The Unexpected (Book 3) ~MxM~

Prologue

Victor

"The test results came out -"Parvati's doctor says as she removes a stack of papers from a file. It feels like formality at this point. There's nothing I do in the hours I spend in the doctors office,waiting for results that come out and nothing happens after.
It's all the same when it's done,
"We didn't find anything but we'll continue to test..."is what they always say. It's torture.
It's torture for me because I always expect we'll find something but each and every time it's nothing. Ticking off the endless list of check boxes with a big red cross.
If it fails again it's same time next week,two hours each.
Meaning she'll miss class or a school day altogether. And I'll miss a day of work. Putting our lives on hold for something that won't even show itself.
Without looking at the doctor,I glance at Parvati who's playing with her toys on the floor like there's nothing wrong in the world. Just her and her make believe. I don't know how long I can keep hiding her from her own pain. How many it's gonna be okays do I even have before I have to tell how much trouble were both in.
Freaking torture.
My chest is heavy as I struggle to fill my lungs with air then push it out,"What did you find?"
"There's a chance for diagnosis this time."
Diagnosis.
Meaning medicine for whatever is happening.
I move closer to the edge of my seat ready to hear it,"Parvati's ear drums according to the test are,deteriorating as we speak."he says in a low voice,all hair on my skin stand up and shakes in the air.
Deteriorating. I let that word settle in my brain even though I don't want it there.
"What does that mean?"My voice raises by an octave without me telling it to. I'm not mad,I'm not angry. I'm scared. It's my job to take care of Parvati and for the past almost five years I've done a good enough job. I fed her,clothed her,taught her what school can't and most of all I loved her. I did what any father should do,the bare minimum and then some.
But what is this? What is this illness that I don't even understand? How can protect her from something like this?
Something that keeps progressing regardless of what you do. It feels like someone is throwing my daughter into the abyss and I can't do anything but watch. "Mr Khan,I want you to be calm please. It means that for what Parvati's going through there's..."
"There's medicine,right?"there has to be. I can't keep giving her a deadly amount of pain killers. It's not good for her. But instead of a hopeful nod and a smile all I get is a pitiful look.
"There's not really a cure for the condition she's in so far."
I don't listen to anything else she says in that sentence.
Just 'not really a cure',it keeps ringing in my ears,washing my mind clean of any other thoughts except for horror. I can't protect her. I can't promise anything to her without it being a lie.
I don't lie to Parvati.
I just don't.
"But further research can be conducted to figure out -"
"On her? As in she's going to be a test subject?"
"You're misunderstanding,this is just the first we've seen of such a case so perhaps if you agreed?"
"Do you have enough time?"she stares at me not understanding what I'm saying,"If you conduct all those tests and search high and low for a cure all after you actually figure out what it is. Will she still have her ear drums?"
The room goes quiet with too much damn uncertainty. I can't just throw her into something like that but... we don't have any other option.
I know better than anyone else that you don't want to run out of time and options.
But I just did. Again.