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“I just want you to keep the bigger picture in mind.” She shrugged as she picked up my hand and kissed my knuckles. “I just want to make sure you look at things objectively.”
“I’m trying.”
“You always do, Jamie, but once in a while it doesn’t hurt to be reminded.”
We both looked up as the boy’s parents walked in. Mrs. Davies’ eyes dropping to where my hand rested on Quincy’s leg and I jerked it away instantly.
“Mr. Anson, is everything okay?” She asked as she walked over to the opposite side of her son’s bed.
I stood and Quincy followed suit. “We’re going to be doing the scans a little later today. I have a colleague coming to consult with me. He’s a Paediatric Neurology Specialist, I’m hoping that he’ll be able to find a different angle. Something I haven’t.”
“Do you think that’s a real possibility?” Her husband asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We just want to know either way. We want to be prepared for whatever happens.”
“There’s always a possibility someone with fresh eyes can see something we haven’t.”
“I thought you were the best. You said you were the best.” His wife sobbed, her hands wrapped around her son’s tiny hand.
“I am one of the best Neurosurgeons, but Doctor Weller has devoted most of his career to Paediatrics. He knows the ins and outs of a child’s brain like
no one I’ve ever known.”
“And if he doesn’t find anything different?”
Well, shit a brick. What if he doesn’t?
I looked the little boy’s father in the eyes as I replied, “Then I’ll keep looking for another way.”
“What are our chances of ever leaving this place with our son?” His strangled voice was enough to make every fraternal bone in my body ache and wince.
“I’m not going to lie to you Mr. Davies, right now the chances of your son making it through this with a clean bill are next to none. If he makes it through. But, what you have to understand is that things can change in a blink of an eye. There’s always a possibility.”
“My son’s going to die, isn’t he?”
I felt Quincy tense next to me before she said, “We can’t answer that either way. We can tell you to prepare for both scenarios and we can ask you to remain positive. To trust us. The reality is that waiting made the situation more precarious. The damage is no longer just to his brain.”
“So it’s our fault?”
Shit. Not where we wanted this conversation to go.
“What Ms. Cavendish is saying is that the aggressiveness of the tumour has made it difficult for us to determine either outcome.”
“But we waited until the last minute to let you help our son, and that other Doctor, he was going to send us home.”
“Mr. Cooper followed protocol. He’s a trauma consultant, not a Neuro specialist.” I heard Quincy’s quiet gasp as I felt her gaze boring into me. “Why don’t we wait until Doctor Weller has had a look at everything before we panic? I’ve got a couple of other patients to see, but as soon as he gets here I’ll let you know.”
I walked out of the room and Quincy followed. I knew exactly what was going to happen even before it did, because if anything she was like a dog with a bone. There were certain things that she would not let go of or look past. I pressed the button for the lift as I told one of the nurses to stay close to Jack’s room.
Quincy turned her whole body toward me and took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“You know what, Jamie!” She whisper shouted. “Don’t play dumb with me.”
“It’s in the notes.” I snapped. “What the fuck were you thinking with the waiting comment?”
“What was I thinking?” She faced the lift as it pinged its arrival and followed me in. “What was I thinking? I was thinking that if they wanted to blame anyone they should blame themselves for not letting you treat their son sooner. She blames you, Jamie.”
“And?”
