Chapter
16
Brian found Nick sitting in a chair in the waiting room, sipping some
juice.
"You okay buddy?" Brian asked, taking a seat beside Nick.
Nick turned to him, his eyes wide.
"Are you?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Brian asked.
"Do you know how big that needle was?" Nick asked.
"No," Brian said slowly. "How big?" Nick held up
his hands to demonstrate the needle's length.
"Shit!" Brian said in disbelief. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," Nick said. "Seriously."
"No wonder it hurts so bad," Brian said with a lopsided grin.
Forty-five minutes later, a nurse approached them. "Dr. Benson
wants to see you in his office now," she told Brian.
Brian's palms were sweating terribly as he and Nick followed the nurse
down the hall to Dr. Benson's office. He prayed that everything would be okay.
When he entered the doctor's office, Dr. Benson told him to sit down.
Brian and Nick took seats in front of his desk.
"Well, Brian, I'm happy to tell you that everything looks perfect,"
Dr. Benson said, smiling. Brian's face broke into a huge grin.
"Really?" he cried, both happy and relieved. "Am I cured
then?" he asked.
"Well, I wouldn't say that," Dr. Benson said. "We don't
call anyone cured until they have been in remission for five years."
"Oh," Brian said. "Well, that's okay. I'll be cured
sometime." Dr. Benson smiled again.
"I hope so, Brian," he said. He scheduled another appointment
in three months and told Brian good-bye.
That evening, Brian went out with the guys to celebrate. Both Leighanne
and his parents were thrilled to hear the news. They had all been worried too.
Brian was sure that he was finished with cancer for good. That in five
years, he would be cured. He was ready to move on with his life.
***
