Kingdom Come Undone

Pretty To Think - Part 2

The alarm on my phone went off 10 minutes before I needed to be in the recreation room in the main hospital, so I finished my final thoughts before signing it. One simple action settled my brain better than I thought it would. Shaking out my shoulders, I checked my make-up and hair in the mirror before sliding the note into the pocket of Alison's jacket and heading to the luncheon.

I saw her across the room before she was able to see me. It was a near replica of the first time we met almost two weeks before. She made me smile from sight alone and reassured to me that my note was the right choice. Because across the room, she was laughing with others from around the hospital. She made everyone else around her just as bright as her. She made them better just by being. While caught once again in my stare, I felt an arm on the back of my elbow.

"I cannot believe how sweet she is." Dalton spoke from behind me. "She knew my name, Dr. Fields. I guess from having to send the flowers? And she spent the entire time we were waiting for you asking me questions. Where in the world did you find her?"

"I think it might have been fate..." I put my hand on his back, leading him to our table with the crucial members of our research team: Dr. Onyeke, Claire, Dr. Onyeke's lead research assistant Diana, their plus ones, and my plus one, Dalton, who made our program run like a well-oiled machine.

Moments after speaking, the luncheon began with simple introductions and messages from lead staff members. I loved watching passionate people speak about our programming. From initial care through the treatment process, to remission, and post-treatment care, I worked with the best. Alison and I caught eyes multiple times across the room as they spoke. She always looked away shyly, melting my heart further with every glance.

After about 20 minutes, Alison's father was introduced. Kenneth Jacob DiLaurentis was a monumental player in our cancer center. Since his donations began five years earlier, substantial gains to areas of our program, usually neglected, had been funded in full. Emmanuel told me in great detail during one of our first meetings how he came through and fine-tuned the mechanics of logging specimen and abstract data. Completely hands-on. He had seen where the system succeeded and failed during the course of his grandson's illness and was dead set on improving every facet of our jobs step by step. Mr. DiLaurentis wasn't very physically intimidating. He stood at less than six feet tall with silver hair coursing through the sides of his cut. But his emotions appeared flat. He rarely laughed or fully smiled, typically sporting a smirk. The only true emotion I saw during the proceedings before his speech was him squeezing Alison's hand as he was standing to walk toward the stage.

I looked over to Alison as her father made his way to the podium. She gave me a brief wink before turning her head to listen, "It is my honor to speak to you all this afternoon in regard to the results of the gala hosted on your behalf by the Kenneth J. DiLaurentis Family Foundation. The Johns Hopkins Hospital is one of our three key beneficiaries that we support each year due to your amazing research and continued progress in the area of childhood and adulthood cancers. For those of you unaware, Johns Hopkins holds an incredibly close place in my family's heart and is the catalyst for my family's move into philanthropy over the past five years. My daughter, Alison, is here in the audience this afternoon. She was directly impacted by all of the work your hospital does when her son, Jacob, my grandson, was diagnosed with a Medulloblastoma a few weeks before his 3rd birthday. Wanting state of the art resources at my grandson and daughter's disposal, we uprooted our family for his sake. I am happy to say that Jacob has been in remission for nearly three years, and it is all thanks to the hard work of the doctors, nurses, and pathology staff here at Johns Hopkins. With our yearly galas benefitting The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, my family and I hope to give the gift that you provided our family to so many others going through similar struggles. As a part of the gracious donations from donors around the nation, as well as contributions from our foundation directly, we are honored to be providing $2.5 million today to the expansion of the child pathology wing of Johns Hopkins from the event itself, and an additional $1 million from our foundation directly to assist with any families struggling to pay for the care of their loved ones. Everyone deserves the care we received during our time of need. It is our hope that these donations will impact so many more during theirs. Thank you again to everyone who has played any part in the progression of cancer research and healing to the millions of Americans diagnosed with cancer each year. You all are miracle workers and are a blessing to each life you are able to touch. We are forever in your debt for the work and dedication you all provided to Jacob. Thank you for your support and your continued dedication to eradicating cancer in all its forms. It's an honor to be by your side."