Page 56 of Memphis

The doctor nodded, giving Memphis a reassuring smile. “It’sverytreatable, but first, I need to refer you to a colleague of mine. Dr. Sandra Sutton. She’s an excellent oncologist. She’ll want to do some genetic testing?—”

“An oncologist? I have…this blood disease is-is cancer?”

“Yes.”

30

She requested that we go to my house, so that’s where I took her. My wife was not an overly emotional person except for when it came to anger. There were no tears, just silence. Silence as we left the doctor’s office, silence on the ride through the city to my home in the suburbs, silence when I opened the passenger door for her and led her into the house.Silence as I followed her up the stairs and watched her climb into bed. Her energy in that moment was so foreign to me that it alarmed me. My wife, my badass soulmate was…broken. I didn’t have a clue what to do or say. I just stood at the foot of the bed for a few minutes before climbing in beside her, and before I could touch her, she scooted toward me, pressing her body to mine. My dick was hard in picoseconds, as was the usual when any part of my body made contact with hers, but I told myself that fucking wasn’t appropriate at the present time.

“I thought I was being so smart. I thought I was dodging the cancer bullet by getting a hysterectomy,” she said into my chest, her voice soft and audibly vulnerable. “Joke’s on me. Then again, I couldn’t expect to kill people for decades with no repercussions.”

Resting my chin on her head, I asked, “That’s what you think this is? Karma?”

“What else could it be?”

“Life. Genetics. Can’t run from either, and if we wanna talk punishment for wrongdoing, I’m more likely the target for this shit.”

“How, when I’m the one with blood cancer?”

“Don’t you know by now that the only way anyone or any entity, deity,anythingcan hurt me is by hurting you? Nobody, and I meannobodyelsematters to me. You are the reason I’m still alive. You’re the reason I fucking breathe. You and you alone.”

I felt her shake her head before she said, “You loved your father. You love your mother. I think you still love your brother and your son. You cared about your ex-wife at some point because you said you were friends.”

“My family…that shit is complicated.”

“So complicated that you’d shoot your brother and your mom’s house? I didn’t forget that shit. Just wasn’t sure I wanted to know the reason.”

“First of all, it wasn’t her entire house. It was the foyer. Second, you know the reason.”

“Bo, I love you, but ain’t no way I’d shoot any of my family members or their property over you.”

“That’s fair, especially since none of your family has done the evil, swamp rat shit mine has. Threatening you, disrespecting you, dismissing what we shared when the shit was and still is the realest thing I’ve ever experienced.”

“Okay, I see your point.”

“Baby?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be worried. This is some serious shit going on with your health.”

“I don’t want to be scared or worried. I don’t know how to really exist in those emotions. All I know to do is fight.”

“Then let’s fight this thing. Let’s fight it together.”

The oncologist,Dr. Johnson, tested my blood again, confirming that my damn blood cells were fucked up. Then she explained the genetic testing, which involved them sticking a needle in my hip bone to do a bone marrow biopsy. She said I could be awake with a local anesthetic, or they could knock me out. She also said there would probably still be some pain either way. I told her they’d better knock me out if they didn’t want me to involuntarily fuck up the person with the needle.

Bo co-signed with, “On God, she will.”

Now, I was sitting in her office listening to her tell me that I’d tested positive for a mutation or change in thePAK2gene, something found in ninety-five percent of Polycythemia Vera patients.

“So…I definitely have cancer,” I stated, my head feeling tight as Bo squeezed my hand. A glance over at him beside me told me he was three seconds from kicking the doctor’s ass merely for reporting the findings. This was messing him all the way up.

“Yes, but I want you to frame this correctly. It is a type of cancer in that it involves uncontrolled cell production, which is the very definition of cancer. In your case, it’s your red blood cells. This overproduction of cells can lead to many problems if left untreated, including stroke, blood clots, serious, serious issues. What makes it stand apart from other forms of cancer is its treatability. With proper treatment, you can live a normal life for decades to come.”

“Really?” Bo peeped.

Pun intended.

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