Page 125 of Never Stop

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Brooke

Iwoke groggy and not exactly sure where I was. When I turned my head to the right, I saw a door. I wasn’t expecting to see a door. I was expecting to see a curtain or something around my bed because I thought I’d wake up in recovery.

When I turned my head to the right, I saw my sleeping husband on what looked like a super hard couch. Easton’s knees were bent as he slept curled in the fetal position. The couch was too small for his six-two frame and no one else was in the room. I stared at Easton until he woke up.

“Hey,” he said, stretching the best he could. “How are you feeling?” He stood and walked over to me, kissing me on the forehead before I responded.

“Tired.”

“Probably all the meds like last time.”

“How long have I been out of surgery?”

Easton looked to a clock near the door and then back to me. “About eight hours.”

“Best night of sleep I’ve had in a long time,” I joked.

He smiled. “Dr. Simon should be here shortly. Do you need anything?”

I thought for a moment. “Water.”

He poured a cup from the plastic pitcher and handed it to me. I took a sip and the cool liquid felt like heaven on my throat.

“You hungry?” he asked.

I shook my head.

He cracked a smile. “You don’t want any grapes?”

I smiled back. He remembered that was all I ate last time. “Not right now.”

“How’s my patient?” I looked toward the door and saw Dr. Simon walk in.

“I’m okay. Did you get all of the tumor?”

He looked toward Easton. “You haven’t discussed our conversation?”

My eyes darted between the two men.

“She just woke up.”

“No,youjust woke,” I affirmed.

Dr. Simon pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat. Easton stayed standing. “Surgery went well, but the tumor’s wrapped around the T1 nerve.”

“What?” I blinked.

“I removed three ribs, parts of two more, and part of your right lung, but I wasn’t able to get the entire tumor because it’s wrapped around the nerve and I need to cut the root to remove it.” Time felt as though it stood still. A ringing sounded in my ears as I processed what he was telling me. “If we don’t remove it, you’ll eventually lose your arm.”

I looked toward Easton for confirmation and he sighed with a slight nod.

Dr. Simon continued. “We spoke about the claw hand before, but I wanted to let you know of another possibility. Because the nerve connects to your cervical spine, there’s also a chance you’ll be left with what’s called Horner’s syndrome.”

“What’s that?” Easton asked.

“Horner’s syndrome is when there’s an interruption of the sympathetic nerve supply to the eye. Basically it causes your eye to droop. I can’t tell you for sure if this will occur, but I need to give you all the risks and side effects because we do need to remove this tumor.”