Page 43 of Judge Me Not

I run out of the bathroom and don't even see Colton. I barely hear him behind me.

He catches up to me and stops me. "Jasmine. Where are you going?"

I don't attempt to hide anything anymore. I blurt out while crying, "My daughter. She has cancer. Her fever spiked...and..."

His eyes widen, and he pulls me into him.

I push him away. "I have to go." I start to run again and don't even realize he's behind me.

Since I've been here so much, I know the hospital like the back of my hand. I race through the halls and don't wait for the elevator. I take the stairs. When I get to the waiting room, Maribel is sitting on a chair, hugging her knees. Cee Cee is pacing.

"What's going on?"

I've seen Cee Cee's worried expression too many times. "We don't know. They took her for tests."

9

Colton

Abby has cancer.

Why didn't she tell me?

Cee Cee embraces Jasmine, and my phone buzzes.

Mom:Why did you and Jasmine run out of here? What is wrong?

Me:We're on the eighth floor.

Mom:Why?

I glance at Jasmine. Cee Cee is talking to her in a hushed tone. My heart bleeds.

Me:I didn't know.

Mom:About?

Me:Her daughter. She has a fever. I'm not sure what is going on.

Mom:I'll be right up.

I put my phone away, feeling helpless, wishing Jasmine would have told me about Abby.

I preyed on a mother whose child has cancer and made her into my "beck-and-call stripper."

I hate the term she used and the fact I made her feel cheap. And she may not have done anything yet, but there is no hiding what I did or the shame I feel. It started last night when I went to bed and has only been escalating throughout the day. Now, I've officially hit bottom. My self-disgust can't get any higher.

Why would she tell me when I made her feel like my prostitute? There's no bouncing back from this. How could she ever see me as anything but a pig?

The doctor comes out. Jasmine and Cee Cee rush over to him. I step behind them.

"Dr. Plax, what's happening?" Jasmine's voice is so full of fear, I automatically put my arm around her.

She doesn't push me away. Her body is trembling, so I tighten my arm around her.

Dr. Plax looks at me in surprise. "Colton." He nods then refocuses on Jasmine. "Abby's test came back clear. Her fever lowered to ninety-nine point one. Nothing is showing up on her blood work or the scans. Her immune system is currently fighting whatever is going on."

"Can I see her?"

---