Slipping Through My Fingers

Consent

Charlie sat on the bed in the doctor's room, Aljaz and Janette sat on 3 leather chairs whilst the doctor was examining their God-Son. Amelia-Lily sat in between her brother and sister in the waiting room, her youngest sister sat in front of her in the carrier....waiting for their parents. Doctor Oswald frowned, not liking what she saw. "I'm going to write you a note to go to the hospital to do tests on Charlie...you should be seen straight away," she said, handing Janette a piece of paper with Charlie's details on. They nodded. Aljaz picked Charlie up and carried him out of the room, Janette picked up Angel's carrier and ushered them out of the doctor's surgery....they were scared...

When they arrived at the hospital they were taken to a room to do tests on the 7 year old boy. The others sat patiently, not sure what was going to happen....After about an hour the results came back, Aljaz and Janette went into a side office to speak to the main doctor, Doctor John Smith, leaving their children and Charlie in the small hospital room with a nurse...Nurse Williams. Charlie was hooked up to several machines, providing him with fluids, pain relief and addicting him with his breathing which he had been struggling with. Aljaz and Janette sat opposite the desk on 2 wooden chairs...not overly comfortable. Doctor Smith sighed, "it's good that you brought Charlie in so quickly...it gives him a better chance." "A better chance of what?" Aljaz asked, holding his wife's hand. "Of surviving...of being cured...the test results show that Charlie Clifton has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia....we'll want to start treatment right away to optimise his chances...this will involve a course of chemotherapy to begin with...but of course you're not his parents and are just looking after him so we will need to have consent from his parents," Doctor Smith continued to say.

Janette and Aljaz froze...cancer? In their best friend's son? No...surely not? But it was...it was true....

"I'll call Karen...though they'll be on a plane right now...they won't be able to talk...I'm sure they'll want him to go through with the treatment," Janette said when she was finally able to talk. Doctor Smith shook his head, "I know we all want what's best for Charlie, but we need to speak to his parents first. It's the rules." Tears built up in Janette's eyes. She left the room, reaching for her phone in her bag, searching for Karen's contact name and clicking dial...after a few rings it went straight to voicemail...the plane didn't land till 8pm...it was 7.30pm...Janette left a message: "Hi Karen it's Janette...can you call me as soon as you get this message...it's really important...it's regarding Charlie." She hung up the phone, tears now trickling down her face. Aljaz came up behind her, wrapping his arms round her back, burying his face in her hair...they watched through the ajar door, Charlie was laying on the bed, Amelia-Lily sat up next to him; holding his hand, the twins were sat on the end of the bed; chattering away to Nurse Williams, and Angel was sat in her carrier, slowly drifting off to sleep. How were they going to tell them that there was a chance that Charlie might not make it? How were they going to tell his parents that their only child has cancer???

35 minutes later Karen called Janette back:
K: hello? Janette? Are you okay? Is Charlie okay?
J: no...not really...you need to sit down...I've got some bad news...
K: um okay....what's wrong? What's wrong with my baby boy
J: (tears began to run down Janette's face once more) Charlie wasn't feeling very well, he had a temperature and a rash across his stomach and was struggling breathing so we took him to the doctors...and...and...they did some tests on him, and...and...they say that Charlie has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia...they want to start chemotherapy right away but can't without your consent...Karen?
Karen froze...unable to speak...her baby boy couldn't have cancer...could he?
J: I'll give the phone to the Doctor
D.S: hello?
K: hello, I want Charlie to start treatment right away...I give consent...just do anything to make my little boy live...please!
D.s: of course...though there is always side effects...fatigue, sickness, hair loss, weight changes, kidney and bladder problems...
K: please...just as long as it makes my little boy better
D.S: we'll do our best Mrs Clifton
He handed the phone back to Janette.
K: we're going to try and get the next flight home...I don't know when it will be, but just tell Charlie that Mummy and Daddy are coming home...that everything will be okay...tell him we love him....