Phantom

Change of Plans

Chapter 3: Change of Plans

I couldn't bring myself to sit on the bed, I wanted to avoid it as long as possible. I sat down in between mom and Raven in the three uncomfortable wooden chairs along the right side of the curtain. We waited quietly, listening to nurses and doctors pass. Soon the doctor arrived. He was a tan man with weather worn skin and dark gray hair. He had a long white coat, along with all of the other doctors at this drab hospital. Mom stood up to shake hands with him.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Thomas." His voice was rough, with a slight country accent.

"Hi, I'm Carol, Anna's mom."

"Aaaaw, so your the patient, I presume?" I did not like being referred to as "the patient."

"Yes." Was all I said, I feel that he didn't deserve a grand introduction.

"Well nice to meet you, Anna. I would just like to do a brief exam before we take you in for your cat scan, so if you would get onto this bed for me, that'd be great." I slinked over to the pale bed, and tried to casually sit down. Inside I was screaming. He took my heart beat and checked my eyes and all of the usual check up places. Then he began to feel the small lump on my left side, where the tumor was. "Aaaaah, yes there it is. Alright Anna, the nurse will be back in a few minutes to wheel you to the cat scan area."

"Wait, wheel? You mean in like a wheel chair? She can walk on her own!" Raven piped in. This was the first time she had spoken since we entered the room.

"Well yes, she is very weak, and she needs to save up her energy."

"But she was walking this morning!" Raven argued.

"Yes I understand, but she is weaker than you or even herself realize. So she needs to be wheeled. I'm sorry."

I'm weaker than I realize?

Five minutes later, the nurse Amy returned, pushing a wheelchair in front of her. My stomach flipped for about the tenth time just this morning. "Alright, Anna, let me help you to your wheelchair." She came and tried to grab my legs to hoist me into the wheelchair. "What are you doing? I can at least stand up and get into the chair on my own!" I slipped off the bed. My legs turned into jelly beneath me, and I collapsed. The nurse ran over to me and helped me into the wheelchair. It was cold and uncomfortable. "I could do that yesterday..." I whispered. Mom and Raven came and walked along each side of me, and the nurse pushed. The nurse handed mom a hospital gown and asked to help me change. The gown was pale blue; reminding me of my hospital room. The nurse helped me onto the cat scan table. The table I laid on was ice cold. The arch began to move up and down, with the red light moving along my body. It stayed around where the tumor is. When it was over, the nurse returned and wheeled me back out to Raven and mom. They were both tearing up.

"Alright, I will take the cat scan to the doctor to look over, and we'll let you know when we decided if Anna will need surgery or not. Feel free to wheel Anna around." She left, her heels clicking against the floor.

"Surgery?" I asked. I had known in the back of my mind that it was more than likely going to happen, but the hard reality had just hit.

We walked around the hospital a bit, nothing exciting. Visitors were starting to come, since it was almost noon. We went back to my room and waited for the doctor. After almost a half hour of waiting, the doctor finally arrived. It was a new doctor, this one had wild, peppered gray and white hair. It reminds me of Einstein's hair.

"Hello, I am Dr. Baxter. Aaaaah, so you must be Anna..." He walked over to me, and stared right into my eyes. He kind of freaked me out; His thick Russian was almost intimidating. "Yes, I regret to inform you all that Anna will have to undergo surgery."

"What? No! Please! No!" I screamed. I knew this would happen.

"No no no, it's quite alright. We could try a new method that won't require any surgery at all."

"Yes, yes! Please! Anything other than surgery to make me better."

"Wait, what is this 'non-surgery'? Is it dangerous?" Mom piped in, as the protective mother she is.

"No, no, it is fine. All it is a small injection in the spine. It is completely safe."

"Um, alright. If it's safe, then I guess it's the better option." Mom said.

"Good, good, now, we will need to act right away. If you and this young lady could wait here while we perform non-surgery, that would be great. We can't guarantee how long it will take, so we will keep you posted. Anna, I will wheel you down."

{Hey guys!!! Let me know what you think will happen next in the comments :D}