Legacy of the Dreams

Chapter 145 - Quiet Days

Compared to the weekend before when the family had company, Monday passed very quietly for the Abernathys. Greg went to singing lessons and practiced with Melody, keeping her with him the entire day. Susan worked in the cottage. Zack worked at Target. Matt went to classes and studied. Ashley worked at the animal hospital, and Jessie hung out at the house with Bert, talking about the next school year and scheming for how they could arrange to attend the same school.

"It all depends on where we live when we go to New York," Jessie said reasonably.

"Not necessarily. Some people my mom knows take the subway to go to a private school," Bert told her.

"Oh. Papa has nieces and nephews who live in New York. I wonder where they go to school," Jessie said.

"Who are they?" Bert asked.

"The ones I know best are the ones who visited us here last New Year's. Their names are Adam and Megan and Oliver and Caleb. Adam and Megan go to high school at the same school as each other. Oliver is almost the same age as me," Jessie said.

"Do you have their email address? Maybe you can ask them," Bert proposed.

"Maybe. Or maybe we can just text them. I have their cell phone numbers," Jessie said.

"Yeah okay," Bert agreed, and they went to her room to work on their plan.

It was the first day of many they would devote to their research, hoping to come up with a plan to present to their respective parents ... eventually.

c

Tuesday started off very similarly, except instead of going to singing lessons, Greg and Melody went to see Dr. Bowers. Susan went with them, and they stopped long enough along the way to get Melody's lab work done. It didn't take long and the doctor had the results before they their appointment to see him.

Dr. Bowers examined Melody gently but thoroughly when their appointment time came. He studied the lab results, then invited Susan to get Melody dressed so he could go over the lab report with Greg.

"Would you mind terribly if we were both there?" Greg asked. "Susan understands medical terminology better than I do."

"Melody doesn't need to hear this. So I suggest you switch. Susan can fill you in after you leave," Dr. Bowers said.

"Very well," Greg said.

c

And so, Susan went with the doctor to his office. He turned on his computer and they both sat down.

"How bad is it?" Susan asked.

"It's not good," Dr. Bowers said.

"I didn't think it was good," Susan told him frankly. "I've seen too many things that suggest to me the cancer is spreading and progressing. Into her nervous system is my guess."

"Have you noticed a change to her cognitive abilities?" Dr. Bowers asked.

"Those have never been good," Susan reminded him. "No, it isn't that, but rather Melody has trouble seeing when she first awakes. She hasn't complained, but her eyes look unfocused at times throughout the day. I was wondering if her optic nerves have become involved."

"That could easily be," Dr. Bowers said. "What I've noticed are reaction time delays which suggest the cancer is pressing on her brain stem. That would also contribute to the sleepiness you've been seeing."

Susan nodded. What the doctor was saying was in line with her own observations.

"How are her blood counts?"