is something I want to talk to you about.”
“Name it.”
Melissa fidgeted with her covers. “The money for all these tests. How’s Mom gonna pay for all this? It isn’t exactly built into our budget.”
She saw his blue eyes, so like her own, take on a look of concern. “Mom has a good insurance policy. It’ll pay for most of this.”
“But we’re talking about major bills. Even the balance after insurance pays its share will be hard to afford.”
Michael tipped his head and smiled. “Why don’t you read these fashion magazines Jory brought and stop worrying your pretty head about hospital bills?”
“Look, Michael, if I’m going to get that National Merit Scholarship I can’t numb my brain with fluff about designer labels and the latest hairstyles.”
“And you can’t afford designer labels either,” Michael teased.
“You’re making fun of me,” she snapped.
Michael hugged her and kissed, her forehead. “Not at all, Melissa. I think you’re beautiful. And brave, too. I’d kick somebody’s face in if he tried to stick needles in
my
bones.”
The blatant admiration in his voice made her own voice stick in her throat. “Don’t be such a baby,” she said, attempting to hide her embarrassment.
He laughed and kissed her goodbye.
Later that night, after her visitors had left, shecaught a glimpse of the boy Ric walking past her room. She quickly averted her eyes and held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t follow through on his promise to visit her a second time. She didn’t like him and she didn’t want to know him. Luckily, he passed by without even glancing inside. She sighed and scooted down under her covers, wearied by the rounds of testing and the gaiety she felt compelled to show her visitors.
She hated to have her mother worry. Melissa was worried enough herself. She wanted out, wanted to go home and resume her regular schedule. They’d have some of the test results back by the morning, according to Dr. Pace. Until then, there was nothing for her to do but wait.
Two doctors came midmorning, while she was engrossed in her history book—Dr. Pace and Dr. Rowan, a bear-size man with bushy brown hair and large, strong hands. Behind them stood her mother and Michael. Melissa’s surprise at seeing her family gave way to apprehension immediately. Her mother’s face was pasty white.
“So many of you?” She gave a nervous twitter of a laugh. “Will it take two of you to hold me down for today’s tests?”
Dr. Rowan said, “No more tests, Melissa.”
“Mom? Why aren’t you at work?”
“I wanted to be here when they talked to you, so I took the day off.”
Fear tasted metallic in Melissa’s dry mouth. She dipped her head, struggling to catch Michael’s eyes, but he refused to meet hers. “Okay. So it’s more than anemia.” Why was her voice so high-pitched?
“Melissa, it isn’t a common anemia. Or mono.”Dr. Rowan grasped her small hands, and she could feel the strength of his.
“Or rheumatic fever,” she pronounced insightfully. Her gaze fastened onto the front of his lab coat, spotlessly white except for a faint brown stain on the pocket. She wondered if he knew that the pristine whiteness was marred by that single spot. “All right. I give up,” she said, a bit too brightly. “What do I have?”
Dr. Rowan’s unswerving gaze trapped hers and held it. “The diagnosis is lymphocytic leukemia, Melissa.” His voice sounded clinical and very far away. “It’s a form of cancer.”
Chapter Eight
Melissa laughed. Dr. Rowan sounded absurd, and her family, hovering around her bed with stricken expressions, reminded Melissa of a silent movie. She quickly sobered and said, “I don’t believe you. You must have made some mistake. I’m sixteen years old. How can I possibly have leukemia?”
Dr. Rowan gave her hands a slight squeeze. “The bone marrow aspiration confirmed it, Melissa. Leukemia is a blood disorder. It occurs when young white blood cells formed in
“Name it.”
Melissa fidgeted with her covers. “The money for all these tests. How’s Mom gonna pay for all this? It isn’t exactly built into our budget.”
She saw his blue eyes, so like her own, take on a look of concern. “Mom has a good insurance policy. It’ll pay for most of this.”
“But we’re talking about major bills. Even the balance after insurance pays its share will be hard to afford.”
Michael tipped his head and smiled. “Why don’t you read these fashion magazines Jory brought and stop worrying your pretty head about hospital bills?”
“Look, Michael, if I’m going to get that National Merit Scholarship I can’t numb my brain with fluff about designer labels and the latest hairstyles.”
“And you can’t afford designer labels either,” Michael teased.
“You’re making fun of me,” she snapped.
Michael hugged her and kissed, her forehead. “Not at all, Melissa. I think you’re beautiful. And brave, too. I’d kick somebody’s face in if he tried to stick needles in
my
bones.”
The blatant admiration in his voice made her own voice stick in her throat. “Don’t be such a baby,” she said, attempting to hide her embarrassment.
He laughed and kissed her goodbye.
Later that night, after her visitors had left, shecaught a glimpse of the boy Ric walking past her room. She quickly averted her eyes and held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t follow through on his promise to visit her a second time. She didn’t like him and she didn’t want to know him. Luckily, he passed by without even glancing inside. She sighed and scooted down under her covers, wearied by the rounds of testing and the gaiety she felt compelled to show her visitors.
She hated to have her mother worry. Melissa was worried enough herself. She wanted out, wanted to go home and resume her regular schedule. They’d have some of the test results back by the morning, according to Dr. Pace. Until then, there was nothing for her to do but wait.
Two doctors came midmorning, while she was engrossed in her history book—Dr. Pace and Dr. Rowan, a bear-size man with bushy brown hair and large, strong hands. Behind them stood her mother and Michael. Melissa’s surprise at seeing her family gave way to apprehension immediately. Her mother’s face was pasty white.
“So many of you?” She gave a nervous twitter of a laugh. “Will it take two of you to hold me down for today’s tests?”
Dr. Rowan said, “No more tests, Melissa.”
“Mom? Why aren’t you at work?”
“I wanted to be here when they talked to you, so I took the day off.”
Fear tasted metallic in Melissa’s dry mouth. She dipped her head, struggling to catch Michael’s eyes, but he refused to meet hers. “Okay. So it’s more than anemia.” Why was her voice so high-pitched?
“Melissa, it isn’t a common anemia. Or mono.”Dr. Rowan grasped her small hands, and she could feel the strength of his.
“Or rheumatic fever,” she pronounced insightfully. Her gaze fastened onto the front of his lab coat, spotlessly white except for a faint brown stain on the pocket. She wondered if he knew that the pristine whiteness was marred by that single spot. “All right. I give up,” she said, a bit too brightly. “What do I have?”
Dr. Rowan’s unswerving gaze trapped hers and held it. “The diagnosis is lymphocytic leukemia, Melissa.” His voice sounded clinical and very far away. “It’s a form of cancer.”
Chapter Eight
Melissa laughed. Dr. Rowan sounded absurd, and her family, hovering around her bed with stricken expressions, reminded Melissa of a silent movie. She quickly sobered and said, “I don’t believe you. You must have made some mistake. I’m sixteen years old. How can I possibly have leukemia?”
Dr. Rowan gave her hands a slight squeeze. “The bone marrow aspiration confirmed it, Melissa. Leukemia is a blood disorder. It occurs when young white blood cells formed in
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