Page 83 of Styx & Stones

But I wasn’t prepared for this.I can’t do this. The love of my very short life just died on the floor of her hospital room.

She broke my heart, and I’m not sure it will ever beat again.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

STYX

“I’m afraid it doesn’tlook good.” Dr. Watson glances down at the findings of my latest PET scan and biopsy. “Styx’s cancer has metastasized to the lymph nodes—as we previously knew—but now we’re seeing a very rare case of male breast carcinoma with a distant metastasis in the right maxillary sinus and extending to the nasopharynx.”

“In English, doc.” I sneer, but he won’t look at me. He looks instead only at my parents, as if they’re somehow more deserving of this information than I am.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks, your son’s cancer has spread to the breast and naso—”

My shrill laughter pierces the room. “I’m sorry, did you just say I have breast cancer?”

“Male breast cancer is not uncommon, however the fact that it’s metastasized to the nasopharynx region is something we’ve only seen before in one other patient.”

“Is he dead?”

“Styx,” Mom admonishes.

Doc clears his throat. “Yes, though he developed extensive skeletal and lung metastases. He passed twelve months on from refusing chemotherapy.”

“Awesome. So what you’re saying is that instead of three years to live, I have one. Kinda shortchanging me there, aren’t you, doc?”

“So what are we looking at treatment wise?”My dad, ever the optimist. Fucking hippie.

“My recommendation is to begin a more aggressive form of chemo, radiation, and an immediate double mastectomy.”

I stand, knocking my chair to the ground. All three adults in the room watch me like I’m a caged tiger who just found a large opening in the fence. “This is bullshit.”

“Styx.” Mom takes my hand, but I yank free of her grasp. “Sit down.”

“No.” I stalk toward the door. My dad is on his feet, blocking my path. “Move.”

“Kid,” he says. “Take a seat and we can talk about this.”

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