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UponhearingthatitwasrtedtoLysander’sfather,Lynndidn’tevenbothertohangupthephone.ShequicklysearchedforMaverick’smedicalrecordsonheputer,thenfellintoalongsilence.
Lysandertigilygrippedherphone,abadfeeling creepingintoherchest.“Lynn?”
“Dr.Thome,”Lynn’svoicewassomewhatstrained,“1-
Lysandercroaked.“Haveyoufoundmyfather’smedicalrecords?”
“Yes,”Lynnrespondedslowly,only daringtoutteronesentence.“I’vefoundit.”
Lysandertookadeepbreathandsaid.“Tell<b>me</b>.Ineedtoknowwhathappenedtohim<b>.</b>”
Knowingher<b>as</b>wesshedid,Lynnfoundithardtospeakup.Shesaidsorrowfully,“Dr.Thorne,Mr.Thome<b>was</b>diagnosedwitte–stagelungcancerafewdaysago.Healreadyhashismedication,butthemedicationistocase-”
AbuzzfilledLysander’smind,makingitalmostimpossibleforhertomakeoutLynn’sfollowingwords.Nevertheless,sheforcedherselftorespond,“Allright,Iunderstand.”
Aftershe said thosewords,Lysanderhungupthephonewith<b>an</b>almostmechanicalmotion.Butherfingersslipped,causingher<b>phone</b>tofalltotheground.Asshetriedtobenddowntopickitup,hervisionblurred,andshealmostfelloverherself.
“Lysander!”
Josiahcouldnolongercareaboutthequietnessofthedeepnight.HecalledoutLysander’snameandleapedovertherailingtoherside.
Josiahwapletelyoblivioustohowdangeroushisactionswere.HenoticedLysandermaintainingacrouchedpositionontheground,pickingupherphone,Following suit,hecroucheddown,handingherthephoneasheasked,“What’swrong?WhatdidLynnsay?”
In<b>a</b>dazedstate,Lysander’swordsseemedtofloatintheair.“L–Lungcancer<b>.</b>”
Assoonassheutteredthose<b>words</b>,thealreadyquietnightbecameasstisdeathitself.
Caughtoffguard,Josiahwasleftspeechless,histhroattightwithshock.Heremainedinthisstunnedsilenceforquitesometime,unabletoutterasingleword.
“Isthereanywayto-”
Lysanderherselfwasadoctor,andaskinghersuchaquestionwasexcessivelyharsh.AssoonasJosiahspoke,heimmediatelyregrettedit!
Lysander’sfaceturnedpale,herwholebodytremblingasshereplied,“Iftherearetargetedcancerdrugs,<b>then</b>it’sfine,butifthere<b>isn’t</b>.”Shetrailedoff.
“DidLynnmentionanythingspecific?Aretheretargetedcancerdrugs?”
“Thereshouldn’tbeany,”Lysandersaidwithgreat.“ThemedicationsLynnmentionedareallstandardcancerdrugs.Thereweren’tanytargetedcancerdrugs.”
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AsenseofdreadsettledinJosiah’sheart.
Lysander<b>lowered</b>herhead,hereyestightlyshut.“Iknewit.Hisweirdbehaviorsurelyhintedthatsomethingwaswrong,<b>but</b>howcoulditbelikethis?”
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“Lysander,whydon’tweheadbackfirst?It’stoocoldouthere.Let’sgohomeandtalkthingsoverslowly,”coaxedJosiah<b>.</b>
“Idon’twanttogoback.HowcanIevensitstill?I-Lysandercoveredherfaceinagony,thecoatdrapedoverhershouldersslippingtotheground.
Withaswiftnceandevenswifterhands,<b>Josiah</b>wrappedthecoataroundherandheldhertightly.
HelookedatLysanderwithaconcernedgazeandsaid,“Ithinkthereasonwhyyourdadkeptthisasecretfromyouallisbecausehedidn’twantyouandMrs.Thooworry.Oncewegobacktomorrow,wecanvisitthehospitalforadetailed inquiry.Thesituationmaynotbeasbadasitseems.”
Heattemptedtohelpherupyetfearedshemightresist.Themotionofhishandreachingforherarmwassogentleitwasalmostimperceptible,ashedarednotexert–eventheslightestbitofadditionalforce.
Lysanderfeltasifsheweretreadingoncotton,findinghiswordstobenothingshortofsurreal.
Itturnedoutthatwhenpeoplesufferedamajorblow,theycouldn’tsummontears.
Lysanderwasinutterturmoil.SheallowedJosiahtohelpherup,herentirebeinginastateofbewilderedconfusion.
Josiah’shearttwingedinpainashetookinherstate.Hegentlysaid,“I<b>will</b>definitelygetintouchwiththebestoncologyspecialistsforMr.Thorne.Ifwecan’tfindonehere,wewilllookabroad.”
Uponhearingthewords“treatment,”Lysanderfinallysnappedoutofherdaze.Sheslowlyliftedherheadtolookathim,hergazplex.
“It’spointlessnow,”shesaid.“WhileI’mnot<b>an</b>oncologyexpert,myfather’salreadyinthtestage.Eventifweweretofindamedicalexpert,thechancesofrecoveryareextremelylow.”
AsLysanderspoke,hervoicebegantotrembleuncontroblytoward theend.Itfelt<b>as</b>ifacknowledgingthetruthwasakintosentencingherfathertodeath,yetthereseemedtobenootherchoice.
“Ican’tthinkofanyothersolutions,”she<b>said</b>,finallysumbingtohertears.
Attimeslikethese,itwasalwaysbettertoletthetearsflowthantobottleupalltheemotionsinside.
Josiahsighedinrelief.Hemovedtofaceherandsaid,“Iknowyou’reupset,Lysander<b>.</b>Don’tholditin.Youdon’tneedto<b>think</b>aboutanythingelsewhenyou’rearoundme.Ifyouwanttocry,thencry.Ifyouwanttosaysomething,thensayit.It’sokaytoletitout.Ifyoufall,whatwillMrs.ThorneandMichelledo?Theystillneedyou.”
Lysanderwassodistraughtthatshecouldbarelystand.Josiahgentlyheldhertopreventherfromcopsinglikeshehadjustdone.
Asthe<b>night</b>deepened,Lysander’sbody wascoldasablockofice,andshedrewwarmthonlyfromhisbody.
Lysandernolongerwishedtoponderwhothepersonstandingbeforeher<b>was</b><b>;</b>allsheneededatthat
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“Idon’tunderstandwhytheheavensaretreatingmethisway.HadIdonesomethingwrong<b>?</b>I’veneverdoneanythingharmful.I’vealwaysdonemyutmosttohelpeachandeverypatient.Yet,thepeopleIcareaboutkeepleavingme.First,it’smychild,thenyou,andnowit’s-”
ThethoughtofMaverickleavinginthenearfuturewasheart–wrenchingforher.She<b>was</b><b>so</b>overwhelmedthatshecouldn’tevenutterawordabout theimpendingfuture.
Josiahdidn’trespond.Instead,<b>he</b>silentlyofferedhisshouldertoher,allowinghertohaveagood,cathartic
<b>cry</b><b>.</b>
Yet,Lysanderdidn’tcryagain.Shesimplyloweredherhead,hidingherfaceinacehecouldn’tsee,andbegantomurmur.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.
“ItfeelslikeI’vebeenlosingthingsforalongtime.WhenIlostmychild,IwassodevastatedIcouldn’tevencry.IthoughtthatwasthemostpainfulthingIcouldeverexperience.Butnow,Irealizethatwasjustthebeginning.”
Lysander’smindfilledwithatangledwebofpainfulmemories.Oneminute,shewasbackinthechillinglycoldclinicwhereshehadher abortion,andthenext,shewasrecallingherdad’sforlorn expression<b>and</b>wordsasifhewasentrustingherwithhisentireworld.
Hadshenotbeenstrongenough,shemighthavebeenemotionallydefeatedbynow.
JosiahpatientlywaiteduntilLysanderhadpouredoutallthepaininherheartbeforegentlyliftinghishandtorestitonherback.In<b>a</b>warmvoice,he<b>said</b>,“I’mnotsureifyoucare<b>about</b>me,butI’lwaysbethereforyou,<b>and</b>evenifyoutellmetoleave,Iwon’t.”
Lysanderdidnotrespond.Itwasunclearwhethershehadn’theardduetoher<b>daze</b>orifshesimplydidn’twant<b>to</b>acknowledgehim.
Josiahdidn’tmindhersilence,<b>and</b>he<b>continued</b>speakingalone.“TheonlythingI’munsureofiswhetherIcanbeconsideredsomeoneyoucareabout.”
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