Chapter
18
Brian's head spun. He couldn't believe all of this was happening. He
had believed that everything was going to be just fine, and now this. He looked
at Leighanne, who sat stock still next to him. He saw her try to blink back
tears. He forgot about himself for a moment and out his arm around her, trying
to comfort her. She looked him gratefully, and he offered her a reassuring
smile. Although he was terrified inside, he knew he had to be strong for her
sake.
"So tell me about these radiation treatments you mentioned,"
Brian said to Dr. Benson. "Are they like chemo?" Brian hoped not. He
had heard of radiation being used for cancer treatment before, but didn't know
too much about it.
"No, it's nothing like chemo," Dr. Benson assured him. Brian
was relieved. "It's much easier. You don't even have to stay in the
hospital like before. You just come in every afternoon for treatments."
"Every afternoon?" Brian asked.
"Except for Sundays, yes," Dr. Benson said.
"What about our tour?" Brian asked.
"That will be a problem. First of all, you can't just go to a
different place to get your radiation every day, depending on where you are.
Also, the radiation doesn't have as many side effects as chemo, but it does
have a few. One of these is fatigue. You will be unusually tired. I wouldn't
recommend touring." Brian sighed and slumped back in his chair. Dr. Benson
scheduled an appointment for the next day for Brian to get his first radiation
treatment. Then they said their good-byes, and Brian and Leighanne headed for
their car.
Once they got into the car, Leighanne broke down into tears. She felt
horrible for crying and tried to stop her tears, but failed. She didn't want
Brian to see how scared she was. He needed her support, not her grief. He held
her for a few minutes until she regained her composure. Then he drove her home.
***
