Things are Complicated

Chapter 32: Pamela's Concern. Jed's Problem.

“Are you satisfied yet?” I sagged miserably into the waiting room’s chair.

For the last three hours, my mother dragged me through nearly every test that I’d been put through over the last month. Drawing blood, head scans, three different oncologists reviews and even a very lengthy conversation over the phone with Dr. Griffin.

Instead of enjoying what little of the vacation I held left, Mr. Hanks- or step-dad- insisted we just go along with mother’s requests.

Leah and Jett volunteered to come along, but there was no way I’d put them through this process a second time. I still felt guilty about yesterday. No need to bring Jett back to the hospital for a second time, seeing as he didn’t enjoy the first visit.

“Sweetheart there is no way that this is a trick.” Mr. Hanks squeezed my mom’s hand and leaned over his chair to brush back some of her hair. “May we go back now?”

“How can they not know the type?” She shook her blonde head and frowned at the linoleum. “How can none of them tell me?”

“It’s complicated,” Since you’re not my real mother and no one will tell me about her so… I laid my head back on the edge of the chair and blinked at the fluorescent lights, admiring the spotted ceiling.

“What time is it?” My mother searched the room for a clock, despite the fact that she wore a watch.

“Damn,” Mr. Hanks cursed after looking at his phone. “Hold on, I’ll call one of the boys.”

Mother finally found her watch, “Shit, it’s four already?”

“D’Angelo?” Mr. Hanks stood and motioned for the rest of us to follow. “Yeah, could you ask Peter to go pick up your mother from the airport?”

“Pamela’s here?” I asked no one in particular.

“How do you know her name?” My mother turned slightly to stare at me out of the corner of her eye.

“D and I talk,” I threw up some fake sign language and spoke rather slowly.

“Yes, right now,” Mr. Hanks continued. “….Well it was meant to be a surprise. They were supposed to show up for the wedding but were delayed due to Helena’s schedule.”

We rode the elevator to the ground floor and quickly exited the cold, sterile hospital. Trading the artificial light for the humid air and golden sunlight was the best exchang I’d had all day. Despite having a valet to park our car, we had to find our rented vehicle the old fashion way- walking.

“Good,” Mr. Hanks finished his call and hung up the phone as we approached the silver minivan. “They should only be a half an hour late,” he told my mother.

“Their delay was a blessing in disguise,” mother muttered under her breath as she slid into the front passenger seat.

I kept a rather sharp remark to myself as I buckled myself in, head pounding from the smell of the used vehicle. No need to rise to her bait for an argument. She didn’t need any excuses about my behavior to make up for her lack of proper action. One frequent question that all of the three doctors asked her today was why she didn’t do something sooner. After they reviewed Dr. Griffin’s notes, they just stared at her with calm faces and sharp eyes.

The exchanges were quite pleasant to watch.

“You look a little green Jed,” Mr. Hanks glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

“Really? Cause I feel fine.” I was starting to see where D learned his observant/caring nature from but unlike his son I don’t quite trust Mr. Hank’s authenticity. Especially considering, who he chose to marry.