Frances saw her mother sitting in a large red recliner; with an I.V stand next to the chair and tubes travelling to and up the woman’s right arm. Finding out through Samson, because her father decided to give her the silent treatment; Frances was told that this was to be one of Angelica’s many treatments for her cancer. As an outpatient, Angelica was required to spend several hours a week for Chemotherapy and bloodwork.
“Mom has been here since six in the morning,” Samson speaking quietly; “so there is a god chance she is tired.”
“What is the chemo drug she is on,” Frances sitting in a recliner next to her mother; “did Marcus deign to tell you?”
“It’s a targeted treatment, using combination Chemotherapy;” Angelica yawning. Hearing Frances voice broke her from a dreamless slumber. “I can’t pronounce the names of the drugs being used,” Angelica opening her eyes; “but one of the side effects is extreme lethargy.”
“Don’t forget loss of appetite,” Samson looking at his mother; “which means if dad and I have to spoon feed you your carrots…
“Don’t,” Angelica cracking a smile; “it hurts to laugh at this moment.”
As Samson and Frances talk to their mother, Joseph was outside the outpatient treatment room; debating whether or not to enter, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, Joseph sees Doctor Tora Tachibana looking at him with a grim expression.
“Let’s talk privately,” Tora speaking; “it does concern Angelica.”
“Good news,” Joseph asking as he looks back through the door window before turning his head back to Tora.
“I’m not going to lie,” Tora looking serious; “your wife’s cancer makes her chances of survival low.”
“But Doctor Huntington said he could lick this,” Joseph speaking back; “the treatment should allow her immune system to fight back.”
“If it was anything but pancreatic cancer,” Tora sighs; “then yes I would concur. But this is a type of cancer that is very aggressive and prone to becoming malignant.”
“What are you saying,” Joseph holding back the rage building within him.
“While it is fine to hope for the best,” Tora placing a hand on Joseph’s shoulder for comfort; “prepare for the worst. Rapid weight loss, intense abdominal pain and hair loss just to name a few of the things your wife will endure. And that is just from the chemo,” Tora pausing before continuing; “as for the cancer…”
“Doctor Huntington told all of this,” Joseph interrupting; “he said the pain could be treated with fentanyl. The weight loss can be kept in check with a special macro diet? Whatever that means.”
Tora shakes his head and growls under his breath; making Joseph take a step back from the were-fox before him.
“Did Doctor Huntington not tell you,” Tora growling the were-rat’s name; “that despite your wife’s treatment, there is no guarantee that it will be successful?”
“No,” Joseph taking another step back; observing as Tora Tachibana removes the stethoscope currently looped around his neck and slamming it on the floor.
“And I suppose he failed to tell you,” Tora glaring at the hallway behind Joseph; “that your wife’s treatment, despite it being new and somewhat proven, that this is nothing more than palliative care.”
“All doctor Huntington told us,” Joseph snapping back; “was that Angelica’s cancer could be treated with the same target gene therapy used with several other abdominal cancers. He also said it could have been used to treat her ovarian cancer,” Joseph growling; “instead of the full hysterectomy that was done to her.”
“I had a feeling he might have failed to give you all the facts,” Tora looking sympathetic; “despite the fact that he is our resident oncologist, Doctor Huntington has a reputation with skirting the rules, using certain research to prove his hypotheses and making his patients his unsuspecting guinea pigs. As for the full hysterectomy Angelica had to have,” Doctor Tora looking serious; “it was my professional diagnosis that that take place. At the time,” the doctor still speaking; “Marcus was under suspension for treating a normal by using a dangerous and highly unethical method. Your daughter knows what I’m talking about,” Doctor Tora speaking; “if you two aren’t too busy trying to bite each other’s head off, Frances might tell you why she loathes Marcus Huntington.”
“Why don’t you tell me what Marcus did,” Joseph asking; “why tell me to talk to Frances?”
“Because,” Tora looking at Joseph square in the eyes; “your wife’s cancer is terminal, despite what Marcus might have said. The months Angelica has; should be spent with her children, not keeping her from them. And Frances,” Doctor Tora sighing; “could use a sounding board, other than her life partner Samantha.”
******
After Tora left Joseph to think on what he just said; the were-bloodhound enters into the room where his wife was currently resting. Quietly watching as Angelica smiles as she chats with their son and daughter.
“Your wife’s cancer is terminal, despite what Marcus might have said. The months Angelica has; should be spent with her children, not keeping her from them. Frances might tell you why she loathes Marcus Huntington.”
These words keep ringing in Joseph’s head, drowning out what was being said between the three. Joseph’s thoughts were broken upon the arrival of an attending nurse as she unhooked the I.V from Angelica.
“I guess today’s treatment is done,” Angelica smiling; “yet I feel so tired.”
“You’ll need to rest for a bit,” the nurse responding; “we’ll get you a wheelchair and when you are ready…”
“We’ll go and get something to eat,” Samson interrupting.
“I have a patient here at the hospital waiting for me,” Frances looking at the time; “in fact, I have kept him waiting for far too long now.”
“Then let’s get together this weekend,” Angelica responding; “all of us, we’ll have a family dinner like we use to.”
“Alright,” Joseph seeing everyone looking at him; “Samson, when your mother is ready can you take her to the car. I need to talk to Frances about something.”
After walking out of the outpatient room; Frances turns to look at her father.
“Make this quick,” Frances being curt; “I meant it when I said I have a patient waiting for me.”
“Doctor Tora told me about your mother’s cancer,” Joseph trying to choose his words carefully; “he told me that it was terminal. Despite what Doctor Huntington stated.”
“Ugh,” Frances holding back the bile building within her; “Marcus doesn’t deserve the title as doctor.”
“Doctor Tora also said that you have a history with Doctor Huntington,” Joseph looking at his estranged daughter; “why is that?”
Frances paused; sucking in air as she fought back the urge swear and lash out. Knowing her father is unaware of what Marcus did; the atrocious act he did to one of her therapy patients last year.
“Long story short,” Frances glaring at her father; “Marcus Huntington tried to save a suicidal patient I was assessing, by giving him a blood transfusion after the patient somehow slashed their wrists. The blood was donated from a were. He claimed it was a mistake,” Frances clenching her fist; “but to this day, I have never believed that were-rat as far as I could throw him.”
Joseph just stares as Frances starts to walk away. About to speak up; Frances turns around and stares at her father, gauging his reaction to what she just told him.
“And no the patient did not survive,” Frances swallowing hard; “thanks to privacy laws, the blood donor was anonymous and as such the patient was unable to complete their transformation. Don't be blinded by what the man has promised you,” Frances turning around to walk away; “I’m sure if you ask around, other staff might tell you what they think of this hospital’s oncologist.”