Roman stands again, placing his hands in his pockets. “Dr. Newark. Tell me something good.”
It’s only when he steps further into the room that Roman notices the tight, uncomfortable smile resting on his face. Roman’s shoulders fall, and the burning sensation in his throat returns. He looks down at his daughter, breathing evenly as she sleeps through the destruction of his world.
Dr. Newark shakes his head. “Roman, relapses happen. One minute, they’re responding well to the corticosteroids, and the next, they’re not. Right now, she’s not. We have to give it time.”
Roman grips the edge of the cot, his skin tingling at the cool metal. “How much time? It’s been almost a year,” he grits out.
Dr. Newark sighs, clasping his hands together.
“This condition that she has, nephrotic syndrome, it’sincrediblyrare. There are not a lot of cases found in the U.S., especially in children this young. We’re lucky we caught it when we did. We’re already two steps ahead. We knew that over the course of this new medication that there were possibilities for her to relapse, for the symptoms to return.”
Roman looks down, feeling his eyes burn. “I just wish there was something I could do.”
“You are, son,” Dr. Newark says, nodding his head.
Roman wipes his face, feeling his mom wrap an arm around him, but that does little to comfort him. “What, watching her lie in a hospital bed every other week? Yeah, I’m dad of the year.”
Dr. Newark chuckles. “Actually, yes.”
Roman folds his arms across his chest, giving him a hard stare. Dr. Newark rubs a hand down his stubble, breathing out. He pushes his glasses to the top of his head.
“Most people don’t realize how important it is for a child to feel loved. To be in a nurturing environment. Children have endorphins just like adults. Those positive emotions, her happiness, herlaughter, those things stimulate the release of them. They help reduce her pain. They boost her immune system. They mitigate the trauma of all of this.” He draws a circlein the air with his finger. “Don’t think that you aren’t helping her because you are. There’s a lot of power in your presence, Roman.”
Roman nods, wiping a hand down his face, some of the tension leaving his body.
Dr. Newark smiles, stepping towards the door. “Good. Chin up. We’ll up her dosage on the steroids and see if that helps. I’ll have the prescription put in, monitor her overnight, and then she should be good to go tomorrow.”
Roman digs in his back pocket as it vibrates. “Sounds good.”
Vaughn
Marcus called out. Can you come in?
Tapping the screen, he moves to grab his bag before turning to his mom, who is engrossed in her sketchbook. “You good here?”
Deep blue eyes flicker to his. “You’re leaving?”
“Someone called out,” he says, shoving his laptop into the bag.
“Your daughter issick, Roman. Let someone else handle it.”
“Wow, I had no idea,” he says dryly. “Thought we were in here for shits and giggles.”
She purses her lips, resuming her sketch, the soft scratch of the pencil hitting the surface.
He runs a hand over his face, a new pressure building in his chest. “I’m sorry. I hear you, but I need the money. I’m no good just sitting here when I could be getting some extra cash to pay for her visits and medicine.”
She waves him off, turning her nose up. “I’ll keep you updated.”
Shit.
His sigh is rough and slow. “I’m sorry. I promise it won’t always be like this.” He kisses her cheek lingering to breathe in her citrusy scent. “I love you.” He shuffles to Lucy, chuckling as he wipes the drool that has seeped from the corner of her mouth. “I love you, my sweet girl,” he whispers against her ear.
As he exits the room, he stumbles into the individual who managed to turn the room into an ice box several minutes ago. He murmurs a brief apology before moving past her.
“God, I’m going to regret this, but why didn’t you call me, Roman?” Her voice is sharp.
Fuck him.She wants to do this now.
