He was sitting right next to me, yet he sounded a million miles away.. I shook my head "no" unable to move my mouth.
"Is it Riley?" he asked, his voice seeming to go up an octave.
"Yes, she's at the hospital." I managed to choke out before my body convulsed due to the sobs.
He grabbed my hand and we raced to his truck as he dug for his keys. We made it to the hospital in record time.
"Riley Harris please" I shrieked at the receptionist. So much for keeping my composure.
"Erin, Chase, over here." my dad called to us from the waiting room.
"What's going on? How is she?" Chase asked as we took our seats next to Danny.
"Still the same I'm afraid." my mom replied, flatly, "they brought her to get a CT scan but that have been back there for awhile now." And as if on cue the doctor appeared in the room standing before us.
He cleared his throat and then looked around the room, "Miss Harris?" he asked, looking at me.
I stood from my seat and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. "Yes?" I replied quietly.
"I'm Dr. Albrook, head of the oncology department. We just gave your daughter a CT scan and contacted Dr. Chambers with the news. There is a large tumor pressing on her brain and it's what triggered the seizure. I'm not one to be the bearer of bad news and I am certainly not God. I do know that Dr. Chambers gave Riley six months to live but with how rapidly the cancer is spreading she will be lucky to make it to Christmas." he said in a very solemn tone, "I'm very sorry."
"Sorry?! You're SORRY!! First I find out she's not gonna live to see her eighth birthday and then you almost cut our time in half and all you have to say is sorry!?!?!" I said, venomously.
He turned on his heel and headed down the hall, probably to tell another family that their child is cancer free. With every step that man took it was like he was treading on a piece of my heart, my lungs were constricting tighter and tighter. I was about to hit the floor until i felt someon's arms around my waist. Chase set me back on teh seat but never let go of his grip on me. He held me while we sobbed into each other's shoulders.
"I'm so sorry Chase. I was such a selfish girl. I kept your child from you for seven years and now she's dying." I cried. My lungs constricting again from the hurt.
"Erin, please hunny, this wasn't all your fault and I'm quite sure Chase will say the same. Right?" my dad asked, sternly.
"This isn't at all her fault. Had I told her my intentions before I left I could have spent the last seven years with them." Chase replied while shaking his head.
There was no way he was taking the blame on this. I knew it was my fault.
"She's in room 214." the nurse said.
"Thank you." we replied in unison.
"You and Chase go in first. Let us know if she wakes up we are gonna go home and get some sleep." my mom said.
We all stood up and bid our farewells then headed to her room. The weekend drug on. Each minute was an hour and each hour a freaking lifetime. They finally released us Sunday morning. It felt like forever.
"So, Riley are you up for getting some breakfast or would you like to just go home and rest?" Chase asked as he packed her last stuffed animal in the bag.
