“Hello?”
“Drew? It’s Eric.”
“Give it to me straight.”
“I consulted with the urologist, and it’s what I thought. Cancer of the testicle. But before you start worrying, it’s not as dire as you might think. It’s confined to the one, and there’s no sign of cancer in the other testicle. Doctor Kim, the urologist, wants you to come in for a CT scan to make sure it hasn’t spread.”
“So there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.” Sweat broke out on his forehead, and he wiped his sleeve over his face.
“Definitely. Drew, listen to me. Please. This type of cancer is almost one hundred percent curable. Doctor Kim will take it from here, and his office will be scheduling you for the surgery and scan. The blood test will come in soon, and it will reveal other markers we’ll want to take a look at.”
“Thanks, Eric. That makes me feel less worried.”
“You should. I don’t foresee chemo, as long as it hasn’t spread. Monitoring is enough.”
“Some good news, then.”
“It is. I’ll talk to you next week.”
“Thanks.”
He hung up and called Ash, who picked up on the first ring.
“Did you hear anything?”
Drew’s heart squeezed. What would he do if he had to go through this alone? Sure, he’d have his friends and sister, but it wasn’t the same as having the love of your life holding you tight all night.
“Yeah.” He reiterated what Eric said. “So it’s probably the best outlook possible. No chemo and the surgery, when I looked it up, is outpatient for the most part. I’m going to call the urologist for an appointment now.”
“I was so worried. I imagined the worst. Oh, God. I was so scared it was going to be worse.”
Drew wiped his eyes when he heard Ash crying. “It’s okay. I’m going to be fine.”
“I know you are. I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ll see you tonight.”
It wasn’t until almost five thirty that the work slowed, and they all took a break at the same time. Tash and Brandon had come in for a stint on the helpline, and Drew thought he heard Luke in Jordan’s office.
“Great,” he said out loud to himself. “I can’t tell them all right now.” He sighed and called Jordan. “Hey, are you free?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Come to my office?”
“All right.” He heard the guarded tone in Jordan’s voice but hung up before he could ask questions. Jordan was as close as a brother. He needed to tell someone besides Ash.
Not thirty seconds later, Jordan stormed in. “What’s up, Drew? You’re not quitting the clinic, are you?” His fair brows knitted together. “Something’s wrong. Tell me.”
There really is no good way to say it, Drew thought as he closed the door.
“Yesterday, when I had my annual physical, they discovered I have testicular cancer.”
Dead silence…then all hell broke loose.
“What? Are they sure? Are you going for a second opinion?” Jordan’s voice rose to the point of shouting, and Drew grabbed him by the arm and shushed him.
“Quiet, Jordy. I had an ultrasound. But I just spoke with the doctor, and he and the urologist looked at the scan, and they don’t think it’s spread. He’s citing me an almost one hundred percent cure rate after the surgery. It’s the best possible outcome from a terrible situation.”
