Do you take this rebel - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,40
for all of them.
“Hanging in,” Cassie said, taking the cup and breathing in the aroma. Hazelnut. “I thought I’d know something by now, but it seems like it’s been forever and there’s still no word.”
Lauren nodded and set aside her own coffee. “Then let me see what I can find out.”
As soon as she’d gone, Emma shook her head. “I don’t know how she does it. Even incognito, she has a way of commanding respect. You should have seen her down at the information desk. The poor volunteer kept trying to tell us that only family was permitted up here, but Lauren finally persuaded her that we were as close to being family as anybody could be. She did it in a Southern voice straight out of Gone with the Wind. I kept looking around to see who was talking. Next thing you know we’re on an elevator with a little map showing us precisely where the waiting room is located. If I could do what she does, I’d never lose a case.”
“You never lose a case, anyway,” Karen pointed out.
Emma frowned. “That’s not true. I’ve lost some.”
“How many?” Gina teased. “One? Two?”
“Four,” Emma retorted.
Gina rolled her eyes. “Out of how many?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hundreds, I imagine,” Gina countered.
“The point is, Lauren is very good at what she does,” Emma said.
“Then why does she look so unhappy?” Cassie wondered.
“I’ve been asking myself the same thing,” Karen said, her expression thoughtful. “And I know she wanted to stick around for your mom’s surgery, but she’s showing no inclination at all to get back to her glamorous life in Hollywood. Every time I bring up anything about her career, she puts me off.”
“Well, it can’t be because she’s having trouble getting roles,” Cassie said. “I saw on TV the other night that there are two producers who are counting on her starring in their next films.”
“Which producers? What films?” Gina asked with the starstruck fascination of an old movie buff.
“I don’t remember, but I do recall that both admitted she hasn’t committed yet.”
The discussion of Lauren’s apparent unhappiness ended when she came back into the waiting room with a triumphant expression and the bemused surgeon in tow.
“Look who I found,” she announced happily. “And the news is good.” She beamed at him. “I said that straight off, because you doctors always hem and haw before you get to the bottom line.”
He regarded her with a dazed expression. “Who are you again?”
“Just a friend of the family.”
He still looked puzzled. “But you look so familiar.”
She sighed dramatically. “See what I mean about dillydallying. Come on, Doc. Tell Cassie how her mom’s surgery went.”
He gathered his composure and faced Cassie. “Everything went exactly as I’d hoped it would. The cancer appeared to be contained. We did a lumpectomy and I’ll be recommending a course of chemotherapy and radiation, but there’s no reason to think she will have anything other than a full recovery. There will be regular check-ups after that to make sure there hasn’t been a recurrence, but I’d say the prognosis is very good.”
For the second time that morning, Cassie’s tears flowed unchecked. She clasped the doctor’s hand. “Thank you.”
“No need. I was just doing my job.”
“Can I see her?”
“She’s still in recovery. Why not go and have your lunch, then come back. She’ll be in her room by then. I’ll check in on her later. If all goes as I anticipate, she’ll be released in the morning.”
Cassie and her friends were exchanging joyful hugs when Cole and Jake arrived.
“Good news?” Cole asked, his gaze on Cassie.
She nodded. “The best. The surgeon expects her to make a full recovery.”
Genuine relief washed over his face. “I’m glad.”
“Grandma’s going to be okay?” Jake asked as if he didn’t dare to believe it. “Really?”
Cassie gave him a hug, wanting to believe in that as much as he did. “Absolutely,” she said with confidence. If a positive outlook and the support of family and friends had anything to do with it, her mother would not only survive, she would thrive. “She’ll have some treatments for a while, but that should do the trick.”
“I propose we all go out and celebrate,” Cole said. “My treat.”
“I never turn down a man with a credit card in his hand,” Gina teased. “Especially when the alternative is hospital cafeteria food. Let’s do it.”
They found a lovely restaurant just a few blocks away from the hospital. Cassie actually managed to eat with enthusiasm for the first time in several days. Not even