AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.
This soon.
“Before…” I clear my throat, forcing the words out. “Before we found out that it was terminal, they ran some extra tests, and we found out that Mom’s breast cancer is genetic. They tested me too.”
“Youknewthis,” he shakes his head like he can’t comprehend it. “Why the fuck didn’t you say something?!”
“What was I supposed to say, Nix? Hey, bro, I know Mom’s dying, but good news, I’m a ticking time bomb? It’s just a matter of time before you lose me too?”
“I’m not going to lose you!” he grits through clenched teeth, his fingers wrapping around the armrest. “I’m not going to lose you,” he repeats and lets out a shaky breath before turning his attention to Dr. Hendriks. “Now, what are our options?”
Dr. Hendriks looks at me, and I nod, giving her approval to continue knowing damn well Nixon’s not nearly done with this topic.
“My suggestion would be to do a double mastectomy followed by chemo.”
“Double…” the word comes out in a rush of air. I thought I was ready for it; I knew it was an option, but I wasn’t. Not nearly enough.
Dr. Hendriks places her hands over mine. “I know this is scary, and it’s not something any twenty-year-old woman wants to think about or do, but again, considering your family history, I want to be safe, not sorry.”
“I know, it’s just…”
Double mastectomy.
It shouldn’t hurt, not like this. They’re just breasts, after all. Tissues. Muscles. A freaking part of my identity.
“You don’t have to decide this very instant, Jade. Go home and think about it. There are alternative therapies we could try, but based on my experience, this is the one that’ll give us the best chance of success. However, considering what you’ve told me about how the lump has grown recently, I’d advise against taking too long to make a decision. The sooner we remove the malignant tissue, the better your chances are.”
Do a double mastectomy.
Soon.
“Make the appointment,” Nixon says.
“What?” My head snaps up. “No.”
“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Nixon turns in his chair to glare at me. “She just told us that’s your best chance at beating this thing.”
“But there are other options…”
“How about I give you a moment to discuss this?” Dr. Hendriks asks, getting to her feet.
We glare at one another, but the moment the door closes behind Dr. Hendriks, I pounce at him. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just call the shots, Nixon! This is my body. My disease. My choice.”
“The hell I can’t!” He pushes out of his chair, running his fingers through his hair. “What do you think you’re doing, Jade? She just told you what—”
“She just told me she’ll cut off a part of me!”
How can’t he see it?
“So you could live!”
“You don’t get it.” Jumping to my feet, so he isn’t looming over me, I wrap my arms around myself and walk to the window.
“Which part don’t I get, Jade? That she’s giving you a chance to beat this thing? A chance to live?”
“For you, it’s about life and death. For me, it’s everything!” Tears slip down my cheeks, and I wipe them away. I’m not going to break. “From one day to the next, my life has been turned on its axis, and nothing will ever be the same. Whatever I decide, my whole life will be bound to this hospital for months,years,really. I’ll be poked, probed, and cut open. Everything I was, everything I am, will be ripped away from me.”
“Jade…”
