After reviewing the results, he ordered additional tests.
An ultrasound.
An MRI.
A PET scan.
And then a liver biopsy.
I could see the tension building in Jiya as the hours dragged on. While I lay inside the MRI machine, moving from one test to another, she sat outside waiting.
When I finally came out, she was pacing the hallway, tapping her foot restlessly.
I knew that look.
She was worried.
She had asked me to see a doctor several times before, but I had kept putting it off.
“I just don’t want to go,” I had told her more than once.
“But why?” she had insisted.
“Don’t force me to do something I don’t want to.”
Even though I had apologized afterward for my harsh tone, I still hadn’t gone.
Now, as I stepped out of the testing room, I felt weak and pale. My stomach still hurt.
“We’re almost done, honey,” she said gently when she saw me. “Let’s get the results from the doctor, and then we’ll head home so you can rest.”
I nodded and followed her into the doctor’s office.
We sat down across from Dr. Mitchell.
The moment I saw the expression on his face, a chill ran down my spine.
Jiya must have noticed it too because her fingers tightened around my hand.
“What is it, Doctor?” she asked, biting her lip as she held my hand.
Dr. Mitchell cleared his throat.“I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
I felt Jiya’s hand tremble in mine.
“Cole has liver cancer,” the doctor said.
The world fell apart beneath my feet.
Liver cancer.
“I don’t understand,” I said, the words finally sinking in. “How is that possible?”
Dr. Mitchell adjusted his glasses and looked at the computer screen in front of him.
“Well, your blood test revealed some abnormal liver function,” he explained calmly. “I wanted to check my suspicions with the ultrasound, MRI, and PET scan.”He turned the monitor slightly as if the images might somehow make it easier to understand.“There’s no doubt at all that it is liver cancer.”
I sat there frozen.
