kindred

Chapter 10 - What the fuck is that?

Adeline and James were sat on the brick wall outside their school, Addie's leg swung as she waited for her brother's. The pair were conversing, well more James, about the upcoming sport's season when their car arrived. Jackson and Alex also climbed into the car behind them. 

James jumped up, pulling his sister behind him to the car. Harlan was situated inside the vehicle  behind the driver, smartly dressed as always. 

"How was school?"

"Harry" Addie exclaimed, shocked that she hadn't noticed her burly brother before hand. Harry clucked his sisters chin affectionately and ruffled his brother's curly hair.

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They strode into the grand entrance of the children's hospital, well her brother's did - Addie just scampered behind them. Before meeting the doctor, Adeline was too have many tests to test her heart and lung function. She had had many of them before such as a Lung Function Test, ECHO, ECG and a MRI and CT scan.

What normally would have taken hours to days to get done, Harlan managed to fastback them into being completed in just over three hours, skipping all the wait's and having them analysed immediately. Addie was still confused over the power that her tenacious brother had over the people around him, he was the most suffocating person she had ever met. 

When she entered the doctor's office at last with Harlan and Harry, she was pleasantly surprised by the grandeur of it all, the majority of hospital's she had been in in England were never this grand, then again, that's what you get with private healthcare. 

Her doctor was a kind older-looking gentleman with thick glasses. He was forming a bald patch and had a pleasant smile, Adeline already liked this doctor. He offered the the three of them a seat.

Addie sat through the majority of the appointment quietly, her whole history was being laid out for her brother's. He had an extremely thorough history of all her medical appointment's and treatment's. The large medical folder was stacked neatly on the edge of the desk and Addie wondered how much of it was from when she was a little baby in this hospital. 

"After reviewing multiple of the tests it had become apparent that three of her four heart valves are leaking, with the aortic valve regurgitating very high amounts of blood. This too me is why you are experiencing such levels of breathlessness, and the cyanosis is also explained. Poor growth, fatigue and delayed puberty would also be explained" Shoot. Addie's heart sunk from the new's.

"What treatment is required?" Harlan asked, a vague look on his face.

"I'm sorry, but the only viable option at the moment would be valve transplantation of the aortic valve and surgical repairment of the pulmonary and tricuspid valves." he gave Adeline a gentle smile, aware that the news is always painful for children and their families. Addie knew the surgery would need to be carried out in the next few months or she would literally die.

Adeline was afraid, she had multiple open heart surgeries, each one increased her chance of death. She couldn't die, not yet. She had only just started warming up to her new-found family.

Addie was silent for the rest of the appointment and zoned out from the doctor's talking. She just sat stiff, playing with the edge of her blazer sleeves. She knew this was coming, at her last checkup her valves were starting to leak, but not to this extent. It was known but it was still devastating, like a blinding knife pushed thought her chest.

After the doctor finally finished talking, he shook both of the boy's hand's before placing a comforting hand on Adeline's shoulder. 

"We'll fix you up". Adeline gave a half-smile, not wanting to cry in front of her brothers. Not yet.