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“I never said it was.”
He waited, knowing she would see reason soon enough.
With a weary sigh, she did. “Alright, I’ll talk to her. How much time do we have?”
Zep leaned forward and took her hand once more. “We need to leave as soon as possible.”
“What does that mean?”
“Couple of hours, at most.”
“What is he doing here?”
Abby stood in the doorway, her face a canvas for her fury. A storm raged in her eyes and her lips pressed into a thin, taut line. Her stance was rigid and her shoulders square, with her fists clenched at her side.
“Darling, please come in,” said Rachel. “We need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say to him.” Her glare was like a laser, cutting into Zep where he sat. He resisted the urge to speak, knowing Rachel was so much better qualified to handle their irate daughter.
“Maybe you could listen,” Rachel persisted.
Abby stalked into the room. “Maybe I should just call the police. There’s two officers just down the hall.”
“The police can’t protect you.” Zep spoke quietly, but firmly.
“Protect me from who?” She rounded on him. “You?”
He looked her in the eye, saw the hellfire coursing through her. “From the people who are trying to kill you.”
She reared back, as if she’d been struck.
“Abby, darling.” Rachel’s hand fell from his as she reached for her daughter. “Please listen.”
“Good afternoon.” A woman wearing a white lab coat over scrubs entered the room. She spoke with a South American accent.
“Dr. Carchedi, hello.” Rachel smiled, although her eyes still carried her concern for Abby.
Zep swallowed the growl that threatened to erupt over being interrupted.
“Maybe we can have a minute to talk to you about your test results.” The doctor looked pointedly at Zep.
He stood. This needed to be sorted out sooner rather than later, but Rachel’s health was also a matter of priority. “I’ll leave you to it.” He nodded at the doctor, then turned to Abby. “We’ll talk soon.”
Abby bit her lip and refused to meet his eye.
The doctor followed him to the door and closed it behind him. Agitation unsettled his gut. He had the distinct impression she had not come with good news.
Chapter 16
The click of the door closing was like a gunshot, banishing all thoughts of Zep from her mind. Abby perched on the edge of her mother’s bed, drawing in several deep breaths to calm herself.
The doctor’s expression was grave as she sat in the chair Zep had just vacated. Did doctor’s normally sit? Her heartbeat quickened.
"I'm afraid I have some serious news about your condition," Dr. Carchedi began, her voice steady but tinged with empathy. "The tests have confirmed that you have an aggressive form of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour."
Abby fixed her eyes on the doctor, absorbing each word with a growing sense of disbelief. The words “aggressive pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour” echoed in her mind, an incomprehensible diagnosis.
As the doctor continued, explaining the severity of the condition, a heavy weight settled in her heart. She felt a surreal detachment, as if the conversation was a scene from someone else's life, not her own. Her hand instinctively found her mother's, trembling under the gravity of the news.
