"Giles, Michelle - Waiting To Die" - читать интересную книгу автора (Giles Michelle)

"At first, I was in shock. I couldn't do anything but sleep for two days. Honestly, I don't know how to deal with this." Jenna felt her voice crack.

"We're all your friends here." Dr. Wright nodded. "Go on."

"I haven't told anyone yet, certainly not my mother. You see, she's blind and she'll need someone to take care of her." Jenna looked down at her lap. She couldn't tell them about her frustration, her anger. She still had so much she wanted to do, to accomplish, her dream... "I've been doing a lot of research. I work as an assistant librarian, and I've been reading about trials with new medications--" She looked up and found everyone staring.

"You're in denial," Polly snapped.

"Have you gone for a second opinion?" Dr. Wright asked.

Jenna nodded. "I brought my X-rays and test results....The doctor agreed with your diagnosis." She fought back tears.

"I'm afraid Polly is right," the doctor said. "Many patients go through a stage of denial. It appears, Jenna, that you're searching for false hope. Those doctors you're reading about don't care about you. They will only use you to benefit their own research."

"But if there's a chance..."

Dr. Wright shook his head. "The researchers will tell you that their new procedure will give you a one in a million chance. You figure you have nothing to lose, so you take it. But in the end, you'll suffer the ill effects of their tests, and you will still die. I know it's difficult, but you have to face the truth."

Jenna wanted to argue, to fight, tell the doctor he was wrong.

"Hey guys! Lets party!"

Jenna turned. A dark-haired guy, about six-feet tall, walked into the room, carrying a six-pack of beer in one hand and an open beer in the other.

"Matt," Dr. Wright said. "Please sit down. Now that you're here I have...some news for the group."

Polly sprung from her seat and grabbed a beer.

"What's up?" Matt asked.

Dr. Wright waited a moment before answering. "Timothy Kerrington killed himself yesterday afternoon."

The room turned silent, except for the loud ticking of the clock.

Jenna felt numb. She hadn't known Timothy, yet she shared his problem. Will I do the same? she wondered.

Matt threw his beer at the wall. "What did you expect him to do, Doc? Timmy was too young. He couldn't handle it."

"Each one of us chooses to deal with our problem differently," Dr. Wright said calmly.

"How would you know?" Matt shouted. "How would you feel, Doc, if someone handed you a death sentence?Ф

Dr. Wright sat alone, the smoke from his pipe filtering through his office. The evening's support group session had been a tough one. And it had reinforced his decision to set up the group, despite his lack of a psychiatric specialty. His patients had a right to his guidance.

Timothy Kerrington's suicide had touched them all. And for Dr. Wright, it had been a painful reminder of that day long ago.

The quiet house...Mama?...blood dripping from the kitchen walls, splattered across the white tiles...Mama?...her face blown into pieces...her body cold...so cold...

She had chosen a path and left him. Timothy had done the same.