sitting around waiting wasn’t her thing. This was her life too, and it made Rebecca more than a little queasy that this aspect, at least, was out of her control. There was nothing else for her to do.
Her phone beeped. Rebecca snatched it off the nightstand and read the text.
Ur comin’ ovr for Thanksgiving. It was from Rick.
It couldn’t be time for that yet. She looked at the date. She had been better lately about being more aware of things.
What does Dani say? Rebecca texted back.
I’m sayin ur comin’ ovr.
Well, that didn’t sound good.
Idk.
I’m not tryin to hurt nebody but it’s ur first real holiday home. Should b with some1 who cares. U and Dani hav survived each othr this long.
It felt like somebody was stabbing at her chest with a butter knife and they had broken skin. Rebecca sucked in a shaky breath.
I still don’t kno. Let me think bout it.
I kno. If u can’t come 2 us I guess u should go 2 Mark’s.
K.
She could at least give him that. Even though Mark hadn’t asked, it was a possibility.
Nite.
Rebecca peered down at her phone but didn’t respond. She put it back on the nightstand face side up and reached for the lamp. Her cell beeped again. Rebecca glanced at it. That dull pain went up to a definite throb.
How was your day? Dani texted.
The words taunted her, but Rebecca was pretty sure she wasn’t meant to take them that way. The question was as generic and harmless as their other texts, but the kicker was that Rebecca had always been the one to send them or at least start the conversation.
Hope flared in her stomach, balancing out everything else. Dani might have been unsure about them, but she’d just made one thing clear: she wanted at least one aspect of them to continue.
Chapter 25
Dr. Luft glanced at Dani and tried to smile. She didn’t really succeed. “Maybe today will be the day.” Dani patted her on the shoulder as they made their way to Jacob’s room.
“We’ll see.”
She continued to look at her. “Thanks, by the way, for letting me do this with you. It’s very nice of you and greatly appreciated. I feel a little more confident about things, but…” Dr. Luft shook her head. “I don’t know. I just thought I’d be better at the whole interaction thing by now. What do you think?”
“About?”
“How I’m doing?”
Dani let out a hesitant chuckle. “I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask.”
“Why not? You’ve always been brutally honest before.”
“Yes, well, I’m trying to not be so brutal these days.”
They stopped outside Jacob’s door.
“That doesn’t make me hopeful,” she whispered.
“Luft, it’s your career. Please don’t base it on something I do or don’t say.”
“Who, then?” Her eyes were all shiny and pleading.
“Yourself.”
She sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “I’m taking point?” Her voice went up on the end.
“Are you asking me or telling me?”
“Telling you?”
“Luft.” Dani sighed.
“Okay, okay, telling you.”
“That’s better, but remember who you’re dealing with—a concerned parent. You’re not there to dictate.”
She nodded again. “Got it.”
Jacob’s door was partially open. Dani pushed it further. Sheri looked up as they entered, and Jacob did his best to sit up and smile. “Doc D.”
“Good morning.”
“How you doing today, J?” Dr. Luft asked.
Jacob looked the other doctor’s way. “Better than yesterday, I think.”
Dr. Luft grinned. “Good, but you know the drill. We have to check you out anyway.”
“I know. It’s all good.”
Quietly, Sheri stood and adjusted the pillows behind her son’s back. She smiled as she helped him to get more comfortable.
Dani checked his vitals, his latest labs, and everything else in between while Sheri watched over them silently. Meeting her gaze a few times, Dani got what she expected—an unreadable mask—but the coldness toward her seemed to be lacking.
“Mrs. Cook, when we’re done here, I’d like to give you latest breakdown on Jacob’s condition,” Dr. Luft informed her.
Sheri nodded once and turned her gaze toward her son.
“Ma, it’s okay—they’re gonna take that thing out and take good care of me.”
The relief that washed over Dani was powerful enough to almost knock her over. She looked from mother to son and back again. Sheri’s eyes were no longer unreadable. They were full of fear and resignation.
“He’s right,” Dani said. “We will.”
Sheri’s lips trembled. “Okay.”
Dr. Luft clapped her hands. Dani turned to her and glared. She smiled sheepishly. “That’s good news. Mrs. Cook, do you have any questions?”
She shook her head. “Not right now. No.”
“What about you, J?” Dr. Luft asked.
“I’m gonna wake up and be fixed?” Jacob sounded so excited.
“You are, and with a little more chemo, you’ll be good to go and just be a kid again,” Dr. Luft said.
Sheri stared at Dr. Luft. Her mouth opened, but she didn’t say anything.
“Okay, we’ll get out of the way. Get some rest, Jacob. We’ll see you this afternoon.”
Jacob beamed. “Okay, Doc D.”
Dani threw one last glance Sheri’s way, but she was focused completely on her son—as it should be. They left the room.
“Woo
o, that wasn’t so bad.” Luft clapped her hands again. “Things are a lot easier when parents use some common sense.”
Staring at her, Dani was at a loss of words for all of three seconds. “Let me give you some honesty.”
Her eyes widened.
“Being judgmental toward others who are scared and sometimes hopeless can seep through when talking to them.” It was hard to keep the anger out of her voice, but she did because she wanted her to really listen. “Check your personal opinions about people at the door. I think it will give you a chance at being a better doctor.”
Dr. Luft looked down at her feet then back up again. “You know, right now I can really understand why a lot of the residents don’t like you.”
Shocked by her words, Dani reexamined what she’d said and how she said it. She wasn’t scathing or condescending. She’d asked for her opinion and after her statement, Dr. Luft’s difficulties made sense. “No, you’re not going to put this back on me. You’re responsible for your own behavior. Think about what you just said.”
Luft’s face reddened. “I… Okay. Yeah, maybe that was a little inappropriate.” She looked everywhere except at Dani. “Sorry, I’d better go.”
“Good idea. We’ll see where your head is in the morning.”
She nodded and walked away.
Dani watched her go.
Her pocket vibrated. Automatically, she reached for her phone. It was a notification, reminding her of her therapy appointment in fifteen minutes. Knowing that paved the way for a whole different type of relief to settle onto her shoulders. Hopefully, in time, Peppermint Patti could help her see the light at the end of the tunnel Dani was in.
Rebecca opened her eyes, and the contents of the toilet was the last thing she wanted to see. Using her elbows, she pushed herself up and away from the commode. There was no way she could throw up anymore. Nothing was left. The room swirled, and her stomach heaved. Rebecca groaned as she leaned over the toilet yet again.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Rebecca’s voice was husky and squeaky. Slowly, she reached up and flushed. Rebecca wiped at her forehead. Her hand came away wet even though she had the chills. Moving more cautiously, she sat on her ass and scooted backward against the wall.
When she’d gotten up this morning, feeling achy, nauseous, shaky, and like her head was three times its size, Rebecca convinced herself that a Coke would settled her stomach. She’d been so fucking wrong. At least it had helped her scratchy throat for a hot minute. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Peyton was in the doorway. She meowed loudly.
“I know…I know you’re hungry.” Rebecca swallowed. The thought of any type of food item almost made her puke again. “But it’s gonna be a while.”
Peyton meowed again and trotted inside. She rubbed her face against Rebecca’s bare feet and then climbed into her lap, purring like a fine-tuned engine. Rebecca glanced down at her. “Am I dyin’? That’s why you’re bein’ so nice to me?”
The cat blinked, and Rebecca blinked back. She sat there for several more minutes and then decided to try getting up again. She pushed Peyton out of the way and took some deep breaths, before using the wall to help herself stand. The bathroom tilted and went gray for a few seconds before coming back into focus.
“Whoa.” Since the wall had gotten her this far, Rebecca made sure she had some kind of contact with it as she finally left the bathroom and hauled her ass down the hall toward the kitchen, where her phone and Peyton’s breakfast was waiting. She got to her cell first and dialed Mark’s number.
“What’s up? Guess what I found at the gas station just now?”
Rebecca tried to clear her throat, but it still felt like something was in there.
“A Coke with your name on it. I bought it just so I could see you roll your eyes while you sucked it down,” Mark continued as if she’d told him to. “Hello?”
“Mark?” Her voice was the same.
“Why does it sound like you’ve smoked a whole pack of cigarettes?”
“Sick.”
“Oh, damn. You’re not coming in, are you?”
“No.”
“God, you sound like death. I’m gonna come check on you.”
Rebecca gazed down at the floor. It looked really good right about now. “No, jus—” She licked her lips. “I’ll be fine.”
“Uh-huh, I’m sure. I’m not coming for you. It’s for my own peace of mind. Now, I could either call you every hour or so to make sure you’re still living or I can come see for myself.” He paused. “I’m still gonna call, just to let you know, but just not as often.”
She didn’t have the energy. “Yeah, whatever.” Rebecca hung up the phone and realized she’d have to get to the front door at least to unlock it. She groaned. The wall was fast becoming her best friend.
When the doorbell rang later, Rebecca said, “Come in,” as loud as she could. She leaned heavily on the back of the couch, using it as a guide to get her to the front of it. Mark let himself in. Apparently, he’d heard her. Rebecca swayed when she got to the couch arm, but suddenly Mark was there.
“Careful.” He put an arm around her waist. “Go slow.” Mark helped her sit down and took the seat beside her.
She eased back against the cushion. “Probably contagious.”
“I hardly ever get sick, so it’s fine.”
Neither did she.
“Jesus, Becca, I know you had a little headache last night, and it turned into this?” He stared at her and shook his head. “You look like the walking dead. You looked in the mirror, right?”
Rebecca tried to nod, but she was sure her head was going to fall off.
“Okay, I’m gonna get you to bed and throw some things together that’ll help you get through the day. You have soup?”
She made a face and smacked her lips.
“Oh, it’s like that. Broth, Gatorade, and water for you, then.”
Rebecca made another face. “Don’t have Gatorade.”
“I’ll go to the store once I get you situated.”
“Feed Peyton,” she added.
“I will.”
“Hey.”
Rebecca jolted awake to see Mark leaning over her. “Yeah?.”
“Okay. Got lozenges for the throat. Advil for the fever. Crackers for the nausea, and plenty of liquids. Forget the broth. It’s nasty anyway.” He pointed to her nightstand and then at the trash can sitting beside it. She looked toward it blearily. “In case you get sick. Now, I need the code to your phone.”
“134900.” She didn’t hesitate.
“I’m gonna text Benz and then Rick in case I end up working late.”
“Don’t text…Dani.”
He looked up at her. “I wasn’t going to, but are you sure?”
Rebecca sucked in a breath as tears stung her eyes. She was being a bit overdramatic, but she was too exhausted to wrangle her emotions for the moment. Hell, maybe this whole situation was what had made her sick. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Okay, then.” He held up her phone. “Let me finish this and then we’ll get you some meds. You have two days to get over this. I don’t care which house you go to for Thanksgiving, but you’re not sitting alone at home with that creepy cat. You hear me?”
She nodded once and almost teared up again. God, Rebecca hated being sick.
The second time Dani stepped into Jacob’s room, she wasn’t shocked to see him sleeping. Sheri wasn’t there, but she could hear running water coming from the bathroom. A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened. Dani looked up to see Sheri wiping her eyes with tissue. They were red rimmed like she’d been crying.
“I can come back later,” Dani said softly.
Sheri shook her head and sniffed. She met Dani’s gaze, and suddenly Sheri’s tears were falling in earnest. They both glanced at the bed. Jacob hadn�
�t batted an eye. Dani touched Sheri’s shoulder. “Come with me. I’ll make sure someone checks in on him.”
Nodding, Sheri followed her.
Dani stopped at the nurses station to do what she’d promised. Then she ushered Sheri into the nearest empty room. Dani grabbed a box of Kleenex and gave it to Sheri, then encouraged her to sit.
“It must be strange seeing me like this.” Sheri looked at her.
“Your son is sick. There’s nothing strange about being emotional.”
Sheri laughed, but her expression was sad and somehow angry. “You don’t understand. This is my fault.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jacob being sick.”
“I’ve seen many parents blame themselves, but you can’t control genetics. You had nothing to do with his tumor.”
Sheri shook her head. “It didn’t have to be this bad.”
“His prognosis is very good, Sheri.”
“But he has to have surgery.” Her tears started again. “That’s what the doctor said about his father too. His prognosis was good.” Sheri covered her mouth with her hand as she continued to cry. She pulled her hand away. “It’s my fault. The tumor could have been found earlier.”
Dani kneeled in front of her and waited. Sheri seemed to have a lot more to say.
“After his father died, I worked. I put everything into that job. It was the only thing that kept me busy and kept my mind right. Jacob came to me. His stomach was always hurting. He wasn’t eating much, and he slept all the time. I thought he was just still upset about his father and trying to get attention. One morning he woke up, and he was so swollen I knew something was really wrong. All that time, I should have been focusing on him. Oh, God…” Sheri leaned forward and pressed her face into her hands.
Drawing the Line Page 25