Beauty of the Dark

Chapter 6

 **Those who are interested, a brain biopsy is a means to collect more information on a tumor or disease in the brain. Pre-surgery, a patient must wear a BRW frame, which is essentially a metal frame that goes around your head for several hours. During surgery, a hole the size of a spaghetti noodle, would be drilled into the skull and a biopsy probe would be advanced into the area in the brain that is compromised (where the tumor is, in this case). The patient is awake, but the area is thouroughly numbed with Novacaine before hand. A small specimen, about the size of a rice kernel, is taken and immediately put under a microscope. The specimen is studied by a patholigist who then either determines the disease immediately or within a few days, or the patholigist may ask for another sample. Usually patients feel normal almost immediately after biopsy, but some may experience a mild headache the night post-surgery. Have any more questions? Find the answers at: http://www.neurosurgery-associates.com/stereotactic.htm

          After the biopsy, Lucy remembered that Finn, Mr. Wolfe, had said he'd come by on his lunch break. It struck her that he probably had come, and she hadn't been there. She felt awful, but she was upset that he hadn't come running for her when she'd cried for him. It was sickening that she expected so much of someone she hardly knew, but the feeling was so involuntary. It was two thirty now, and she hadn't the energy nor the will to pick up a phone and call the school. Besides, in half an hour he wouldn't even be there. And of course she did not have his cellphone number. 

         "Are you going to leave?" Lucy asked stupidly, but she honestly wanted to know. Aunt Sarah picked up her purse, and Uncle Jim was already half way to the door. How could they leave her?

          Aunt Sarah said plainly, "Yes. We'll see you tomorrow around five. Will you be okay?" Five?  What a monstrous day would lay ahead of her. Lucy foresaw ten hours of boredom mixed with apprehension. "Goodnight dear." She kissed her forehead and they rushed out the door as though they had to be somewhere.

          Lucy was hungry. The nurses hadn't let her eat since the night before, and that had been a good twenty four hours ago. Her head was racing, and she thought it best to walk down to the cafeteria for food instead of waiting on the nurses to bring it to her. She stood slowly from the bed, careful not to bang her bruised body on anything. She slipped the shoes on, they were well worn for a pair of hospital issued slippers. 

          She took off down the corridor at a fast paced walk, she was in no real hurry unlike last time,  but the excercise felt good on her tense limbs. As she reached the lobby, she could practically see herself curled up in one of the visitor's chairs, or sobbing into the telephone, or even giving the finger to the woman who'd been gawking at her. It was enough to make Lucy shudder. She was embarrassed of herself. 

          Lucy practically ran into the nurse. It was the same nurse that had been there when Finn had come by. "Oh, Miss Colde!" She exclaimed. "I was just about to come by your room." The nurse exhaled a little too loudly as though she were glad she'd been saved from the torture of walking all the way to Lucy's room. "I just needed to tell you that your doctors are ready to release you, tomorrow morning. I'll just bring by the paper work in the morning." The nurse smiled fakely, and quickly continued on her route before Lucy could get in a single word. 

          Why was everyone so happy to get away from Lucy? She thought to herself. It was true, everyone seemed to be in a real hurry to leave her. She turned her head to watch the nurse rushing down the hall. 

          And yet another person came crashing into her. "What the hell?" Lucy swung around to face Phoebe. "Oh, um, hi." She said simply. Phoebe eyes began to well up with tears. "Do I really look that bad?" She touched her face, feeling around for bruises.