Luke took a long deep breath.Max was right, but he couldn‘t help feel that they were rushing her, taking away her youth before she had experienced anything. However, he didn‘t miss the way Lily reacted to Cybil and the jealousy she portrayed.
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slumped in defeat and he nodded, ―She looks terrible.‖ He finally said looking back at Max helplessly, ―I‘m still pissed at you but, maybe I didn‘t help much.‖
―Maybe we both screwed up. We didn‘t give her a choice in anything.‖ Max said seeing his friend‘s guilt.
―Yeah, maybe she‘s not too far off calling us overprotective louts.‖
―And because of it, she got hurt.‖ Max winced.―Hell, I wish I could change the past but I can‘t. I‘ve tried to talk to her, but she won‘t hear it and short of betraying you, I couldn‘t‘ tell her anything.‖
Luke studied his friend‘s pained expression, ―You love her that much?‖
Max managed a bittersweet smile, ―You have no idea.‖
Luke nodded and released a slow breath, ―I‘m taking her to the Doctor‘s today at three.‖ He looked at his watch. ―I kept her home from school because I wanted to go with her.‖
Max straightened himself and shoved his hands in the pockets of his dark slacks, ―All right, however, I am marrying her in the future if she‘ll still have me, and I understand your anger with me, it‘s warranted, but as soon as you hear anything I‘m entitled to know.‖
Luke thought about this for a moment. A man like Max really shouldn‘t be held at fault for hurting Lily. He was acting on Luke‘s wishes, yet he obviously did get carried away with her and he held him responsible for that. In a way he was hoping she was pregnant, then it would explain her symptoms, but now a new worry set in. Would depression explain all of what she was portraying? He wasn‘t a doctor so he didn‘t know but he had a sense of dread over it. ―I‘ll call you Max. I promise.‖
―That‘s all I ask. Thank you.‖
After Doctor Chang was done her examination, she helped Lily don a hospital gown while pressing her lips together, 118
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―Is your brother here?
―I think he‘s in the waiting room. Why?‖
Doctor Chang had been Lily‘s doctor since she was fourteen and moved to Chicago with Luke when he started working for Max. Despite her name she wasn‘t Asian, but looked more Romanian with her dark hair and eyes.It seemed sort of funny to Lily when she first met her and actually asked her about her name.She said her husband was Asian and worked in the city as an engineer.She also told her with a smile that she got that a lot.Regardless, she was always very considerate to Lily.
Maybe it was because her and Luke were looking after each other since the death of their parents and her Doctor knew that.
―He‘s your guardian right?‖
―What‘s wrong?‖ She started to get worried.
―It may be nothing, but I should speak to him first.‖ She picked up Lily‘s folder, ―I‘ll send the lab tech in to take some blood so I can run some tests.‖ She said, ―I‘ll be back in a few minutes.‖
―Okay.‖ Lily said unable to keep the worry out of her expression.
Luke was sitting in the waiting room rubbing his forehead with his hand in obvious worry. Time seemed to pass slowly and it was excruciating waiting for the results. He stood immediately when the Doctor approached, ―My sister—is she okay?‖
Doctor Chang indicated for him to sit down and she took the seat next to him, ―It may be nothing, but your sister has a lump in her breast.‖
―Oh Jesus, Lily!‖ He could physically feel the blood drain from his face.
―I‘m running some blood tests, but she says it‘s been there for about two months.‖ The Doctor continued.
―I didn‘t know—I‘ve been away—―he said brokenly.She was the only family he had and he felt completely negligent over 119
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not seeing the signs sooner. He‘d also been away a lot in the last year, and Max had always made sure she was looked after, but now he felt guilty over it. It never bothered him before, because Max was right, she was mature for her age and cold look after herself. Now everything had changed and his sister was going to need him.
Doctor
