Long Time Running - By Hannah Foster Page 0,11

with Mylea played over and over in her mind and she knew she was right. Her heart could never belong to Keith, no matter how much he wanted it to, because she was still in love with Eric. Knowing they could never - would never - be together did little to diminish her feelings for him. She needed to have that conversation with Keith. She needed to set him free for to allow him to hang on any longer was indeed cruel. As she looked down at her twitching foot she realized the conversation would have to wait for a few days.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up expectantly.

"Good afternoon Doctor Thabo, I'm Doctor Smitherman and I'm-"

The words died on Eric's lips as his jaw dropped open. Pressing himself against the wall, he simply stared.

It was hard to tell who had the bigger shock. Nathalie blinked in silent surprise as she came face to face with the man who still had her heart; certain that his presence in front of her was not real but merely a side effect of the tumor. She attempted to clear her vision but he remained in front of her, a stunned look plastered across his face.

"It's not p-p-possible," Eric stammered as the chart tumbled from his hands.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Me? Wh-what....how....it's not really you. How can it be you?" His voice shook as he took a few tentative steps toward her.

The twitch in her foot became stronger and she pulled more tightly on the gown. "Eric" she whispered, unable to say anything further.

The door to the exam room flew open with Andrew and Sarah rushing in stopping short behind Eric. "Nathalie!" Sarah cried, seeing her sister for the first time in seven years.

Nathalie looked from her sister to Andrew to Eric and realized she had been right. Her past couldn't swallow her whole but it could crush her. Opening her mouth to speak she found her tongue fat and uncooperative . Her entire body trembled as she tried to slide off of the exam table. Whether she was going to fall into Sarah's arms or make a run for it she wasn't sure.

"Nat, I got the forms but who are listing as next of kin?" Keith paused in the doorway of the exam room and looked at the four people all staring mutely at each other. "Nat?" he asked, brushing past Eric to get to her.

It was all too much. Her head pounded and her body shook and the last sound she heard before the seizure took hold was Eric calling her name

Chapter 4

Feeling the fog from around her brain slowly lift, Nathalie gingerly touched her hand to her cheek and winced as she felt the bruise. If the tumor wasn't removed soon she was going to be black and blue from all the seizures. Carefully opening her eyes she sucked in a sharp breath as her past and her present collided in front of her.

"Nat?" Keith called to her, touching her hand. "Nathalie, say something."

But she couldn't speak. She was hyperaware of Eric's presence by her bed and she didn't need to look at him to know the contempt he felt for her. Glancing at Andrew, and the disdain she saw reflected in his eyes, she looked away quickly until her eyes landed on her sister.

Nathalie exhaled at the kindness reflected in her sister's clear, blue eyes. Sarah looked older but stylish as always. Whereas Nathalie had always been a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, her sister had long ago developed a taste for fine clothes which seemed to serve as her version of armor. Even in her worried state Sarah still looked like the model of business elegance.

"Sarah," she croaked

"Okay, everybody out" Sarah ordered.

The two doctors looked at her in shock. "Sarah, you aren't a doctor-" Eric began.

"You're right, I'm not. I'm her sister and I'm kicking all of you out until I have a chance to speak with her." She glanced over at Keith who was staring at her in surprise. "You too."

He shook his head and looked back at Nathalie. "You never told me you had a sister."

"Nathalie likes to keep a lot of details to herself," Eric said bitterly. "Doesn't want to burden anyone with them."

Her cheeks burned with humiliation and regret. She looked to her sister and silently pleaded with her for help. The walls were closing in on her. Sarah grabbed Andrew by the arm