Life - Message From The Past

17-Gwen

After heavy sessions of intense radiation treatments, the cancer released its grip on her spinal cord allowing Gwen to breathe and move freely on her own. She sat up in the clinic bed as Dr. Fraser came to visit his first patient without Dr. Corber taking the lead.

"Good morning, Gwen!" Michael looked proud showing he was able to pull the mother of three back into the living with his precisely calculated radiation therapy. "How are you feeling?" Michael flashed a smile.

Gwen returned the smile, a nod, and a lackluster response," Good." She shrugged.

Her doctor pulled the covers from Gwen's feet and then prodded her big toe with a probe. "Can you feel this?" She nodded. Michael prodded again. "And this?"

"Uh-huh." Gwen looked to the open door.

"Are you expecting someone?"

With a course voice, she spoke his name. "Jeremy."

"Mr. Fartham? I haven't seen him since you collapsed." The doctor covered his patient's feet. "Roll onto your right side, Gwen. I am going to check the radiation burn."

Dr. Fraser pulled the gel-cushioned covering back. "The radiation treatments are intense and caused your skin to heat and inflame." Michael pulled the bandage back. "The intensity of your therapy made your skin blister. Though effective it will take some time to heal Gwen." He replaced the cushioned bandage and gently directed Gwen to lay back.

The doctor turned his medical tablet on proudly showing the scan of receding cancer. "The radiation worked to send this tumor into remission."

Michael swiped left to show how her affected lungs looked much better.

"Wait." Gwen softly interrupted her doctor. She swiped back to the spinal cord scan and pointed as she asked. "Will this happen with Jeremy as well?"

"It is possible." Dr. Fraser pulled Gwen back to her challenge. "Let's concentrate on you." He swiped left on the tab again then pointed. "This is your fight, Gwen!"

Gwen looked away from the tablet.

Dr. Fraser spoke of Jeremy's approach. "Mr. Fartham has chosen a much different path. Quite frankly, a dangerous path that leads to a painful and inevitable end."

His patient did not say a word so he continued. "It looks as though we have found two more cases identical to your cancer." Michael turned the tablet off and sat on the side of Gwen's bed. "They are receiving a radically new treatment with results! I would like to start the same treatments with your cancer." The doctor waited for his patient to respond.

Gwen turned her gaze back to Michael before nodding in agreement.

"Great! You will be required to sign a release form but I think we have found you a future, Gwen!" Dr. Fraser patted her hand. "Patricia will be in with the paperwork. I will contact Toronto oncology to forward the treatment schedule." The doctor excitedly rushed out of her room.

The moment was bittersweet. Gwen had a future but the man she just confessed to loving only days ago has vanished. "Where are you, Jeremy? Why is it, that every time I fall for a guy they leave me holding my heart?"

Patricia knocked at the door before walking in. The knock is just an attention-getter to let the patient know someone is coming. "I hear you are going with plan B!"

Gwen looked at the mother of one and smiled. "Hello, Patricia. How's your boy?"

"Sister, you know I have two boys. The big one eats a whole lot more than the smaller, cuter one!" Patricia must have used that line a thousand times delivering laughter to her patients.