Meredith's sister

34

Mia's POV

The next morning, I woke up with the same relentless headache, the nausea lingering like an unwelcome guest. My body felt heavy, every movement an effort. But I couldn't let that stop me. I had a shift to get through, patients to see, and questions to avoid.

As I walked into the hospital, the familiar hum of activity greeted me. Nurses hustled past, doctors debated cases in hushed tones, and the smell of antiseptic lingered in the air. I'd barely made it to the locker room to put on my coat when Teddy appeared, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.

"Did you go to the clinic last night?" she asked, arms crossed.

I hesitated, the lie ready on my tongue, but her sharp gaze stopped me. "I went," I admitted, avoiding her eyes. "They're running tests."

Her shoulders relaxed slightly, but the worry didn't leave her face. "Good. That's a start. But you need to take it easy today, Mia. Promise me."

I nodded, even though I knew it was a promise I couldn't keep. The hospital didn't stop for anyone, and neither could I.

By midday, I was in the OR assisting on a complex cardiac surgery with Teddy. The room was cold, the steady beeping of monitors the only sound aside from Teddy's precise instructions. My hands moved on autopilot, but the pounding in my head made it hard to focus.

"Mia," Teddy's voice broke through my haze, sharp and commanding. "Are you with me?"

"Yes," I replied quickly, adjusting my grip on the instruments. But I could feel her eyes on me, assessing every move I made.

When the surgery was over, and the patient was stable, Teddy pulled me aside. "That's it," she said firmly. "You're done for the day. Go rest."

"Teddy, I—"

"No arguments," she interrupted, her tone leaving no room for debate. "You're not doing anyone any favors by pushing yourself like this."

I wanted to fight her, to insist that I was fine, but the truth was I was barely holding it together. "Okay," I murmured, surprising both of us. "I'll go."

I found myself in the daycare center, drawn there like a magnet. Allison's laughter rang out as she played with a group of other toddlers. When she spotted me, her face lit up, and she toddled over, arms outstretched.

"Mommy!" she squealed, and I scooped her up, holding her close.

"Hi, baby," I whispered, kissing her soft curls. "I missed you."

For a moment, everything else faded away. The headache, the tests, the fear—none of it mattered when I was with her. But the spell was broken when my pager buzzed. Another consult. Another patient waiting.

I reluctantly handed Allison back to the daycare worker, promising her I'd see her later. As I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was running out of time to keep all the pieces of my life together.

The consult turned out to be routine, but as I left the patient's room, My doctor was waiting for me. Her arms were crossed, her expression unreadable.

"Mia," she said, falling into step beside me. "We need to talk."

"Can it wait? I'm—"

"No, it can't," she cut me off. "The results from your tests are back."

My heart skipped a beat. "And?"

"Let's go somewhere private," she said, steering me toward an empty conference room.

Once the door was closed, she handed me a folder. My name was printed at the top, the pages inside filled with words and numbers that blurred together as I tried to focus. the doctor's voice broke through the fog.

"Your scans showed something concerning," she said gently. "There's a mass, Mia. It's pressing against your optic nerve, which explains the headaches and blurred vision."

I stared at her, the words not fully sinking in. A mass. My brain struggled to process what that meant.

"We need to run more tests to determine if it's benign or malignant," The doctor continued, her tone calm but serious. "But you can't ignore this. We need to act quickly."

I nodded slowly, the weight of her words settling over me like a heavy blanket. "Okay," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

The doctor reached out, placing a comforting hand on my arm. "You're not alone in this, Mia. We'll figure it out. Together."

But as she left the room, I couldn't shake the fear that had taken root in my chest. What if this was the beginning of the end? What if I couldn't keep my promise to Teddy, to Allison, to myself?

The thought lingered as I sat alone in the conference room, clutching the folder like it was the only thing keeping me tethered to reality.