Chapter 24 - The first surveillance scan
The scan day began at 6:30 a.m.
Maddie wore another gray hoodie.
Not the same one.
She had outgrown it during treatment.
Hair beginning to return.
Short.
Soft.
She hated everyone touching it.
Nathan arrived with coffee for me.
I almost refused.
Then took it.
“Thank you.”
He sat on the far side of the waiting room.
No forced family picture.
No reconciliation performance.
The scan took less time than the first MRI.
Waiting for results took longer emotionally.
Dr. Ward entered.
Stable.
No evidence of local recurrence.
Chest imaging showed no evidence of metastatic disease.
Current scan clear.
Not forever.
Current.
Maddie exhaled so hard she laughed.
I cried.
Nathan covered his face.
Then Dr. Ward reviewed surveillance schedule.
Frequent imaging initially.
Appointments.
Late-effect monitoring.
Physical therapy.
No missed follow-up.
She looked at all three of us.
“Any questions?”
Nathan said:
“No. We’ll be here.”
Maddie looked at him.
He corrected:
“She’ll be here. We’ll get her here.”
Better.
Then the family court order required no action.
The next surveillance appointments populated automatically to both parent portals.
System.
No private gatekeeper.
Then Nathan asked me outside:
“Do you trust me with the next one?”
I knew what he meant.
Could he take Maddie alone if appointment fell on his day?
My body said no.
Evidence said maybe.
I asked Maddie.
She said:
“I want Dad to take me next time because you make the waiting room weird.”
I stared.
“How?”
“You stare at doors.”
Nathan laughed.
I glared.
Then:
“Fine.”
That word cost me more than any court order.
The next scan would be his responsibility.
No test of moral worth.
Just a medical appointment.
Then Patricia? Wrong story. Need no contamination. Good.
Nathan added the appointment to shared calendar.
I watched it appear.
No secrecy.
May you like
No cancellation.
Progress was almost boring.
