~ ~ ~
She sat in the office on that chair.
Leaning forward as he explained the results.
He was kind.
Tried to show her each image.
She came in for her back troubles.
Hadn't been able to walk on her leg for over a month.
He said two things showed up.
A day surgery is scheduled on her back.
The hope is it will improve her leg.
Then he showed her the other thing that showed up.
Not his territory at all.
The image was not good.
Words were said to her.
She looked at the picture.
He explained what a good one looks like
and what this bad one looked like.
Something about getting another test done.
Getting a new Dr. that specializes in this.
Doing this right away.
The look in his face said it.
She asked the question.
The words came out.
Is it cancer, she said.
He couldn't say but she needed to get
the new test done right away.
As he left and the nurse came in,
Paperwork and scheduling were done for the back surgery.
A day thing. Nothing big.
She walked out of the office to the lobby.
Looking back for just a moment.
That turn of the sore neck.
Just to make sure.
Did that all just happen ?
She sat down on a chair.
Looked at all the paperwork in her hand.
That's when the tears started.
She wiped them away.
Looked up and told her daughter,
who had been waiting in the lobby,
what had been told to her.
She explained how bad it looked.
Like it was a picture he had just been showing her.
One of those moments you hear about.
Like it's not you they are showing.
Just an image.
A really bad image.
So, the tears got wiped away and the papers folded.
She got up and walked to the elevators.
The new test she needed was downstairs.
Waited in line to schedule that.
Cried a bit in the car ride home.
Not letting her daughter see.
Got home to her cats and dogs.
Did normal things.
Looked at the paperwork and cried.
How did this happen ?
In the hallway, her daughter saw her.
They hugged.
And, the dog barked.
Life goes on.
She was not expecting this.
It isn't what she went in for.
Did this really happen ?
Yes, it did.
Appointments made.
The next weeks will be busy.
As she let her dog back in the house,
she noticed the yard guys had come while she was gone.
The green lawn looked so nice.
She went on with her day.
~ JC ~
