AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ms. Everett?” A voice cuts in, and I glance up to the doctor standing there. She’s staring at me, concern on her face. “I was hoping that we could have a word. Outside.”
I swallow hard, pushing away the thoughts of Dr. Banks. “Is everything okay?”
Her thin lips lengthen in a flat line. “I would just prefer to have this discussion outside of the room, please.”
Great.
I nod, setting my laptop down as I stand. I leave it in the chair, hoping to come back and work on missed homework and an essay I have due in another class. My tennis shoes squeak across the white floor as I follow Dr. Gifford out of the room, glancing back at Dorian once more as we slip out.
“Okay.” I clear my throat. “What’s up?” I know I sound young when the words come out, but I’m beat. In all the time we’ve been here, I haven’t left my brother’s side except to get someoccasional food once a day while he is asleep or to go to the bathroom. I’m still wearing the sweats that I managed to slip on after the ambulance arrived.
“Well, for starters, I just want to say that it’s a miracle your brother survived all the trauma to his body, but like I’ve discussed with you before, he’s going to be in pain as his body grows.”
“But he’s going to grow out of it, right? He’s going to be fine.” I need to hear it. I need the reassurance, even if just from my own voice.
“Well, yes, that’s what we assume, based on previous cases.” She tucks a stray gray hair behind her ear. “But he’s not all that similar to the other cases. We’ve never seen someone survive his injurieshere.”
I grit my teeth. “Okay?”
“There is a highly specialized doctor in Toronto who has done a procedure—”
“Toronto?There’s no way my insurance will cover something out of the country!”
“Ms. Everett.” Dr. Gifford sighs, her eyes looking very tired in the moment. “Dr. Brendon is one of the very best pediatric trauma doctors. There is a procedure that he has developed when it comes to the nerve pains that Dorian is experiencing. While his bones and body have healed, his pain is related to nerves. If he could undergo this, he would potentially be pain free and be able to use his muscles normally again.”
I blink, trying to process what she’s saying. “You mean, he could be a normal kid?”
She half-smiled. “Mostly, yes. It would take a lot of physical therapy, but potentially in a couple of years, he would be a normal teenager.”
“I just... How much...”
“He performs the surgery for those without insurance for eighty-five-thousand-dollars.”
I nearly vomit right there. “I can’t... I can’t afford that. Maybe if I sold the house? I don’t know.”
“Look, I know it’s a big cost, and I know your parents didn’t have life insurance. But I’m sure there’s a way that he could work out some kind of payment plan.”
“I don’t know what kind of payment plan we could even afford with it costing that much. Not to mention, we had an ambulance ride here, and at least a two-night stay. I can’t keep up with all the bills...”
She places a hand on my shoulder, though I have to admit that it’s not comforting. “I know you’ve gone through so much. But if you think about the money that it’s costing to keep up with what’s going on now, remember it would probably save money in the end, and it would alleviate Dorian’s pain.”
But I can’t afford it. Yet again, I’m failing my brother.
“I’m going to go ahead and give you his contact information. I spoke with him this morning, and he wasveryinterested in your brother’s case. It’s extraordinary that he’s still alive.”
“Okay.” I fight to hold back the tears as she pulls off a sheet of paper.
“I’ll get his release papers filled out so the two of you can get out of here. But...” She meets my eyes. “I think you should really consider calling and seeing what they can do about a payment plan. Like I said, you might be surprised at how affordable it could be, maybe even less than a thousand dollars a month.”
A thousand dollars a month? I don’t even have fifty to spare right now.
I nod as bile rises to my throat.
Sure, Dorian might be able to be normal, but we’d starve to death. I take the handout from her and slip back into the hospital room to go sit back on the chair.
Maybe to a normal family, or maybe if I had already finished school, this sum of money wouldn’t be so difficult to come to terms with. But right now? I have no idea how to swing it. Because as it is, I don’t think even selling the house would help. And if I did, that would be an extra expense, because I’d have to pay for us to livesomewhere.
My head falls to my hands as my phone begins to vibrate in my lap. Slowly, I pick it up.
