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When I turned the corner, I heard a sob

There stood Toby Wesley, gripping Eli’s white coat

His three interns all tried to help, but he just waved them off “Toby—”

“She’s all I have left She’selse you can try We’ve poked and prodded her, we’ve puery!”

“The tumor is—”

“Fuck the tu him away “Fuck the damn tumor! I want it out of her, and if you won’t do it, I will find someone else ill!” He walked back into the roo behind

Eli took a deep breath, saying so toward the stairs

Only when they were all gone did I head to the patient's door, gripping the painting in o in, I put the painting by the door, but before I could leave, it opened again “Sorry” I backed up quickly Toby looked understandably worse than the last time I had seen him; the dark circles around his eyes aze shifted down to the painting that had fallen into the room

“Did you bring it?” Molly waved behind him

“Idown to pick the painting off the ground Without a word, he moved over for me to enter

I walked up to her bedside Her skin looked alray, and she couldn’t even lift herself up Her scarf was the brightest sparkling pink I had ever seen, and she wore a bow on her arm where her IV was

Pulling up a chair, I sat, placing the painting on my lap “Can I open it for you?” I asked her

She tried her best to nod

Pulling the brown paper off, I held it up closer for her to see “What do you think?”

“Daddy, it’s Mommy and the baby” She reached up to touch it and sainst the ith his hand over hisa lu her hand “Yes…yes sweetheart, it is,” he whispered