A Family of Their Own(52)

“The other test is one Lucy’s never had.” He looked at Kelsey, then gazed at the paperwork on his desk. “This is another form of brain MRI. A fairly new process called fMRI, which means functional magnetic resonance imaging. The procedure is very similar to your regular MRI.”

Kelsey’s heart constricted. “What is this for, doctor?”

He paused a moment, his eyes focused on the paperwork. “We realized that Lucy’s lesion has increased since her last brain MRI. I’d like to check it out and see what’s happening there.”

Kelsey closed her eyes, not wanting to know the answer to her question. “Why would this happen?”

“That’s what we want to learn from the tests. It’s likely scar tissue and that’s always a problem. You know we have to keep that to a minimum.”

“And if it’s not that?”

He released a sigh. “It could be a small tumor.”

“No.” Lucy’s voice burst from her. “I don’t want to go through all that again.”

“I know, Lucy. I know. But this is to keep you healthy. We can take care of an early problem. You have to be happy we spotted it before it turned into something more serious.”

“But will they ever stop?”

Lucy’s plaintive plea rent Kelsey’s heart. She slipped her arm around Lucy’s shoulder. “These tests may show that you’re fine. Let’s just get them over with, okay?”

She gave a slow nod.

“I’ll get the tests scheduled for you, and I’ll give you a call.”

Kelsey nodded as he closed the file and then stood. She beckoned Lucy to rise.

Dr. Bryant gave Lucy a tender look. “We’ll fix whatever needs fixing, Lucy, and hopefully, it’s nothing at all.”

“I don’t have much choice, do I?”

Her soft response sounded pitiful, and Kelsey struggled to keep her wits about her. “Let’s go.” She guided Lucy through the door and down the hallway, longing to call Ross, but she stopped herself. If the relationship ends… Sadness swept over her. If it ended, she’d have to find her solace and support somewhere else. She gazed at Lucy’s stressed face. Today she needed to talk with someone. Images rifled through her mind. Lexie. After they were home, she would call her. Lexie listened well and understood. That’s what she needed.





Chapter Twelve


“We’re anxious to hear what you’ve decided.” Ross kept his hands in his lap, fearing that his apprehension would show.

Dr. Timmons looked over the top of his glasses. “This will be your decision, Mr. Salburg, but I think we have a good chance with this new medication.”

“Really?” The tremors in his hands became more obvious, and he wove his fingers even tighter in his lap. “What does this mean?”

The specialist flipped open a file and studied it a moment. “I consulted with a number of heart specialists who have more experience with the new medication than I have. Two of them were ones who received it first to help identify the successes and failures in using it.” He lifted his gaze to Ross. “And yes, we can have failures, but these aren’t life-threatening. They just don’t do the job we’d hoped.”

That’s what Ross feared—failure—and that meant disappointment. Discouragement always set him back worse than anything else. Hope could too easily be dampened by the reality of another unsuccessful attempt. “But you think this will work for Peyton?”

Timmons nodded. “The condition of her heart is statistically more apt to experience improvement with the medication than not.”

Air drained from Ross’s lungs. “Then that’s good news.”

“Yes. The medication is expensive and new, so it means dealing with your insurance company. We’ll send them an explanation and hope they will approve it.”

Insurance. The only thing Ross cared about was seeing his daughter healthy. “If not, I could pay for it myself.”

The specialist’s head jerked upward. “We’re talking thousands per month. Let’s hope your insurance covers it.”

Thousands. His mind darted from solution to solution. But reality told him that while he made a decent living, thousands would run out in time, and then what?

“Mr. Salburg, please don’t think this is hopeless. We have good statistics, and we’ll contact your insurance company with the request. If they refuse, then we’ll see how we might deal with it.”