by Amanda Tru
She turned off her computer, retrieved her purse from her office, and left the building to walk briskly to her car.
“Dr. Hutchins!” a voice called, right as her fingers locked onto the driver’s side door handle to open it. “Hold up!”
Geneva turned to see Dr. Stephen Humbolt jogging a beeline her direction.
She sighed but adopted a friendly expression as he approached. She wanted to leave, not be accosted by Dr. You-Don’t-Love-Me-As-Much-As-I-Love-Me.
“Why, hello there!” he greeted, casually leaning against her car as if they’d just happened to cross paths. However, he couldn’t quite mask his breathlessness from his exuberant dash for the interception. “Since it’s Friday night, could I possibly talk you into that dinner date you’ve been promising?” He wiggled his eyebrows and cocked what he surely defined as a sexy, come-hither grin.
Stephen was a podiatrist who visited Crossroads once a week for appointments. Everything from his highly-glossed shoes, to his immaculate designer suit, to his perfectly slicked back hair, screamed confidence. Stephen was well-respected and seemed to be a good guy, but instead of alluring, his uber-confidence was off-putting to Geneva. Every time she met him, she tried to talk herself out of her natural reflex to take a step back from the man. Even though he seemed quite the catch on paper, Geneva was relatively certain that she could never grow to love the man as much as he already loved himself.
Of course, in Geneva’s mind, all of that in no way disqualified him as someone she would be more than willing to have fun with on a casual level. As always, keeping the eager beaver on the right side of the friend zone might prove challenging, but Geneva wasn’t unwilling to give it a go. Just not tonight.
“I’ll still need to hold that raincheck, Stephen. I’m not quite off work yet.” She pulled on either side of her doctor’s jacket as evidence.
“Oh, do you still need to make your hospital rounds? I can wait. You can’t have that many patients admitted here in Crossroads.”
“I do need to see a patient, but she isn’t at the hospital. And I’m not sure how long it will take. Maybe we can run into each other again next Friday and see if I’m free.”
“Oh, so you are making house calls now? Maybe I should enlist you as my own physician. That might be the easiest way to get a date with you!”
Geneva laughed. “Trust me. The idea of going out with you is much preferable to the task at hand. But alas, I must offer up my coveted spot as your date to another eager member of the Dr. Stephen Humbolt entourage.”
The stroke to his ego worked, and Stephen allowed her to leave while he hurried to his own car, his eyes glued to his cell phone screen perusing his contact list for tonight’s special someone.
Geneva drove straight to a small rental about ten minutes away from the hospital. She parked at the curb in front and hopped out, not giving herself time to dwell on the news she was about to deliver. She already knew the exact words to say. She’d even read articles on such topics, and this wasn’t the first time she’d delivered horrible, life-altering news to a patient. But, as she crossed the parched grass of the meager yard to the front door decorated with chipping blue paint, she found all of her training woefully inadequate.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she released it slowly.
Lord, help me to be both a doctor and a friend.
She pulled her white coat tight around her shoulders and knocked on the door.
Kara opened the door with a smile. “Hi, Gen, what are you--?” she stopped suddenly, fear shooting through her gaze like lightning. “This isn’t a social call.”
Geneva didn’t know if the lab coat or the look on her face clued Kara in, but she couldn’t deny her friend’s conclusion. Loving her friend too much to beat around the bush, Geneva spoke quickly and concisely. “I got Allie’s lab work back, Kara. Her numbers indicate that her cancer has returned.”
Kara shut her eyes and breathed deeply, her shoulders rising and falling in what Geneva suspected as a great effort to rein in sobs. She opened the door wide. “Come in,” she whispered.
Geneva studied her friend as Kara led the way to a worn couch in the tiny living room. Kara was the same age as Geneva. Though still very pretty, life had shaped fine lines that aged her appearance to older than that of her peer. Granted, Geneva was often told she looked very young for her actual position in the decade of her thirties, but Kara’s dull brown hair and tired hazel eyes didn’t make the same argument.
Weary.
Kara looked weary. The small house with faded brown carpet meeting beige walls looked weary. The brown floral couch and other furniture belonging to decades past looked weary. The full effect created an all-encompassing weariness that drained all the energy out of their lives, leaving no strength left to muster up for what lay ahead.
“I guess that explains why Allie has been so tired,” Kara moaned softly, unknowingly echoing Geneva’s thoughts. “It’s almost six o’clock, and she’s upstairs napping right now. I’m not even worried about her sleeping tonight.”
“Kara, I’ve already made a referral to the best pediatric oncologist I know. His name is Dr. Carter Solomon. He’s one of the very top in the nation. Allie has an appointment on Monday at ten o’clock.”
Kara looked at Geneva shrewdly. “You must have pulled some strings for that. I am familiar with Dr. Solomon. I asked for a referral to him when we lived in Portland. I decided that if she were accepted as a patient, we’d move back here. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get an appointment, probably because there were adequate treatment options in Portland. So, we stayed until she was cancer-free.”
Kara paused and then continued with difficulty. “Is Allie’s cancer that serious? What did you do to get her appointment and so quickly?”
“I went to med school with Dr. Solomon,” Geneva answered smoothly. “I asked for a personal favor, and he scheduled the appointment himself. I don’t know any details of Allie’s current prognosis. I’m sure Dr. Solomon will want to run tests to determine what we’re dealing with.”
Kara nodded and studied her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “Thank you, Gen. That means a lot.”
Then she looked up, her gaze stricken as she looked to Geneva desperately. “Gen, tell me the truth. You may not have all of Allie’s test results, but you are the most knowledgeable doctor I know. You can’t make me believe you don’t know the statistics. If the same type of cancer has returned, what are her chances?”
Kara was right. Geneva did know the statistics. She could rattle off percentages for over a dozen types of cancers, and she knew Allie’s case inside out. Keeping her face impassive, Geneva replied. “Kara, I won’t answer that for you. Percentages are based on where the cancer is right now, and those percentages run the full spectrum. It’s entirely possible that this is the same cancer she had before, and many childhood cancers have a very high survival rate.”
“But for the second time?” Kara whispered.
“You can ask that question to Dr. Solomon, but I can tell you right now that he won’t answer either until he has the numbers in front of him. The best-case scenario is that with treatment, Allie will go into remission for a second time. We aren’t going to talk right now about the worst-case scenario. There is no reason to.” Geneva paused, waiting until Kara lifted her gaze to look at her directly. Then she spoke with sincerity and conviction. “We are going to pray hard, make sure Allie has the best care there is, and consider this merely a speed bump.”
Kara teared up. Geneva stood and went to her friend. Sitting beside her, she wrapped her arms around her and held tightly.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Kara gasped through the sobs. “Not again. Not alone.”
“Kara, you are not alone,” Gen said firmly. “This time is different. Last time, Jimmy left, and yet you still got through it. This time is not like that. You are back home here in Crossroads. You have me, and you have God. Neither one of us will let you do it alone.”
�
��Promise?” Kara asked brokenly.
“I promise,” Geneva answered steadily.
“Promise what?” a little voice asked.
Geneva turned to see petite Allie step down the stairs.
Kara hurriedly brushed at her tears and smiled tremulously at her daughter. “Hi, honey,” she called.
Geneva slid a glance at Kara, wondering which direction to take this conversation. Did Kara want to pretend that everything was fine, or did she want to deliver the news that would change Allie’s life?
“Allie, come over here and talk to Dr. Gen with me just a minute,” Kara said, motioning her to come close. “She stopped by to talk to us about something that we need to tell you.”
Good girl. Though telling Allie about her cancer would rank among the most difficult things Kara would ever do, Geneva believed it best for children to know and understand. Kara was obviously upset, which could only cause Allie more anxiety, knowing that some mystery monster had her mom scared.
Allie came forward, but instead of sitting on the couch or the chair, she crawled up right beside Geneva and affectionately leaned her head against her white-clad shoulder. Geneva’s heart melted as Allie’s worried gaze looked up at her. “You’re wearing your doctor suit. Are we playing doctor today? Should I get my animals?”
Geneva smiled, put an arm around to draw the girl close, and brushed her dark, sleep-strewn hair off her forehead. Though Allie was eight-years-old, she was tiny and not too old to snuggle one of her favorite people, and Geneva loved that Allie included her in that exclusive group. As great playmates, Allie often insisted that Geneva bring her doctor tools to play clinic with her zoo of plush animals. Geneva desperately wished that was the purpose of her visit this evening.
“Not today, Allie,” Geneva said warmly.
“Allie, Dr. Gen came to give us the results of the tests you had done last week,” Kara said, her voice sounding strained and unnaturally bright. “Remember when we went to the hospital for a blood test?”
Allie looked directly at Geneva, her big, gray eyes holding both wisdom and intuition beyond her years. “Am I sick?”
Geneva barely managed to cover her startled reaction at the direct question. Not wavering, she returned Allie’s direct gaze and answered evenly, “Yes, Allie. You are.”
“Is it cancer?”
Another adult question that should never need to breathe through the lips of a child.
Geneva nodded slowly and replied again, “I’m afraid so.”
Allie’s face crumpled into a sob. Unlike most children, Allie knew exactly what the word meant and the torture that accompanied it. “I don’t want cancer,” she hiccupped, reaching for her mother.
Kara enfolded her in her arms, her tears mingling with her daughter’s. “Listen, Allie, Dr. Gen also brought us good news. She already made us an appointment with a friend of hers who is the very best doctor. We’ll see him on Monday, and he will help us figure out what to do. You’re going to be okay, sweetheart. We’ll pray, and I will be right there with you.”
Allie sniffled and looked up at Geneva. “Your doctor friend is the best?”
Geneva nodded solemnly, “He’s like the superman for kids who have cancer.”
Allie thought about this, and the worry lines creasing her forehead relaxed just a bit. “Will you go see Superman with me?” she asked Geneva timidly.
“Of course, I will!” Geneva quickly replied. She couldn’t refuse the request even if it required her to break her long-standing vow of no contact and come face-to-face with the one person in the world she’d rather not ever see again.
By the look Kara sent her way, and the whispered “thank you,” Geneva realized Allie’s wasn’t the only anxiety she’d just relieved. Kara needed her support. She should have already planned to go, and she would have if only the appointment didn’t involve Carter.
With plans settled, Geneva told Allie that she’d heard some of her animals weren’t feeling the best and offered to treat them at Allie’s clinic before she left. Allie immediately embraced the play. They soon set up their full doctoring clinic and saw patients ranging from a bear with the sniffles to a bunny sick with a fever. When Allie announced that a small kitty had cancer and needed some tests, Geneva fought back the tears but played along, knowing that playing out her anxieties would greatly benefit the little girl. Geneva carefully put the kitty through a range of tests that mimicked those she knew Allie would soon face. Allie soon announced that the kitty was well and the cancer defeated. After a celebration tea party with the healthy, plush patients, Geneva hugged Kara and Allie and left with the promise of seeing them on Monday.
As soon as Geneva got to her car, she shrugged out of her white jacket. Opening the car door, she angrily flung it to the passenger seat and climbed into the driver’s seat. She gripped the steering wheel so tight her fingers turned white. Her breathing ragged, she tried to battle the overwhelming emotions and convince her hand to release the wheel and turn the key in the ignition, leaving it all behind.
The ringing of her phone finally coerced her hand to leave its post. She picked it up, not glancing at the screen before answering.
“Hello?” she said, working to mask the emotion from her voice and pretend that the past hour hadn’t happened.
“Hi, Geneva! This is Brenden Rico.”
Geneva’s mind quickly sifted through its files and brought up Brenden’s profile along with a full-color picture in her mind of a man with a killer smile, thick, black hair, and bushy black brows to match. Geneva had gone out with him a couple times. Nothing serious—but it never was. If she remembered right, he was in the construction business and enjoyed movies and a variety of international cuisine. As was her usual habit with the men she dated, Geneva had only labeled his file in her mind under a single heading. Unfortunately for him, that file carried the title of “Bushy Brow Brenden.”
“Hi, Brenden!” she greeted in a cheerful Oscar-worthy performance. “What’s up?”
“The bowling alley is doing cosmic bowling tonight. Wanna go?”
A bowling alley. Loud music, loud banging as balls headed down the chutes to collide in a satisfying clash of pins. Mind-numbing fun that didn’t demand any thinking or feeling. And it was all here in Crossroads, which didn’t require Geneva to be alone with herself for any longer than it took to meet Brenden.
Of course, acknowledging Brenden’s hefty brows in no way meant she didn’t like him or enjoy his company. She did like him and found it rather fascinating to watch those little lines of fur dance above his eyes in tune with his different facial expressions. And she would very much appreciate a bit of that brow distraction tonight.
“Sure!” Geneva replied enthusiastically. “I’d love to go with you, Brenden.”
They arranged to meet at the bowling alley, and by the time they hung up, Geneva had successfully moved her hand down to the keys in the ignition. The engine roared to life. With one last glare at the white jacket on the seat beside her, Geneva turned her attention to the road and anticipated escaping the real world through a bushy-browed bowling distraction.
The door opened. Geneva held her breath and braced herself, anticipating the entrance of Dr. Carter Solomon.
“You must be Allie,” he greeted, his entire focus on the little girl. He approached her and knelt down to her level as she sat on her mother’s lap. “I’m Dr. Solomon,” he said gently, extending his hand to take hers in a formal, big-person handshake.
Geneva felt warmth in her chest that quickly turned painful at the sight of Carter’s warm, kind manner toward Allie. Whereas some people were overly energetic and enthusiastic when interacting with children, Carter was calm and gentle, immediately bestowing on his patients a sense of comfort and peace. Geneva hadn’t forgotten this about Carter. After all, it was one of the qualities she greatly admired about him as both a doctor and a human being. But, seeing him in action with Allie both touched her and reminded her of his rejection. In the end, this wonderful man hadn’t
wanted her.
“Hi,” Allie greeted shyly as their hands parted.
“Do you know who Solomon was in the Bible?” Carter asked, capturing Allie’s full attention.
Allie offered the tiniest of nods.
“You do? Good. So you remember that he was a very wise king?” Carter asked further.
Another itsy-bitsy nod.
“Well, my name is Dr. Solomon. I like to think when God made me, He knew what my name would be and gave me an extra dose of wisdom, just like King Solomon. But for me, I get to use that wisdom to help kids like you get better.”
Ugh. Why, oh, why does he have to be so wonderful?
Even from where she stood in the corner, Geneva could see the spark in Allie’s eyes.
Allie looked from Carter up to her mom and whispered. “Dr. Gen is right. He really is Superman!”
Carter’s left brow shot up with sudden curiosity, and he grinned so that just one dimple showed. “Oh, really? Is that what Dr. Gen says? Well, she can be pretty wise sometimes, too.”
He still never even glanced Geneva’s direction, which was fine with her. If he had, he certainly wouldn’t have seen her blush in embarrassment. Geneva wasn’t the blushing type. Instead, he would have only met her impassive countenance as she gazed upon him as if a stranger. After all, that seemed to be the game he was already playing.
Carter examined Allie, earning her smiles and cooperation the entire time with his gentle and entertaining methods. After allowing Allie to listen to her own heartbeat and hear how “strong and steady” it sounded, Carter finally took a seat on the little stool on wheels and faced Allie and Kara. He explained the tests that he would need to make an official diagnosis and treatment plan, advising that they get started immediately. With each procedure he mentioned, he honestly explained everything to Allie.
“Will it hurt?” Allie asked, voicing the same question she’d asked about every test mentioned.
“Yes, Allie, it will,” Carter answered. While not every step in the process would hurt, he honestly confessed that this one would. “But remember when you listened to your heart and heard it beat so strong and steady? This test will hurt for just a minute and be done. I know from the sound of your heart that you’re a strong girl, and you can do this. Your mom will be there to hold your hand the whole time.”