Koon Chai Cafe

Chapter Thirty-Three - Doubt and Diagnoses

Sunny

"We cannot rule out the possibility of cancer."

Whatever the doctor said afterwards I couldn't hear. My ears were filled with an all-consuming ringing that drowned out every sound except the constant 'thud thud' of my own heartbeat.

My stomach dropped and I felt so nauseous I could've been sick right then and there.

Cancer?

It can't be, it just can't.

Dad was too young, we weren't that kind of a family, this just couldn't happen to us. Cancer was impossible. We were not the kind of family that had things like cancer happen to them.

Almost like I was watching with the mute button on, Mom clapped a hand to her mouth, wide eyed, and then fell back into a chair. Dad lay in his bed, motionless beside her, and regarded the doctor with a grave look of understanding. I turned my head and saw Park beside me, wide-eyed also and staring at the doctor with an expression of shocked disbelief like he was frozen in time.

"We cannot make any diagnoses until further tests have been done, so please bear in mind that nothing is final," she said succinctly. "I will try to get the results as soon as possible for you. It should take the lab around two to three hours to analyse the samples so please bear with us while we wait and try to relax."

'Relax'? Oh yes I forgot how relaxing hospitals are, I must remember to suggest the emergency ward for our next family vacation.

She scanned her eyes around the room and paused at each paled, shocked expression. "Do you have any questions?"

Dad shook his head and the rest of us remained frozen, unable to speak up even if we'd wanted to.

"If anything changes, let me know."

And with that, she swept out of the room.

The hem of the doctor's white coat had barely turned the corner of the door frame when Dad spoke. He addressed Mom first.

"Yeona," he said calmly. "You'll need to call Mrs. Choi and ask her if she'll be willing to take Grace and Joy to school. I doubt we'll be able to take them."

"Then call the staff and let them know we'll be closing the restaurant for at least today, but prepare them that it may be longer." Mom nodded in response, her hands still covering her eyes.

"Sunny." I snapped to attention at the sound of my name. "I need you to go to reception and get an idea of how much cancer treatment costs at this hospital. If you can, research how much other hospitals near us cost as well." He sighed deeply. "This isn't going to be cheap and, with the restaurant closed, well..." His voice trailed off, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

Cost of treatment? How could he be thinking about that right now?!

Park broke the silence that followed. "I'll run the restaurant," he stated firmly.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise at him. Park had never once expressed any interest in the family business, yet alone a desire to run it. I clearly wasn't the only one that was surprised, Mom had finally lowered her hands and stared at him in disbelief while Dad looked like he might fall out of his bed with shock.

"Park," Dad said sternly as he regained his composure. "This is a full time job. A full time business even. This isn't part time work you can fit around school hours, it requires a grown adult."