If Ever (COMPLETED - EDITING)

Chapter 31 - Ella/Kai

Ella:

It had been about 30 minutes. I wondered where Rob and Sofia were, I sat with my head on my crouched legs while I hugged my arms around them. I didn't bother removing the hair from my face. I knew I was hiding behind it but I didn't care to make eye contact or talk to anyone. My eyes were brimming with tears and I occasionally wiped at them, but mostly I let them wet my hair and sweatshirt.

I wasn't bawling. Yet. And I counted that as a win. Would Kai be upset I hadn't called her, but I didn't have her number, maybe I should have asked Rob for it. I needed an SOS, but I'd promised I wouldn't take one, and I needed to be aware for when the doctor came out and not in a blank daze.

The Doctor walked out finally, checking his clipboard. My head snapped up and I straightened my hair, wiped my face and stood.

"Is he alright?" I asked, my voice a husky whisper. I cleared my throat, I was this close to as Kai put it to 'losing it'.

"Stella?" He said, "Yeah, that's me." He took one look at me and nodded, smiling. Like it was some secret only he knew.

I'm Dr. Mathews, Head Neurologist." I shook his hand firmly, nodding at him. Trying very hard to hide my flinch.

"Is he ok?" I asked again, "Well. The good news first, he is awake and asking for you." I breathed a sigh of pure relief.

"What's the bad?" I asked. "He has a tumor in his frontal lobe, but the good news again is, it's benign and has been growing at a very slow rate from what we can tell from the years he's had these migraines, so that's good. And it is significant in size so he will require surgery. 

We will perform a Craniotomy, and it can be surgically removed, so Mr. Walker is very lucky. I don't think he will need any chemo or radiotherapy for this. We will keep him here for observation overnight and then try and schedule the surgery for tomorrow, If all his vitals are normal and his blood tests come back ok. I'm waiting on two more scan results."

I nodded again. In complete shock. I wasn't processing. "Ok, but it has to be surgically removed, it can't be medicated?"

"Yes, I'm afraid surgery is the only way to go. But it's a short procedure seeing as we have a good idea of it and it isn't hampering any nerve tissue so far."

I nodded, "And his functionality after?"

"He should be completely fine. Like I said it isn't located on any major highways, that would have been a concern."

"You mean on any veins or nerve clusters?"

"Exactly." I nodded again.

"So, it isn't possible to affect any of his cognitive functioning? Even after the surgery?"

"No, it will be clean." He smiled.

"And what is the surgery success rate you're expecting, realistically?"

"A full 100% recovery." He said smiling. "Ok, that's good."

A tumor, no. Oh God Why? Why him?

"When can I see him?" I asked. He laughed, "I'll let you see him now, he is nothing if not persistent and kept saying he needed to see you and didn't care about "The bloody tumor". He air quoted and mimicked Kai's accent. I smiled. Typical.

"I'll be in a little later with the scans and also send in the nurse for his blood work and meds for the night."

"Can I stay with him?" I asked.

"Of course. He's in room 221" Dr. Matthews said and left; I think I was frozen on the spot. I picked up my bag and walked into the ward.

I found the room and looked through the glass pane to see him awake and sitting up. I pushed open the door, he sighed when he saw me and smiled. He looked busted. And my bag fell to the ground and then the dam broke.