Chapter 16

Dr. Meldrum ushered Brent and Jeanette into her office at two o'clock on Friday afternoon. Her facial expression betrayed nothing, and both the Gordons were nervously anticipating what the physical tests had revealed.

"I know you've been anxious to find out the results of the tests and I have them all here. I can tell you that all the blood, urine, stool and other swabs are fine. In addition, there was nothing on the X-rays to attract our attention." She paused for a moment before continuing. "However, the M.R.I. did turn up something. Something I was not expecting."

Brent could feel Jeanette stiffen in anticipation and he reached for her hand.

"The Magnetic Resonance Imaging detected a spot on your cerebral cortex ... in this case, the surface of the brain. We think it might be a tumor and I am going to refer you to a neurological specialist for further examination."

Brent heard and felt the sharp intake of breath from Jeanette. He turned to her and saw look of pure terror.

"What does this mean?" Brent asked carefully.

"It's too early to tell. It may be benign and therefore can be surgically removed or dealt with by radiation therapy."

"Or?" he asked.

"Or, it may be malignant and more aggressive treatment would be required. It's just too early to tell. However, it looks like we've found it in the early stages. That's always a good thing," she concluded.

Jeanette had been holding her breath and looked like she was about to burst. The look of intense fear had remained and Brent quickly turned to her again, holding her as she gaped at the doctor in disbelief. Finally, she managed a few words.

"Am I going to die?" she asked in a faint voice.

"Mrs. Gordon, you must let the specialists help you get better. They are the experts, not I. These types of tumors are not often fatal and treatment is getting more sophisticated and effective every day. We have one of the finest hospitals in the land to deal with your condition, and you can count on getting the very best of treatment."

Jeanette was clearly unable to speak as she absorbed the magnitude of the diagnosis. The tangible grip of fear in her body was like a vise, squeezing her innards. As she attempted to rise, she felt faint and then slumped back in her chair, unconscious.

Brent held her as she began to regain consciousness. Dr. Meldrum had quickly brought a cold, damp washcloth from her powder room in the office and she responded to it rapidly.

"This is a big shock for both of you, Mr. Gordon. Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. It's an enormous shock. I guess we never thought this could happen. What do we do next?" he asked, bewildered.

"I'm going to refer you to Dr. Danny Chen. He's a top neurosurgeon and he will conduct some more tests to determine just what the M.R.I. saw. You're going to have to be optimistic, Mr. Gordon. Your wife will need your support. It's understandable she is frightened, as I'm sure you are as well. All you can do is put your trust in Dr. Chen, and I'm confident that everything will work out."

Brent looked at her, wondering just how confident she truly was with that statement. He had his doubts. After Jeanette had recovered, he helped her out of the office and into the elevator down to the parking garage. They were silent, but he held her close, knowing she needed all the reassurance he could provide at this moment.

Telling the children was delayed for a day while Jeanette gathered herself. She had insisted that she would be the one to explain to Andrea and Scott what was happening and what it would mean. Brent was proud of the courage that his wife demonstrated, particularly when he knew just how devastating the news had been to her. He hoped he would have the necessary courage himself in the coming weeks as they learned her fate together.

Brent phoned Lloyd and Henry to tell them of the results and what was to come. He said he would phone Charlie and explain that for the time being, he wouldn't be able to accept the job offer, at least not until Jeanette's medical condition was clarified. As he hung up the phone, Lloyd slumped back in his chair and covered his face with his giant hands. Henry sat facing him on the other side of the desk, staring off into space. After a while, the older man rose, walked back to his office, closed the door behind him and called Charlie Verano.

"I can't believe how god-awful this had all turned out, Charlie. This shit shouldn't happen to good people," he moaned.

"I know what you mean. It's just not fair," he agreed. "Henry ... I'm not going to do anything about that job anyway. I was looking only half-heartedly when Brent's name came up. I can wait and see how this all comes out. We've got time," he volunteered.