by Harmon, AJ
Dr. James left the room quickly wondering what the hell had just happened.
*****
Bess was in the hospital for two more days while Dr. James ordered blood to be drawn and more tests to be run. She was feeling much like a pin cushion. Yet, in a strange wave of relief, she was content to be in the hospital bed, three meals being delivered to her each day, and the pain in her head lessening with each dose of pain killers as the hours ticked by. She slept better than she had in weeks and almost felt human on her fifth day under Regina’s care.
As it was a small hospital, many of the emergencies were transferred to better equipped facilities in nearby cities. There were only three wards: maternity, pediatrics, and everything else. Regina was the head nurse of the third floor, where Bess was. There was only one other patient besides her, so Regina spent any of her extra time sitting and chatting with Bess, allowing them to get to know one another.
Regina was several years older than Bess, and happily married with four children. The stories she told about them had Bess laughing uncontrollably. It was strange to think that she felt happier than she’d been in years, lying in a hospital bed, in the middle of nowhere, her head bandaged and the threat of a more serious illness looming. Yet, she considered Regina a friend and she felt safe, a much better situation that she’d had only a few days before.
And as promised, the owner of the diner had contacted his insurance company and they would be taking care of Bess’s hospital bills since the injury occurred at his establishment. There was one more thing that she didn’t have to worry about, but the nagging anxiety remained of where she would go after she was released. She still had a little bit of money, and she had her car. All was not lost… yet.
2.
Ethan James loved being a doctor, especially when he used his knowledge and skill to heal someone. It was a feeling that never got old. Sadly, however, there were cases and patients that did not get the results he wanted.
As he reviewed the results from Elizabeth Williams’ CT scan and blood work, the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach actually made him feel ill. Her initial results confirmed she had walking pneumonia, a relatively serious illness on its own, especially if not treated and allowed to progressively get worse. Ethan was stunned that none of her visits to the low-income clinic had even listened to her lungs. If they had, more tests would have been ordered and she would have been prescribed antibiotics to help her get better. And if that was all that was wrong with her he would have no hesitation in laying it all out for Bess and how he was going to treat her and make her better. However, here was a beautiful young woman with her whole life in front of her and he had news that would be difficult to tell her. If only it were just the pneumonia. But he couldn’t put it off. If he was going to have a chance to save her, he needed to act quickly. After making a few phone calls, talking with some of the hospital staff, and reviewing some drug trials online, he headed for Bess’s room.
He’d only told four people during his career that they had cancer. Bess made number five. And all five had reacted the same way – shock and then tears.
Ethan sat on the edge of the bed and held Bess’s hand. She had no family and no friends. She was in a new town without any support whatsoever. He knew he couldn’t give her the worst news of her life and then walk out.
“I’ve done some research, and while I am not an oncologist, there is real hope that you will beat this and come out the other end good as new. But we need to not delay.”
Bess just stared at him with a blank expression.
“Dr. Ryder will be here this afternoon to see you. He is a great doctor, and an oncologist, a good friend of mine, and will be able to answer all of your questions.”
“Will you be here too?”
“Uh, sure I can,” Ethan nodded. “I’ll be here, too.”
At precisely three o’clock, Ethan and Dr. Eric Ryder walked into Bess’s room and saw the panic in her face. Once again, Ethan sat on the edge of the bed and Eric on the stool. After the introductions were made, the explanation began.
“There is a mass on your left ovary… a tumor. While we are not one hundred percent certain at this point that it is malignant, it is more likely than not. In any case, we need to remove it because of its size. The pneumonia explains all your symptoms and the irregularities in your blood work. And because Dr. James ordered a CT, the tumor was discovered. In some ways, you could say, the pneumonia may have just saved your life. Now,” Dr. Ryder continued, “if we remove the tumor and it is benign, no further treatment is needed. But, if it isn’t, after we remove it and make sure it hasn’t spread, there are some new drugs that we could try that could prove to be very beneficial for you.”
“And,” Ethan expounded, “if you qualify, all of your medical bills will be paid by the pharmaceutical company that is funding the trial. But that is getting a little ahead of ourselves. What we have to focus on right now, is removing the tumor and sending it to pathology.”
“And when would that happen?” Bess asked.
“Tomorrow,” Dr. Ryder replied. “It needs to come out and the sooner the better.”
“Where?” Bess asked.
“Here,” Dr. Ryder said. “I have privileges here.”
“You would be doing the operation?” Bess inquired of Dr. Ryder, but looked up at Ethan.
“He is a great surgeon,” Ethan explained. “You’ll be in good hands.”
“I just need you to sign here,” Eric said as he handed her a clip board. “And date it too.”
Bess did as she was told, her hand shaking as she wrote her name on the line at the bottom of the page. She assumed she’d be discharged in a day or so and now all that had changed. Her stomach was churning and she felt sick. It seemed that things were only going from bad to worse.
Dr. Ryder shook Ethan’s hand and said something about seeing him tomorrow and then he was gone, leaving Ethan still beside her on the bed.
“I know this must come as a huge shock,” he sympathized. “Do you have any questions?”
Bess shook her head, but her emotions got the best of her and she bit on her lip as her chin began to quiver, her eyes filling with tears and a lump forming in her throat.
“You can cry if you want,” he said gently.
That did it. It all bubbled out in great sobs and loud gulps as Bess allowed herself to be swallowed in despair.
“Is there anyone that I can call for you?” he whispered.
Bess shook her head. “There’s… there’s no one,” she choked.
Ethan felt sad as he thought about her being all alone in this dreadful situation. “It’s okay. I’m here.” He took her in his arms and held her as she cried wet tears into his white coat. He held her close until he heard shallow whimpers and then released her. She laid back on the pillow, rolled to her side facing away from him, and curled into the fetal position. Within ten minutes she had cried herself to sleep, so Ethan quietly crept from the room.
Regina was waiting for him at the nurse’s station. “That poor girl,” she sighed. “She has no one and now this.”
“Cancer doesn’t care who you are.”
“But this girl has been through so much already, and she’s so young.”
“What do you mean?” Ethan was curious.
“Her stepfather tried to rape her when she was sixteen.” Ethan gasped in horror but Regina continued. “The next morning, she packed her bags and left. She said she’d never told anyone what happened and she’s never gone home. She’s been on her own ever since trying to make ends meet and struggling every inch of the way. And now this.”
“You seem to know quite a bit,” Ethan noted.
“She doesn’t have any friends,” Regina admitted with another sigh. “I think she needed a shoulder to lean on.”
“Now more than ever,” Ethan said, more to himself than Regina. He glanced over his shoulder and through the window into Bess’s room. She was still curled in a ball and appeared to be sleeping. “I’
m going home to get some sleep and then I’ll be back to check on her.”
Regina raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She already knew that the good doctor never spent this much time with a patient, but she still kept quiet.
*****
At 11 the following morning, Elizabeth Williams was wheeled down to pre-op and was readied for surgery. Ethan stopped by for a quick visit but had already started his shift in the ER and said he’d be back later to check on her. Somehow it gave her a feeling of assurance that she wasn’t expecting, and she was saddened when he left her alone. But Bess didn’t have time to think about it. She was taken into the operating room and Dr. Ryder held her hand while the anesthesiologist had her count backwards from ten. Then there was nothing.
Awaking in the dark had Bess, once again, in an instant state of panic, unable to remember where she was or why she found it difficult to move. When she heard his voice, the terror receded and she was able to take a deep breath.
“You’re doing great,” Ethan whispered and smoothed her hair away from her eyes. “The surgery was a complete success and we are just waiting on the final pathology report, but that will take a few days.”
“So… cancer?” Bess squeaked, her throat dry and raw from the intubation.
“Cancer,” Ethan frowned. “But Eric got it and it hasn’t spread to any lymph nodes. That was fantastic news.”
“But… cancer.” A lone tear escaped and dripped off Bess’s nose.
Ethan’s heart broke as he saw the sadness in her eyes. “You are going to be just fine. If you’re going to get cancer, this is the best possible outcome.”
Dr. Ryder approached them as Ethan spoke, taking Bess by the hand and nodding in agreement. “I only had to take one ovary. That leaves you one perfectly healthy one.”
“So,” Bess gulped, “can I have… babies?” The last word sent her emotions over the edge and she burst into tears. She hadn’t given much thought to having children of her own, although she loved working with the babies in the daycare center. But to have that choice taken away from her in such a cruel way would be devastating.
“There’s no reason why you can’t,” Ethan soothed.
“Really?” she choked.
“Really,” Eric assured her.
After Bess had calmed down and the recovery nurse was helping her drink some water, Ethan and Eric went to get a cup of coffee.
“You know, if she weren’t a patient,” Eric grinned.
“What?” Ethan snapped.
“She’s gorgeous.”
“Just back off, dude,” Ethan warned.
“Whoa! I’m not doing a damn thing. She’s a patient,” Eric repeated.
“Good,” grunted Ethan.
“Do I need to remind you that she is a patient?” Eric asked, realizing where his friends’ hostility was coming from.
“No, you don’t.”
Eric chuckled. “Sure.”
“This conversation is totally inappropriate,” Ethan snapped. “I’m going back to the ER.”
Eric watched him walk away with a grin on his face. Ethan had it bad.
*****
Two days later Bess was feeling much better. She was walking up and down the hall of the third floor and even had sat with Regina at the nurse’s station for a little while and watched YouTube videos of fainting goats. She laughed so hard her stomach ached but it had been wonderful therapy.
Dr. Ryder had been back with a bottle of tablets she was to take twice daily and he’d set up an appointment to see her in two weeks. Bess was reluctant to make the appointment seeing as though she had no idea what she was going to do when she was discharged. Regina had sensed her hesitance and was waiting for the right time to discuss it with her. As she went in to check on Bess before her shift ended, she took the opportunity.
“So, I know you were just passing through town when you had the fall at the diner. Where were you headed?”
Bess glanced down at her lap, her fingers suddenly fidgeting with the blanket binding. She shrugged. “I had no idea. I was driving south and figured I’d come to water… eventually.”
“And then what?” Regina asked.
“No clue. I was evicted from my apartment and just drove away with no plans and not much money. I figured I’d find a place that looked nice and quiet and find a job. But now,” she sighed, “I’m not sure how long it will be before I can work.”
“A few weeks at a minimum,” Regina replied. “You cannot risk your health. You need to give your body time to heal. What about going home?”
“Home?” Bess asked. “I have no home to go to.”
The evening nurse stuck her head in the door and called for Regina.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Regina smiled. “Get some rest tonight, try not to think about it, and we’ll talk more in the morning.”
But Bess didn’t want to talk more. She’d already said far too much to the kind nurse that had become her friend. She needed to figure out what she was going to do next on her own. She’d taken care of herself for this long, she could keep going. What other choice did she have?
Regina walked out to the parking lot and saw Ethan standing next to his motorbike. “When is Bess going to be discharged?” she asked him.
“If her blood work comes back within normal ranges and Eric gives the all clear, then probably in a couple of days. Why?”
“She has no place to go. I think she’s homeless.”
Ethan was shocked. “Are you sure?”
With a nod, Regina told Ethan all she knew. “If only there was a place here, in town, where she could go to recuperate.”
Ethan didn’t answer, just got on his bike and rode away.
He drove along the beach highway for two miles and then turned into the long driveway lined with tall leafy trees. He stopped his bike when he reached the house and leaned it on the kickstand. He took off his helmet and then walked to the side of the house where he could see the ocean waves crashing against the rocky cliffs. And then he turned his head ever so slightly and saw the house that he’d once lived in while his grandparents were alive. It was a solid house, warm and cozy… and empty.
*****
Bess’s surgical incisions were healing nicely and her blood work was looking good. The antibiotics were tackling the pneumonia and Bess almost felt human for the first time in months. There was no reason for her to be in the hospital any longer and she knew that the time was coming when she would need to leave. That day had come.
“The clothes you wore into the ER were covered in blood,” Regina frowned as she entered Bess’s room. “It is hospital policy to burn them, but for whatever reason, housekeeping washed them for you,” she added, placing a plastic bag on the end of the bed.
Bess was grateful for the return of her jeans. They were her favorite, well-worn and soft. They were more comfortable than sweats.
“As soon as Dr. Ryder signs your chart, you will be able to get out of here.”
“Mmm,” Bess responded with no excitement.
“Do you know where you’ll go?” Regina looked concerned.
“I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry about me,” she assured with a lack of conviction.
“Yes. She’ll be fine,” Ethan agreed as he walked into her room. “Bess, we need to chat.”
Regina took her cue and disappeared.
“I have a proposition for you,” Ethan said. “I know you aren’t from around here, but you’ll have to hang around in order to see Dr. Ryder and continue with the trial. I don’t know what your plans were before you were… detained, but I have an arrangement that may just work out very well.”
“An arrangement?” Bess stuttered. “What kind of… arrangement?”
3.
He called it a cottage but it certainly didn’t fit her description of a cottage. It was far too big.
“I bought this house when I moved to Port Lincoln,” Ethan explained. “My grandparents lived in the house over there,” he said as he pointed to the h
ouse he now lived in. “I still own this one but it’s been empty for over a year.”
Bess walked through the large gathering room into the formal dining room and then into the recently remodeled kitchen.
“It’s the first thing I did,” Ethan noted. “I love the old house but this room had to be completely gutted and redone, except for the fireplace. It’s beautiful as it is so I didn’t touch it. The bathrooms were also renovated.”
“Bathrooms?”
“Yeah, there are three,” he replied.
Bess had never lived in a house so large. Her entire apartment would have fit into the living room, or what Ethan termed the gathering room. He’d explained that the house had been built when the first ships arrived on these shores from England in the 17th century, and over the generations, the house had been added to and improved upon.
“The cabinetry in the dining room is original, he was saying. “And the banister is also original. It was masterfully restored a few years ago when the previous owners began a massive renovation. But they ran out of money and I was able to scoop up the place for a steal. When my grandparents died and left me their house, I didn’t have the heart to sell it.”
“I can understand why,” Bess whispered as she reverently touched the door frame that led into the large room at the back of the house. “What was this room for?”
“Originally? I believe it would have been a bedroom. The fire in the kitchen would have kept this original part of the house warm, so this is where the family would have slept.”
Bess tried to imagine four hundred years ago and the family huddling together in the harsh winters. It was a miracle anyone survived. Now the house was well-insulated and had the luxury of central heating. There was no denying that she could be very comfortable in the house, and it would enable her to heal and relax until she regained her strength. The thought reminded her of how tired she’d become just from walking a few feet.