Chapter 9 - THE FINAL DOSE
Nine days later.
The bedroom at our home was quiet, bathed in the soft, golden light of a late summer afternoon.
There were no men sneaking through the dark. No brass lamps held in fear. No secrets whispered behind locked bathroom doors.
Claire lay propped up on plush white pillows. She was wearing a soft yellow sundress. Her hair was clean, her cheeks bore a healthy, natural pink flush, and her eyes—for the first time in fourteen months—were entirely clear of pain.
Dr. Vance sat on a chair beside her bed, holding a sterile syringe.
This was the fourth and final dose.
I sat on the edge of the bed, holding Claire’s left hand tightly in mine. Maya stood beside me, leaning her chin on the mattress, watching with wide, curious eyes.
"Is this the last time the doctor has to give Mommy the special bump medicine?" Maya asked softly.
Dr. Vance looked up at Maya, offering her a warm, genuine smile. "Yes, sweetie. This is the very last time."
Dr. Vance carefully wiped Claire’s arm with an alcohol pad, found the vein, and slowly pushed the plunger down. The pale yellow liquid entered her bloodstream—the final strike against the dying tumor in her brain stem.
When he pulled the needle out, Claire let out a long, slow breath—a breath she seemed to have been holding for a year and a half.
She looked at Dr. Vance. "Is it done?"
Dr. Vance pulled up her latest MRI scan on his tablet, placing it on her lap.
The jagged white mass was completely gone. In its place was nothing but healthy, clear brain tissue and clean scar tissue.
"The tumor is encapsulated and fully inert, Claire," Dr. Vance said, his voice thick with emotion. "You are officially in complete, total remission."
Claire gasped, covering her face with her hands, and burst into tears.
This time, I threw my arms around her, pulling her close against my chest, kissing her hair, her cheeks, her neck, burying my face in her shoulder as tears streamed down my own face.
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Maya jumped onto the bed, wrapping her little arms around both of us, giggling as she squished herself between us.
"We did it, baby," I whispered into Claire’s ear, holding her so tight I felt her heart beating strong, steady, and alive against mine. "We did it."
