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CHAPTERONE
Evening shadows danced across the hospital corridors as Natalia went about her duties with quiet determination. It had been a long day, and the flickering fluorescent lights overhead were making her eyes ache. Her feet were hu
rting, too, but that was nothing new. She’d been a nurse for four years now, walking the same hallways shift after shift. Apparently, even though her body had gotten used to the constant walking back and forth, there was apparently something about feet—they justalwaysinsisted on hurting.
Natalia had just finished her rounds, ensuring that patients were settled and comfortable for the night. She was slightly irritated because even though her shift was over and she was about to head home, she’d received a message from the ward:I need to see you in my office ASAP.That was the message Natalia had received from Dr. Matthews, and she knew Matthews was not usually the type to use “ASAP” unless it was absolutely necessary. And that was how her shift at the hospital that night had ended, hurrying off to see what Matthews might need. Technically, her shift was already over; the text had come through two minutes after she’d clocked out. But if Dr. Matthews,the esteemed physician known for his unyielding dedication, was still holding office hours was texting and using terminology like “ASAP,”she knew it must be important.
Natalia had toyed with the idea of just ignoring it. It was after hours, after all, and her shift was over. Surely if she didn’t respond, Matthews would request someone else.
But that was just the thing—Matthews usually didn’t ask for help from anyone else. He was highly respected and had been a physician for about twenty years now. He was seen by many as a one-man show, the sort of man that would rather just do everything on his own unless it was absolutely necessary. So if Dr. Matthews was asking for help,Nataliaknew it must be urgent,and if she could help someone with his sort of resume…well, that could only mean good things for her later down the road.
With a sense of urgency, Natalia tried to reach out to Dr. Matthews on her phone as she made her way down the corridor,slowly pushing her steps. She knew he wouldn’t answer it, but she also knew the call would bounce from his phone and hit his pager, which he always kept clipped to the pocket of his smock.
She wasn’t surprised when she got no response. After all, if it was indeed an urgent matter of some kind, he wouldn’t have the time to answer her. So she hurried down the corridor and took the employee and staff elevator up to the third floor, where he’d made the request. She passed a few night nurses that were just starting their shifts. She didn’t know many of them well, but she knew them enough to give cursory nods as she passed. She figured they were probably wondering what sort of gold stars she was trying to earn for going above and beyond, staying on after her shift.
When she reached the third floor, she made a direct line to the nurse’s station. There were two women behind the desk, both sipping from Starbucks cups.
“Do either of you happen to know where Dr. Matthews is?”
They both shook their heads. “At this hour, I’d think is office. If not there, he might be checking on in the patient in 306. I see on the notes here that if things don’t improve tonight, their headed back to ICU tomorrow.”
Natalia nodded and started her search at room 306. She entered the room quietly, but there was no sign of Dr. Matthews. She was glad the patient seemed to be napping because she didn’t feel like explaining herself.
Dammit, Matthews…this better be good, she thought as she took the elevators one more time. This time, she took it up to the fourth floor, where the vast majority of the veteran doctors kept their offices.
Silently, she walked down the brightly lit corridor towards Dr. Matthews' office. The air grew heavier with each step, and an unexplainable unease settled in her chest. Matthews… in his office…what could it be about? As far as she knew, all the patients on her service were in decent shape. Why would he request a meeting with her?
As she approached the door, her heart pounded in anticipation, and a strange sense of foreboding washed over her. She knocked, but there was no answer. She waited a few seconds, knocked again, and then tried the handle. The handle turned, and the door opened. She pushed it open slowly, not wanting to simply barge in just in case he was napping or on the phone.
“Dr. Matthews?”
Pushing open the door with trepidation, Nurse Allison's voice caught in her throat, stifling her words. Her eyes widened as she did her best to comprehend what she was seeing.
Dr. Matthews lay lifeless on the floor. There was blood everywhere: on the body, on the floor, on the desk, on the back of his leather chair. The room showed signs of a fierce struggle, with paper scattered everywhere and several books having fallen from the bookshelf behind the desk.
Natalia’s mind raced, trying to comprehend the unthinkable. How soon after he’d reached out to her had this happened? The blood was thick and still wet. Whatever had happened here, it had happened recently.
She quickly composed herself and reached for the phone on Dr. Matthews' desk, desperate to get help. Her trembling hands fumbled with the receiver. Her eyes were fixated on the lifeless body mere inches away. There was justso muchblood…
Even before anyone answered the phone, Natalia screamed. It all boiled up, and the scream came out of nowhere. It seemed a fitting response to such a grisly sight.
The sounds of footsteps echoed outside the office, drawing nearer with each passing moment. Panic threatened to overwhelm Natalia, and as the phone to Emergency Services downstairs rang in her ear, she finally managed to tear her gaze away from the ghastly sight.
Someone answered the phone, but she suddenly found that she couldn’t speak. All she could do was scream, and at some point, she became aware of someone else in the room with her, taking the phone and backing her away from the dead body. And the blood.So muchblood…
CHAPTERTWO
She'd been given eight to twelve months. And if she made the decision within the next two or three weeks to begin chemotherapy, she may get as much as three years. The doctors seemed hesitant to give her any solid time frame. What Rachel did know was that there was a huge difference between eight months and three years. But she also knew what chemo could do to people. Would those extra two years be worth living if she spent it in and out of the hospital, throwing up, losing her hair, and slowly fading away?
She didn't know. But these were decisions that she was going to quickly have to face.
It had been five weeks since the doctor had confirmed her fears. The tumor had stopped responding to the medication they had all been so hopeful about. Not only that, but it also seemed to be growing. The rate of growth wasn't anything she had to worry immediately about. Dr. Emerson seemed confident that it wasn't a special case where she might keel over on any given day. It was a growth they could track and attempt to attack with chemotherapy.
Rachel did her very best not to think about these things. Though it was indeed her current reality, letting it take over her mind every hour of every day was torture. After she had gotten the news, she'd come clean with everyone. She told Grandma Tate and Paige. She'd told Jack and even Director Anderson. Everyone knew, so there was no more dancing around it. This was her life now, and she simply had to face it.
It was hard to keep an upbeat mood, though she did her best whenever she spent time with Paige. Paige had started asking lots of questions about heaven, the afterlife, and what truly happens to people when they die. Rachel, not having ever been very religious, did her best to answer these questions. The plain and simple answer was that no one knew for sure.
"But Heaven sounds nice, right?" Paige had asked one night when they'd been snuggling at her bedtime.
