Meredith's sister

35

Mia's POV

The hours passed in a blur after that. My mind kept replaying The doctor words: a mass, pressing against your optic nerve. It was a terrifying reality that I couldn't shake. The question of whether it was benign or malignant felt like a weight that grew heavier with each passing moment.

I barely registered the time as I walked back to my desk. My hands were clammy, my thoughts scattered. I needed to tell Teddy, needed to let her know what was happening. But how could I? How could I say the words out loud when I didn't even know what they meant for us? For me?

I found her in the break room, sitting at the counter, scrolling through her phone. She looked up as I walked in, her smile faltering when she saw my expression.

"Mia?" she said softly, concern creeping into her voice. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words stuck in my throat. I couldn't find a way to make sense of it all. How could I tell her that I might be sick, that there was a chance I wouldn't be here for her? For Allison?

"Teddy," I said, my voice shaking, "I need to tell you something." I walked over to her, pulling the folder from my bag. I placed it on the counter between us, the papers inside feeling like a confession I wasn't ready to make.

Teddy's eyes flickered to the folder, then back to me, her brows furrowing in concern. "What's this?"

"My test results," I whispered. "There's a mass."

She stared at me, unblinking, as if waiting for me to say more. But I couldn't. The words felt heavy, like a stone lodged in my throat. Instead, I took a deep breath and pushed the folder toward her.

Teddy's hands shook slightly as she opened it, scanning the pages quickly. I watched her face as her eyes skimmed the information. The silence between us stretched for what felt like an eternity before she finally looked up at me.

"What does this mean?" she asked quietly, her voice tight.

"I don't know," I admitted. "They're going to run more tests to see if it's benign or malignant, but... I don't know."

Teddy's eyes softened, her worry shifting into something deeper, more protective. She reached across the counter, taking my hand in hers, holding it gently.

"We'll get through this, Mia. Together," she said, her voice firm but filled with warmth. "You don't have to carry this alone."

I wanted to believe her. I really did. But there was a part of me that couldn't shake the fear that maybe this time, we wouldn't be able to fix it. That maybe there was nothing anyone could do.

"I'm scared, Teddy," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "What if it's... what if it's malignant?"

Teddy squeezed my hand, her thumb brushing over my knuckles in a soothing motion. "We don't know that yet. You're not alone in this, Mia. We'll figure it out together, one step at a time."

I closed my eyes, trying to hold onto her words, to her warmth. But in the back of my mind, the fear still lingered, a constant shadow that I couldn't outrun.