“Yeah,” I replied, unsure of what else to say.
He rocked back on his heels and whistled quietly. Here I was, my heart threatening to beat right out of my chest, and this man, who was probably tasked with saving people’s lives, didn’t seem to have a care in the world.
“Are those comfortable?” I nodded toward his blue scrubs. “I’ve always wondered.”
He smiled, and I wondered if it was his normal, everyday smile or a practiced one. “They are. I tend to wear them even when I’m not doing my rounds.”
I nodded, remembering what rounds were from theGrey’s Anatomymarathons Miri and I would watch. Of course, as soon as I thought back to the many nights we’d sat on the couch, eating popcorn or ice cream, I instantly wanted to ask the fine doctor next to me if what we’d seen on the show was accurate. Was he hooking up with his coworkers in the break rooms?
Instead, I asked, “What’s on the fifth floor?”
He met my gaze, and his demeanor changed. Gone was the sweet smile, replaced by sadness. Before he could tell me what I faced, the doors opened. He nodded and stepped off, leaving me no choice but to follow.
My feet moved slowly as my eyes scanned each room number, studying the three digits as if I couldn’t comprehend them on sight. When I came to Miri’s room, I stood in the hallway, staring at the curtain surrounding her bed. My best friend was in there, waiting on me. She would give me news that my gut told me wouldn’t be good.
With a deep breath, I cleared my throat, stepped in, and walked around the curtain with my brightest smile on my face. I had a role to play, an expectation. I was the happy-go-lucky bestie who didn’t stress about anything but work.
Miri was on her side in a half-fetal position, hooked up to monitors. I ignored them and set my purse on the table before sitting down on the edge of the bed.
“Hey, bish. What’s up? Flu bug?”
Miri’s eyes watered instantly, and what was left of my heart fell to the ground. I scooted closer to her and ran my fingers over her light-brown hair. Her hazel eyes never left mine. Miri and I had the same eye color, with mine being a smidge darker.
“What’s wrong?” I kept my voice low and barely above a whisper, afraid it would crack.
“I have cancer,” she said, matching my tone.
I nodded and bit my lower lip, and I didn’t even bother trying to fight the tears. “Okay.” It took me a minute or two to get my thoughts together. “We can fight this. Right? We’re a strong team.”
Miri reached for my hand and held it tightly. “I can fight this.”
“And win,” I added. If anything, we had to remain positive. “I guess the first thing we need to do is get you transferred to Boston. I’ll make some calls.”
“I can’t go to Boston.”
“What, why not? Don’t be silly. Boston has the best doctors. You’re not staying here.”
“The kids have school, Toni. I can’t take them out of school.”
Shit.
I nodded. I hadn’t forgotten about them, but I’d definitely forgotten about the logistics of schooling. “I’ll figure it out, Miri. But you have to know I won’t stop at anything to get you the absolute best care. You and I both know it’s not here.”
“I know,” she said quietly.
“Are you in pain?”
“Not really.”
“Scoot over,” I told her as I maneuvered my way onto her bed and held her in my arms. This was better for both of us. She didn’t have to see my tears or the fear I was certain my eyes held. “How’d you find out?”
“I had my annual exam last week, and my doctor found a couple of lumps. She sent me for an MRI, and the radiologist didn’t like what he saw, so they admitted me while they ran more tests. I didn’t want to do anything until I knew more.”
I leaned back. “So, you may not even have cancer?”
She gave me a slight shrug.
“Bish, can you be any more dramatic?”
