Meeting The Unpredictable (29 page)

Mr. Jacobs’ face turns beat red. “This isn’t Lennie’s call. I’m stepping in and taking over, and I’m telling you I want her transferred.”

The doctor doesn’t act the least bit intimated when he replies, “You might be her father, but this isn’t your call. Lennie will be awake in a few hours, and she’ll get to make this decision. I’ll have a nurse come get you when she’s settled in a room.” Mr. Jacobs starts to argue again, but the doctor turns and walks out of the room.

Mr. Jacobs runs his hand through his hair. “This isn’t her call!” he shouts to no one in particular.

“James,” Connie softly says as she reaches out for her husband. “Don’t.”

He pulls away. “I’ve stood by and watched her throw her life down the drain for ten years but enough is enough.”

“Dad, you’re not being fair,” Jodi adds, causing him to point his harsh stare at her. “Lennie just wants to be accepted and none of us have stopped to see how difficult life has been for her.”

“Do you think this was easy on me? Because it wasn’t. None of this has been easy.” Before Jodi can reply, he storms out of the waiting room, leaving another awkward silence in his wake.

MY EYES SLOWLY OPEN. I
glance around the room but nothing looks familiar. I start to sit up as a sharp pain shoots through my core. “Oh,” I groan, and within seconds, both Jodi and Tyler are standing next to the bed I’m lying in.

“Hey, baby, how are you feeling?”

I blink a few times, trying to process where I’m at and why I’m in pain.

“Lennie, are you all right?” Jodi questions.

I clear my scratchy throat. “I don’t know. Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital. Tyler found you passed out on my guest room floor.”

My eyes move towards Tyler. “Oh.”

I don’t remember being on Jodi’s floor, but I do remember Tyler being mad at me, Jodi and I going out, then nothing.

“When will Dr. Ross be in?”

Jodi’s eyes narrow. “We didn’t take you to the cancer center. Tyler brought you here to Mercy health.”

“I’m at Mercy?”

“I didn’t know it mattered what hospital you needed. I drove to the closest one,” Tyler quickly adds.

“Lennie, your gallbladder was in the process of rupturing. That’s why you’ve been in pain.”

My eyes narrow. “It’s back.”

“No, you’re fine,” Jodi says with a smile on her face.

My heart starts to race along with my brain. Something has felt off for months, but the pain in my side only started a week or so ago. The look on my face must give away what I’m thinking.

“The doctor is still running tests, but, Lennie, your white blood cell count was normal.”

“It’s normal?”

Tyler squeezes my hand as Jodi happily answers. “Yes. You’re going to be fine.”

I want to believe Jodi, but I know my body. Something hasn’t been right and it’s been that way for a while now, but I force a smile, hoping to at least appease my sister, even if it’s short-lived.

“Good morning.” A man wearing a doctor’s jacket steps inside the room. “How are you feeling today, Ms. Jacobs?”

I nod my head. “Okay.”

The man smiles. “That’s good to hear. I’m Dr. Knott. I’ve been the one overseeing you since you’ve been admitted.”

I give him a small smile, but I remain silent.

“Your family was concerned that your leukemia has returned, but the tests I’ve run are showing that’s not the case. I’ve also been informed that you’re behind on your yearly checkup with your oncologist.”

I nod my head, but again I don’t say anything. “Okay. I’m still waiting to hear back on a few tests I’ve run, but if those come back clear, then I’m going to release you once I know you’re healing okay. But I do think you should make an appointment with your oncologist.”

“I have one on the twenty-first.”

“Good.” He nods his head. “Well, unless you feel there’s a reason to be seen immediately, then I’m going to hold off on having you transferred, unless that’s something you want.”

“No,” I quickly reply.

“I don’t want to be admitted to another hospital.” Especially the cancer center, but I don’t say the last part aloud.

“Personally, I don’t feel there’s a reason for that, but I wanted to ask.”

I glance at Jodi to see her chewing on her lip. That’s enough for me to know that our dad has said something.

“Get some rest, Lennie, and I’ll be around in a few hours to check in on you.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Tyler says before shaking the man’s hand.

“Well, I think I’m going to check on Mom. Let her know you’re awake and doing okay.”

Of course my mother would be here in the hospital but not in my room. She’s probably off somewhere trying to talk my dad off a ledge.

“I’ll be back,” she says before kissing my hand and walking off. I take a deep breath and chance a look at Tyler. He looks like shit, like he hasn’t slept in days. Who knows, maybe he hasn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he softly says.

My eyes dart to his because I’m the one who needs to say those words. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

Tyler groans. “For the shit that I said the other night. I knew you weren’t off with some other guy, but I also knew you weren’t being honest with me, and that killed me.”

My eyes painfully close. I take another deep breath and open them. “Tyler, I haven’t been honest with you since I arrived in Dallas.”

Tyler’s eyes drop to my bed. “I didn’t set out to deceive you, but I’ve known for a long time something wasn’t right. I knew that even when I spilled my guts in Galveston that I was sick, but I chose to keep that to myself.”

“Why?” His question was quick and sharp.

“Tyler, I didn’t plan to meet you. I didn’t set out to fall in love, especially when I don’t have a future to offer you.” Tears fill my eyes as I reach over and place my hand on top of his. “What kind of person allows someone to become attached when they have nothing to offer?” A tear seeps out and down my cheek. “I’m worse than Amber because I knew what I had to give you, and I still didn’t leave you alone. I pushed and pushed until your heart was on the line with someone who had nothing to offer you but heartbreak.”

“Don’t say that. Lennie, you have a lot to offer.” I try my best to smile, but I’m unsuccessful.

“What exactly do I have to offer you?”

“Your heart, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.” My breath catches. “I just want you, Lennie. No one is guaranteed a certain amount of time, and I’m willing to accept that. I want you for however long I’m allowed.”

I smile again, only this time I find it a little easier to do.

***

MY WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT
is normal, which means I dodged a bullet, or the other shoe has yet to drop. I don’t enjoy being sick. I don’t enjoy the attention that comes with it. If I had my choice, I’d never make another doctor’s appointment in my life, but I know that’s almost impossible, just like I know it will be beyond lucky if the only thing wrong with me was a ruptured gallbladder. But in the meantime, I’ll sit here and pray like hell that I’m wrong.

“Oh, you’re looking good.” I glance toward my hospital room door to find both of my parents. My mom appears to be her typical fake, cheery self, and my dad looks as brooding as ever.

“Thanks. I feel a lot better.” And I do. The pain I feel from my surgery is only a fraction of what I was feeling before I was admitted.

“Do you think it was smart refusing to go see Dr. Ross?”

I huff, “Smart? Since when did you think I was smart?”

My comment causes my dad’s temper to surface. “Always have to mouth off, don’t you?”

“James,” my mom says before grabbing his arm.

“You insisted on being in control of your treatment plan and you couldn’t even make your yearly appointments on time.” My dad storms up to my bed. “Do you take enjoyment in tormenting your mother and me?”

My eyes start to water, but I refuse to cry. He thinks I’m weak, and I’m not about to prove him right.

“This isn’t about you. This is about me.” My dad’s chest continues to heave as he stares at me. “Everything I do or don’t do isn’t because of you. I’m not holding a grudge. I’m not trying to punish you, but this is me. I don’t want the same things out of life that you want. I’ll never be Jodi, and I’ll probably end up getting a hundred more tattoos.”

Dad’s face reddens even more. “Why do you make life harder on yourself?”

“Why do you make life harder for me?”

Apparently, I said the wrong thing because my dad goes from angry to livid.

“Do you have any idea how much of my life has been surrounded by you?” I cast my eyes down to the bed and away from my dad as guilt sets in. “Everything I’ve done in the last fifteen years I’ve had you in mind, and instead of being grateful, you take every opportunity you can to stick it to your mother and me.”

Without waiting for my reply, he pushes past my mother and storms out of the room.

“EVERYTHING I’VE DONE IN THE
last fifteen years I’ve had you in mind, and instead of being grateful, you take every opportunity you can to stick it to your mother and me.”

Mr. Jacobs almost knocks into me as he barrels out of Lennie’s hospital room. I stopped outside when I heard him ripping into her. No wonder she hates Dallas. I can honestly say if my mom or dad was always on my case, I wouldn’t want to live in the same zip code as them, either.

“Watch it,” Mr. Jacobs sneers as he walks past me. Instead of walking into Lennie’s room, I follow him down the hall. He turns into a small waiting room and takes a seat as I walk in seconds behind him.

“Kid, I’m not in the mood. I suggest you get out of here.”

“This normally works for you, doesn’t it?” His eyes narrow but he doesn’t say anything. “You say jump and everyone is supposed to say how high. I’m going out on a limb by guessing that Lennie is the only person in your life that doesn’t play by those rules.”

“Lennie isn’t any of your business.”

I give him a sarcastic laugh. “Really? Because if I have my way, I’m going to marry your daughter one day. One day hopefully soon.” I’ve caught his attention. Mr. Jacobs tilts his head and starts to really take me in.

“There are a lot of things about Lennie that drive me crazy, but at the same time, those things make her the person she is, and that’s who I love. You either need to accept her exactly the way she is or leave her the hell alone.”

“You haven’t been around the block yet, kid. Once you’ve put in some serious time with Lennie, come back and talk to me.”

I take a deep, calming breath. No matter what I think or feel, this man is her father, and I plan to be around a long time.

“Parents teach their children to respect them, but at a certain point in life, a parent needs to learn to respect their children. Is this really about Lennie or the fact that you no longer have a say in how she takes care of herself?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really?” I shout. “So you didn’t put your daughter through one worthless treatment after another when her own sister had the power to heal her?”

Mr. Jacobs jumps to his feet. “How dare you.” His face turns an ugly shade of red.

“Lennie was my baby girl. She would crawl onto my lap every night and make me feel like I could hang the moon. When she got sick, it destroyed me.” His breath catches with his last comment. “I was told there was less than a ten percent chance of the bone marrow saving Lennie, but a big possibility that Jodi could suffer lifelong problems if she donated. I refused to lose both of my girls.”

“But the risk of being put under—”

“Jodi almost died when she had her tonsils removed. Her heart actually stopped. Her reaction is extremely rare and very serious.” My heart starts to ache listening to him.

“Neither Connie nor I were a match. It was like God was playing an evil trick. The only person who had the power to help her was the only one who could die doing it. And when I was told the odds were ninety percent that it wouldn’t work, I made a decision. One that killed me and one that has haunted me every day since.”

I don’t envy anyone in this situation. Everything seemed black and white when Lennie told me what happened, but now listening to Mr. Jacobs, I’m unsure what I would have done if they were my daughters