What We Deserve

Part 60: Disaster and Despair Are Such a Dater's Pair

"Is it done yet?" My mother asks as she sits recovery. Her surgery was laparoscopic and only took about thirteen minutes to remove all of the mass from her breast.

Now, is the part of the procedure where every patient sits and demands answers yesterday. However, like I always tell them- answers take time. To thoroughly make sure everything is correct and I have the results that I need- the diagnosing processes takes a few days.

"We're analyzing the entirety of the mass. I want to be 100% certain of what we're dealing with before I give you any sort of answer." I state and she seems befuddled.

"Are you not a great doctor..." She begins and I sigh heavily.

"This has nothing to do with my skills and everything to do with accurate testing in the laboratory. I can't just look at a fleshy mass and determine if it's malignant or benign- let alone what type of mass it is in itself. It could be a fatty mass or a benign tumor, or a malignant cancerous one. I won't know until I get the results back. And then, God forbid it is a cancerous tumor- I have to diagnose it and then go back in with scans to see if it spread elsewhere. So patience is a virtue we all must practice."

She says nothing to any of this. She simply clasps her hands in her lap and turns to her head to stare out the window. Max knocks on the door and comes in with a small bouquet of Gerber daisies and a gift bag.

"Hey..." He says sweetly and I can't help but smile at how adorable he is. "Just wanted to stop by and see how everything went. Give you these."

My mother looks at him and feigns amusement- but after a short second of remembering her new stance of everything, relaxes and takes the flowers and gift.

"Thank you, Max. These look beautiful."

"How ya feeling?"

"I would be better if my doctor had answers for me." I clap my hands to the sides of my body and look at her a tad irritated.

"Yeah, doctors can be difficult to work with. Taking their good old time getting results..." Max tries to sympathize and I glare at him.

"Unbelievable." I cross my arms and shift my weight to my right hip.

"They certainly don't seem to be in a hurry." My mother adds and Max continues to play the game.

"They most certainly aren't...unless it's lunch time or the end of their shift." He snarks and I shake my head before preparing to leave.

"Enjoy your wait. It's my lunch break." I state agitated and they snicker slightly before Max gently pulls on my white coat and holds me close to his chest.

"We're kidding, Love. Come back."

"Yes, Helen. We are joking." My mother reiterates and I sigh slightly before turning in my husband's arms and kissing his lips. "That- however- can be done elsewhere. The inappropriateness of such displays in your workplace- let alone public."

"Mum, we're not stuffy here like back home." I state and she raises an eyebrow before lowering it again and crossing her arms.

"I am very much aware of how this country goes about with public displays of affection wherever they so please. It's rather rude and unnecessary."

"Huh...we shall refrain from being so open with our displays of affection, Mum." I say, but Max quickly leans over and kisses her forehead which causes her eyes to widen significantly and all Max can do to avoid her verbal abuse is hightail it out the door and down the hallway.

"That man has a death wish." She states and I just snicker.

.....

After such a long day of the trials and tribulations of being an oncologist- let alone dealing my my own mother's irritating neediness- I prepare to head home when Lauren knocks on my office door. Her pale face seemingly longer than normal and her over all presence beyond dullard- I worry I already know what is going to come from her mouth as she shuts the door behind her.