Her Men (book 2)

Chapter 11

Finn

“Bro why are you not answering your phone,” I ask Aiden when he walks into the break room

“I left it in my truck this morning by accident, I got my cell though whatcha need,” he says.

“I sent you some locations that need chemicals dropped off before the day ends remember I’m leaving early” Pouring a cup of coffee I place a lid “Why don’t you open find my phone and see where it’s at?”

“It’s not a big deal, I’ll get it later, i did forget I’ll get someone on it where you going” he asks

“Just gotta deal with some things need a few extra hours, gonna got to Stella’s tonight though after wanna come with?” I ask knowing he’s gonna say no

“No” Of course he says that “Maybe next time”

“Bro” I laugh if only Luke was here to make me another bet, we both joke about him needing to loosen up a tad he’s not that old to be this unfun

“Foreal next time” he’s looking down at his phone like he’s contemplating something but not doing anything as I walk out I see him struggle and put his phone down

*****************************************************

Knock knock

The door opens slowly and a nurse and the doctor come in

“Hello, I’m Dr Watson” he offers me his hand and I take it firmly and shake it

“Afternoon,” I say trying not to let the reality of what I’m doing ruin my day,

“So cancer huh?” He sits and places a file, I’m assuming mine down and looks at me

“Looks like it,” I say, I haven’t told anyone yet maybe because I haven’t wrapped my head around the big C word yet either.

“You’ve had lots of opinions, and tests which have said the same, so I don’t want to tell you what you already know, Mr. Alexander, tell me what you're thinking, what do YOU want to do?” Hearing that takes a bit of the stress and helps the nerves everyone’s been so straightforward and cold, emotionless like it’s something small,

A few months ago I found a lump on one of my sacks, pride at first didn’t let me go to the doctor but eventually, I gave in and went to the doctor after a few tests, the results showed a tumor, one doctor in the city suggested immediate surgery “take them out and you're good” he said like it was so easy, the lump was still small and wasn’t growing, another doctor gave me some other options but then this job came up I decided I’d move and settle in, then see what I needed to do, I think the hardest part even after they said cancer was the fact no one mentions kids, surgery automatically takes away my chance of ever having a child, if I do just chemo and hope it’s small enough to kill the cancer cells, my chances of reproducing slim, maybe it’s that fact I’m in my 30s and not married, no children they automatically think I don’t want kids.

I mean before I found this lump I was living it up, F**king all the time, and having fun, kids were never what I wanted or have wanted at least not yet, I haven’t found a girl that I kept around long enough to make me what kids. But the idea that one day IF I found her I wouldn’t be able to give her kids hurt,

f**k cancer

Dr Watson's tone is a bit of fresh air off the bat which is all I’ve been looking for when dealing with something like this most people have friends or family to lean on I don’t. I don’t speak right away and I’m guessing he’s reading my nerves

“This is more than a little vasectomy, Mr . Alexander”

“Finn,” I say

“Finn, he corrects, but from the labs, you are still in stage 1 testicular cancer, the survival rate for this type of cancer is high, but I do suggest like those before me, to do surgery, the first step would be the removal of the testicles and we will test again make sure it hasn’t spread to the lungs which it didn’t look like it had a month ago, we will start preventative chemo treatment.”

Dying was a big concern but I had other concerns no one was quick to talk about,

“I got ahead of myself,” he says “First, if you want we can sperm bank that way you have a chance to reproduce after this,”

Finally, I smile, “Yes I would like to do that first, how will that work? Do I have it done before I have to get goods taken or while? ” I smile at him

“The procedure can be done before it’s not bad and the cost just depends on how much you want to save but you can still think about that, looking at your lab results and what the other doctor's opinions, it’s been close to 6 months, Finn your chances of it staying stage 1 are running out, you’d really should be doing this now rather than later,”

“Can we do both procedures together? Or does it need to be separate, what’s the downtime I will need to take off work? I just started a new job I don’t think it will be an issue but I’d like to know my options when I take this to my bosses, also what will my restrictions would be, and what options for preventative treatments”

“Well first if you want to collect and bank your sperm we need to get with a fertility specialist we do have one here” he pauses to write something down, there’s always good things and bad things about small towns sometimes they have everything in one place or they don’t have it at all, I’m praying I can get everything done here not have to travel to the city

“Dr. Mayrose can get that procedure done and then we can schedule the procedure to remove the testicles we can try to get them done together just depends on both of our schedules”

We talk some more, and we decided to give me a week or so to talk with Luke, and the nurse lets me know they will talk with Mayrose and see if in the week they can do both bank and procedure together, I feel better with this visit or maybe it’s that I made a decision time to get this s**t on the road and back to normal.

By the time I get out it’s almost 5 I think this calls for some onion rings and beer.

Stella’s it is

Teagan

The afternoon flew by I picked up taking orders at the diner just as quickly as I used to take drink orders in a bar, their routine is easy to follow and they stay pretty busy a few times I got a few minutes to relax and the next wave would come, it’s finally slowed once we were closed but Linda never locked the doors so occasionally someone would come in and she would serve them, I finish cleaning up and restocking what I needed to and was wiping a table when Linda said I can leave, she mentioned a shower at Stella’s and I’m glad, grabbing my things I wave goodbye to the girls and customers still there and tell her I’ll see her tomorrow.

Opening the doors to Stella’s I walk in a see a few guests even though it technically doesn’t open till 6 I see Henry and Ian already behind the bar,

“Hi” wave

“Hey,” they both say,

“Do ya’ll mind if I use the shower Linda mentioned it?”

“Sure go ahead,” Henry says

“Thanks I’ll be quick and help yall before we open” walking back I walk into a dressing room/ storage area and find the bathroom that’s only for Stella and the guys I’m assuming as it’s not accessible to anyone there’s a couch and a desk, I place my things down and walk just to the bathroom pulling my hair up into a bun and turn the shower on and waited for it to get warm I pull out my clothes I brought to chance into and lay it out thankfully not wrinkly I jumped in and quickly washed my body of any food smells and get out, change and pull out the things I brought to refreshen my hair, I’m about 15 mins I’m ready I look at myself in the mirror and realize this is probably the best I’ve looked in days, dark circles close to gone even the scar on my arm doesn’t look bad, the bruises barely recognizable, I have a few large ones but those are under my clothes I forget they are there, the shirts I’ve picked have been mid arm to cover it but still I bet I could get away a tank soon I smile and head out to start my next Job

You got this T