The Unread Scan That Ended Us

Chapter 3

The hospital corridor smelled of disinfectant. I sat in the oncology waiting room, waiting for a nurse to call my name.

My phone vibrated inside my bag. Bridget had posted on i********:. The photo showed a conference table with the familiar food container beside it. The caption read:

No matter how far you go, someone always remembers what comforts you when your stomach hurts.

Vincent had liked it and left a comment.

Vincent: [Quit talking and drink it while it's warm.]

I swiped past it without reacting.

"Meredith Lawson?" a nurse called.

I went inside. The doctor wore reading glasses and looked serious as he examined the pathology report. "The report raises concern for poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma. Until we finish staging, we have to treat it as potentially advanced. But there's something unusual. Your hCG level is high. We suspect you may also be in early pregnancy."

I went stiff in my chair. "Doctor, are you saying I'm pregnant?"

"That's our preliminary assessment. But given the location of the tumor, if this is confirmed to be an advanced malignancy, continuing the pregnancy would put your life in serious danger." He sighed and slid the report toward me. "The hormones produced as the embryo develops could accelerate the spread of the cancer cells. You need a repeat endoscopic biopsy right away, and imaging to stage it. And within three days, you need to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy."

I gripped the paper so hard my nails dug into my palm.

We'd waited five years. How many supplements had we tried? How many specialists had we seen, trying for this baby? Whenever another pregnancy test showed just one line, Vincent had held me and kissed my forehead. "Even if we never have children, Meredith, I'll be happy as long as I have you."

Now the baby we'd wanted for five years was finally here, at the worst possible time. I could see no way out.

When I left the exam room, a sharp cramp gripped my stomach. I leaned against the cold wall, sweat soaking my back.

Without thinking, I called Vincent. It rang for a long time before he answered. Glasses clinked faintly in the background.

"Meredith?" His voice was low.

"Vincent, I..." My throat tightened, my voice trembling. "I got my results."

"What did the doctor say? Just an ordinary ulcer, right? I told you not to worry so much." He sounded certain. He'd decided before I could answer. "I have to be with Bridget this afternoon. There might be a celebration dinner tonight, too. You'll have to figure out your own dinner."

"I'm pregnant," I interrupted.

The line went utterly silent. A full five seconds passed before his voice rose sharply. "Pregnant? Since when?"

"I found out today."

"That's wonderful. Meredith, we're finally having a baby!" He sounded ecstatic. I hadn't heard that kind of excitement in his voice for a long time. "Where are you? At the hospital? Stay there. I'll send the driver to get you. I'll head home as soon as I've finished a few things at the office!"

"But Vincent, the doctor thinks it might be malignant..."

Before I could finish, Bridget called out urgently in the background. "Vincent, come and look! Hurry!"

He stopped speaking. Then I heard him breathing hard. "Meredith, go home and rest. Something urgent's come up with Bridget. When I get back tonight, I'll spoil our mom-to-be."

"Vincent, if the baby and I..."

The line beeped. He'd hung up. He wouldn't even give me the 30 seconds it would take to finish.

I clutched the phone as cramps tore through my stomach. I nearly sank to the floor. A passing nurse hurried over to support me. "You look very pale. Is there someone we can call for you?"

I shook my head and slowly straightened. "No."

From now on, I had no family to call.