Abby comes home from school, drops her books on Tom's desk, and goes upstairs, not trying all too hard to be quiet. She goes into her room and all but slams the door.

Mary is in her room and hears the door ~Oh great, not again.~

Nancy is awoken by the slam and groans. ~Sheesh what's wrong with this family? You don't make noise when there's someone lying in bed
with a concussion.~

"Abby quiet down will ya sheesh." Tom says as he's woken by her loudness.

"Don't even start," Abby warns.

"I'm not the one slamming doors."

"No, you're just the obsessed one who gets into accidents and messes everyone else up."

"Well excuse me for thinking about you!!"

Nancy ventures into the hallway and hears the yelling coming from their bedroom. ~They're arguing now? Are they insane?~

Mary comes out and says "What is wrong with this family?"

"I don't know, but if they keep it up I'm going in there and putting a stop to it. They both know better. Dad has a concussion; they
shouldn't be yelling at each other."

"Usually I would disagree with you but this time I don't. Maybe we should  interrupt them." Mary says

"Oh, you thought about me," Abby answers Tom. "The last thing I'd ever accuse you of is not thinking about me. You think too much about
me. You're like some teenaged boy with his first crush. Grow up, would you?"

"Sure as soon as you grow up."

"I don't need this. I really don't," Abby says. "I'll be back in two hours to make sure you're OK." She leaves the room, nearly slamming
the door again, and bumps into Nancy and Mary.

Nancy is about to answer Mary when Abby comes storming out of the bedroom.

"Hi." Mary waves nervously.

"You two shouldn't be fighting at a time like this." Nancy says.

"It's none of your business, Nancy," Abby says.

"When it concerns the health of a member of this family yes it is my business." She challenges.

"Uh...come on you two its late." Mary says trying to keep peace

"It is late and I am tired," Abby says, "and if I stay up here and talk to the two of you I'll probably say something I'll regret. So if
you'll excuse me, I'm going downstairs. And I expect to be left alone."

"Fine." ~Great so much for getting something to eat.~

Abby goes downstairs, and pours herself a drink.

After Abby goes downstairs. Nancy waits awhile and then sneaks downstairs and makes herself a plate and takes it to the sun porch to
eat. ~Good she didn't even notice me.~ She eats and sneaks a peek at the outside world every now and then. ~None of my business? He's my Dad, and why didn't Mary back me up?~ She loses her appetite and pushes the plate away. ~I wasn't trying to fight anyway maybe I
should have been more diplomatic about it.~ She considers going in to apologize but keeps changing her mind about going in there to talk to Abby.

Abby goes into the kitchen. She sees the sink piled high with dishes, mutters a few choice words about her stepchildren, and gets busy
washing them.

Mary ignores her stepmothers request and goes downstairs "Class went bad?" she asks.

Abby laughs. "You could say that. I flunked my midterm. Mary, I couldn't even understand half the questions, I was so distracted. All
I could think about was what might have happened today."

"Oh Boy." Mary says "Are you certain you failed or do you think you did?"

"Oh, I'm sure about it," Abby finishes washing the dishes and dries her hands. "Maybe I should just give it up. I obviously can't handle
everything I've taken on."

"You can't give up." Mary says "If I remember correctly you told me that not too long ago."

"Yeah, but you're going to be getting out of this house. I'm trying not only to work and get my Ph.D., but to adjust to anew marriage, 8
kids, a big house with two bathrooms and one phone line...It's hopeless."

"No it isn't hopeless; What can we do to help you?"

"Buy me a brain," Abby says flippantly, but then gives a serious answer. "I don't know. It's just all a little too much to do, and I
want to do it all. Your father didn't marry me so that you girls could keep on running everything."

"If you think Mom did it all by herself, you are wrong. We pitched in and maybe we should do more. I mean we did it before you came here."

"But that's because you had to. I mean, you couldn't leave your father to do the cooking. Now I am here, though, and that's what I
should be doing. It's enough you pick up the slack when I run off to school or work or I'm taking care of someone," Abby says. "You girls
have lives of your own, and that doesn't include doing all the housework for this place."

"You have a life outside of this house too. Maybe we should get a maid." Mary suggests

"Just what we need around this house--another body," Abby scoffs. "No, I'll get used to this, but it's going to take time."

"I know we sometimes slack on the chores around here. Just ask for help, you don't have to do everything."

"Thanks. I'll try to remember that," Abby says. "I'm just stressed out. It's been a hectic month, and I don't think this family will
calm down any time in the next few years, will it?"

Mary laughs "Sorry."

"You know, three months ago I had a sane life," Abby complains, but not really.

"Do you regret marrying Dad?" Mary asks "Never mind that is none of my business."

"It isn't," Abby answers. "But I'll answer anyway--no. Even tonight."

"Good because I kind of gotten used to having you around and if I know my siblings the rest of us do to; though some of us don't show
it."

"Thanks. I needed to hear that," Abby says.

"I Think I am going to go back to bed." Mary says

After Abby finishes talking to Mary, she retreats to the sunporch, too embarrassed at her tantrum to go back to her own room. "Nancy?
What are you doing down here?"

"I was hungry." She says quietly. "Abby I'm sorry I could've been kinder about it up there."

"I'm sorry I blew up. It's been a lousy day," Abby apologizes.

"Did something happen at school?"

"That was the least of it. How could your father do something so stupid and irresponsible? If he can't keep his mind on the road, he
has no business driving."

"He gets it from me." Nancy half kids. "Now sit down and tell me what happened at school. Would you like some hot cocoa?"

"Yeah, please," Abby says. "What happened is I flunked the midterm."

They go into the kitchen and with just using one arm Nancy manages to fix and pour two mugs of hot cocoa. "Will they let you take a makeup midterm?"

"Probably not. I'm lucky he's let me stay in the class, the amount I've missed this month. If I'd know what would happen this term I'd
have taken a leave of absence, but by the time I knew it was too late. Maybe, if I work really hard, I'll pass the class, but I wanted
to do better than that. I've never just passed anything."

"Neither have I. I always did well in High School, but College had been a bear. Abby maybe you can use what has happened to your
advantage. If your professor hears about everything that has happened in your family maybe he'd have a change of heart."

Abby laughs. "You're assuming he has a heart."

"Well I can talk to him if you like."

"If anyone could turn him around it would be you, but I have to work this out on my own. I'm a big girl, and it's my own fault I messed up
tonight. Well, mostly my own."

"Thanks, I will. Shouldn't you be in bed, now that you've eaten?"

"Well if you change your mind let me know."

"Yeah, goodnight Abby." She gets her plate and takes care of it and then goes off to bed.

After Abby and Nancy finish their talk, Abby goes upstairs. Tom's asleep and she doesn't wake him, not yet. She sets her alarm for a
few hours later and tries to get some sleep herself.

Before the alarm goes off she wakes in a cold sweat, shaken by the nightmare she's had. She slips from bed, trying not to wake Tom, and
goes to the bathroom to splash her face with cold water.

Tom awakens on his own and looks for Abby when he doesn't find her in bed he knocks on the bathroom door. "Abby is everything ok?"

"Yeah, sure, fine," Abby says, trying to keep from sobbing.

"You don't sound fine."

"Really, there's nothing wrong. Go back to bed."

"Ok," He considers going in there but goes back to bed and waits for  her to come out instead.

After a long while, her face scrubbed clean, Abby comes out and gets into bed, turning her back to Tom so he can't see her red eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nothing to talk about," Abby insists. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."

"I'm sorry too." He tells her.

Abby begins to turn toward him, then stops. "You should get some sleep. I'll have to wake you again soon."

"I'm not tired." Tom says as he drifts off to sleep.

Abby sits up in bed and watches Tom sleep in the moonlight. Two hours later, she wakes him to make sure that she can.

He awakens, mumbles something and then goes back to sleep.

Abby tries to go to sleep, but every time she drifts off, the nightmare returns. Finally, she gives up and sits in one of the
chairs, looking out the window.

Tom awakens, gets out of bed, and wraps his arms around her.

Abby leans against him and begins to cry.

Tom just holds her while she cries wanting to know what's wrong. But decides not to press the issue that she'll talk when she's ready.

"You want to know the stupidest thing?" Abby asks.

"What?" He gently asks.

"When they told me you were hurt, before I found out you were OK, I thought, 'you are a jinx, Abby, you can't even live with a man two
months before he goes off and gets himself..." she breaks down in tears.

He holds her closer and tighter. "You're right that is silly. You are not a jinx Abby, and if anyone ever says you are I'll knock them out
colder than a block of ice."

"Don't ever do anything stupid like that again, Tom, please. I don't want to be alone again. I don't want to lose you."

"I won't I promise that for now on when I'm behind the wheel my thoughts will only be on the road and traffic."

"Thank you," Abby whispers, and she holds onto Tom as if she could make him keep his promise through her own will.

Tom kisses her continues to hold her till his concussion takes over and sends him back to bed.

A few days later at College. Nancy is getting out of class and heading to the cafeteria when a fight breaks out between two girls
who were gossiping about her months ago.

"I did not say that about you. He lied!!" One of them says.

"You did too, you, you!!" She shoves her and then they both start physically fighting. Nancy tries to get away but fails too when one
of them accidentally shoves the other into her and she falls and bangs her bad shoulder on the lockers.

Nancy screams in pain and swears which puts an end to the fight.

"See what you did, now Susan and Joannie are going to kill us."

"No, they're going to kill you. You're the one who made her fall."

"You're the one who shoved me."

Nancy glares at them and then goes to one of the pay phones and calls Dr. Max. He comes and picks her up and takes her to the hospital.
Where he tends to the wound that had reopen and then takes xrays.

"What's the reason for the xrays?" She asks him.

~Because the shoulder isn't healing and I want to know why.~ "Just a precaution to make sure it's ok after braving that fall. So which one
of the girls won the fight."

"Neither they both ran and hid in case word gets back to Joannie and Susan. They're scared of Joannie and Susan."

"Do you want me to call your Dad or Abby?" He asks.

"No, you don't have to call anybody. I'm sure it'll be fine."

After awhile the xrays come back and Greg observes them and his face clouds over when he finds a growth. He soon returns to Nancy.

"So is everything ok? Can I go home now?" She asks.

"Nancy, I want to set up an appointment for you."

"For what?" She asks. "Ok the wound reopened but you fixed it again right?"

He gently tells her what he found adding that he wants a biopsy done as soon as possible.

Nancy takes all this in and replies bravely. "Ok, I'll have it done but all of you will feel pretty silly when you discover it's nothing."

"Well if it is nothing I'll welcome feeling silly." They schedule an appointment. "Now at least someone in your family will have to know.
You'll need a ride here and a ride home afterwards."

She sighs. "Dr. Max, I'd rather they don't know. I mean if it's nothing why put them through the worry? Can't you or Daisy provide
transportation, please?"

"Ok, but I still think you should tell someone." He lectures. After awhile he gives her a ride home. "If you need to talk call me ok."

"I will." She kisses him on the cheek and goes inside.

One of Joannie's friends comes up to her. "You didn't take Nancy to the doctor?" she asks.

"What doctor?" Joannie asks.

Her friend tells Joannie about the fight, and Joannie goes looking for Susan--two sets of fists are better than one.

One of the gossips cringes when she runs into Susan and Joannie. "Look, it was an accident all right."

Joannie walks into the gossip's space. "Accident? I'll show you accident."

"Joannie calm down." The gossip starts to back away.

"Oh, I'm calm," Joannie says. "If you think this isn't calm, you've never seen Joannie Bradford not calm. Believe me, this is calm. Had I
actually been upset, you'd be on the floor by now."

"Will it help if we offer to pay her medical bills?"

"That's a start," Joannie says, looming larger.

"Ok we'll apologize to her."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Let's hear what you're offering and I'll tell you if it's enough," Joannie says.

"We'll buy her lunch for a week."

"You'll be her slaves for a week," Joannie counters.

"You've got to be kidding." Joannie and Susan glare at her. "Ok, we'll be her slaves for a week."

"Good. Susan, you have anything you want to suggest?"

"Yeah, leave her alone do you understand me. After you two have resolved this incident with Nancy we had better not hear anything
that even suggests you've been gossiping or bothering Nancy or you'll regret you ever heard the name Bradford. Do I make my self clear."

"Uh yeah, I have to go now." The terrified gossip says and goes to find her friend.

Currently at home. Nancy fixes her something to drink glad that no one is home yet so she can still have some privacy for a little
while.

She looks at the clock. ~Joannie and Susan should be home any time now I hope they don't see right through me. It's nothing, Dr. Max is
just being overly cautious.~ She sits down with her drink and ponders life for awhile. Until she hears the front door open and close.

Abby walks in, dragging.

"Hi Abby, you look beat."

"Rung out. I can't wait until this conference is over," Abby admits. "Speaking of beat, you look pretty bad, too. Maybe you should
go rest."

"I feel pretty bad too." Tells her about what happened at school.

"Would it be all right if I called Max and found out what he has to say?" Abby asks.

"I've already been to Dr. Max, he fixed it but he wants to look at it again in a couple of weeks."

"OK. Did he give you anything new for pain? Or just tell you to rest?"

~What's the point in resting.~ "He just told me to take it easy this weekend. Like that will do any good. All I've been doing is resting,
and look what happened."

"Well, you were getting better before this, weren't you?" Abby asks.

"Yeah." Nancy lies.

"Then rest will put you right again," Abby says. "I'm going to go upstairs and check on your father. You need anything before I go?"

~Yeah hopefully.~ "No I'm ok, Dad should be back to new tomorrow right?'

"I hope before. He promised to take Nicholas to the movies tomorrow," Abby says. "Why?"

"Just checking." Nancy says.

"Nancy, are you sure you're all right?" Abby asks. "You're acting strangely."

"Yeah I'm ok." She lies. "Just a little tired."

"All right," Abby says, not quite believing Nancy. "Look, if you decide you want to talk, I'll be upstairs, OK?"

"Ok, thanks Abby." Nancy manages a smile.

Abby goes upstairs, still puzzled, and into her room to see if Tom's awake.

"Hi Abby." Tom smiles more alert than he's been in days.

"You're looking better. Nicholas will be glad," Abby says as she gives Tom a kiss.

"Yeah I'm glad too. I'm looking forward to tomorrow." He returns the kiss. "So what's wrong?"

"Something's up with Nancy," Abby says and tells Tom what happened in school. "I don't think that's the whole story, though; I think
there's something she isn't saying. I have half a mind to call Max myself."

"Hmm, let me try talking to her first if that doesn't work then we call Max." Tom says.

Nancy comes up the stairs headed for her room when Tom calls her in. He doesn't get anywhere with her either after she leaves for her
bedroom. They dial Max's number.

He answers the phone. "Hello."

"Let me," Abby says, taking the receiver. "You're too basically honest."

When Max comes on the line, Abby asks him, "Nancy explained a little of what you told her, but she was in a lot of pain and went to rest,
so could you explain it to me again, slowly, so I understand?"

"Good she told you. I was afraid she'd keep it to herself. Having to get a biopsy is hard enough on anyone let alone a kid. I'd get her in
sooner but two weeks is the earliest it can be done." Tells her all they'll need to do.

Abby gasps, but manages to cover it. "That's what she said, but I didn't understand what you saw that your ordered it," she says,
careful with her wording so Tom doesn't grab the phone from her hand.

"Abby what's going on?" Tom asks.

"Well I was concerned because her shoulder isn't healing like it should be so I did xrays and found a growth. The biopsy will tell us
more." Greg says.

Abby holds up a hand to Tom, asking him to wait. "What's your gut feeling about this, Max?" she asks.

"Well I didn't want to scare Nancy anymore than she probably is but it's either a cyst or..."

"Or?" Abby repeats.

"It might be a tumor."

"Which do you think it is?" Abby asks, trying to get something to calm the fears she knows Tom will feel.

"Abby I can't say for sure. I'm hoping it's just a cyst."

"So do I. If I have more questions, I'll call you, OK?"

"Ok." Greg says. Soon they both hang up.

"Abby what did he says?" Tom asks frantically.

Abby takes a deep breath and sits next to Tom. "He's scheduled Nancy for a biopsy on her shoulder. There's a growth. He hopes it's just a
cyst, but he'll know better after the test--the fastest he could do it is in two weeks."

Tom's face clouds with shock, then to fear and worry, and then to anger. "No, uh uh."

"That's why she was acting so strange," Abby says. "She's probably terrified."

He gets up to go and talk to her and is hit with dizziness and winds up lying back down. He sighs deeply in frustration.

"Nancy doesn't know we know yet," Abby points out. "Maybe we ought to give her the chance to come to us. Hurting yourself won't help her."

"And if she doesn't come to us? Abby she can't go through this alone." Tom says.

"We could try to force her hand," Abby says.

"How?"

"If Max came over or something, if she thought he was going to tell you, maybe she'd tell you first?" Abby suggests.

"Good idea." Tom agrees. "Let's just hope it works."

"If not, at least you'll have gotten a check up."

"Yeah." Tom worries about what they'll find in the biopsy.

Abby lies down next to him and holds him.

Tom lets her comfort him and starts crying.

Meanwhile Nancy is too restless to rest so she goes back downstairs and finds Susan and Joannie in the kitchen.

"Hey." She greets them.

Joannie glares at Nancy. "Why didn't you call one of us instead of running off to Dr. Max on your own?"

"I couldn't find either of you and my shoulder was bleeding again. I got scared and called Dr. Max, and then he came and got me."

"You should have left word. We found out from those b...brats."

"I'm sorry." She sits down. "Wait a minute, do you mean they actually approached you two?"

Joannie exchanges guilty looks with Susan. "Well, I wouldn't exactly put it that way."

Nancy smiles. "What did you two do?"

"Well, let's just say you won't have to worry about those two bothering you and you'll have couple of slaves for a week." replies
Susan.

Nancy laughs. "What?"

Later that day Elizabeth comes into she and Nancy's bedroom.

"Dr. Max is coming over?" She says.

"Yeah to check on Dad?" Nancy asks.

"That and Abby mentioned something about him having something major to tell them." Nancy's face goes white as a sheet. "What? Nancy
what's wrong?"

Nancy goes to Tom and Abby's bedroom where they seem to have been talking. "Why is Dr. Max coming over?"

"He said he had something to talk to us about," Abby says as casually as she can. "And while he's here he'll look your father over, give
him a clean bill of health. Why?"

~I can't believe this. He promised that he wouldn't tell them. It would probably be better if they heard it from me first.~ "Look
there's something I should tell you I didn't want to tell you guys until the results were in but it's better you hear it from me."

"OK," Abby says, and sits down next to Tom, knowing that though he already knows, hearing it again will hurt just as much.

"Hey it's probably nothing. You know how cautious Dr. Max is he just wants to be sure." She says nervously and then proceeds to tell them
everything.

"What?" Tom pretends to be shocked.

"Dad, nothing bad is going to happen. It's nothing." Nancy feigns bravery.

Abby gets up and hugs Nancy.

Nancy returns the hug and Tom hugs both of them. Nancy tries to keep her tears inside she doesn't want to worry anyone. ~Don't worry until
there's something to worry about.~

"Tom," Abby says, "Max will be here any minute. I think I'll wait for him downstairs. Nancy, would you wait with me?"

Nancy blinks back tears. "Sure, hey Dad don't worry about me ok. It's going to be all right." She kisses him and goes downstairs with Abby.

When they get downstairs Abby draws Nancy into the study. "You're being awfully strong," she says.

"Well I have a feeling if I'm not brave about this I'll lose it." She says as she loses control and can no longer hold the tears back.

Abby holds her and lets her cry.

After she's all cried out. "I'm so scared Abby. What if it's Cancer?"

"Then we get it treated," Abby says. "But it's probably not. Max didn't look that shaken, and I think he would be if he thought you
were really ill."

"How would you know? Have you seen him today?" Nancy asks.

"Um...." Abby tries to back peddle. "I meant sound. He didn't sound that shaken when I spoke to him on the phone; I assume that this is
what he wanted to talk to us about, but he was making his usual jokes. I haven't seen Max since we brought your father home from the
hospital."

"Oh ok, maybe he's doing that so he doesn't scare us."

"Maybe. But I think you'll be OK," Abby tries to reassure her.

Nancy smiles. "Well I hope you're right about that. Because 18 years isn't long enough."

"Not nearly enough," Abby agrees. "But don't think like that. It's just a cyst, Max will take care of it, your shoulder will heal and
you'll show those girls what you're made of."

Nancy laughs. "I don't have to. They won't be messing with me again. Susan and Joannie had a little talk with them."

"Now that's a frightening thought," Abby gives a theatrical shudder.

"Yeah," Nancy agrees. "It's cool having older siblings."

"It looks that way." Abby notices Max pulling into the driveway. "You'll be OK? I'd better show Max up to your father."

"Yeah I'll be ok." She hugs Abby. "Thanks for being here for me."

Abby returns the hug. "Just remember that I am, OK?" She leaves the room and greets Max at the door, hurrying him upstairs before he can
say anything to blow her story.

Nancy retreats to the kitchen to find her siblings. "Hey." She says.

"Hi." Mary says "How are you doing?"

"I'm ok, what's for dinner?"

"Lasagna."

"Sounds good, I'd offer to help but I'd probably get in trouble with at least one of you so I'm not." She jokes.

"That's right." Mary says "You can sit and talk to me if you want or go and rest until its ready."

Nancy sits down. "Ok, how was your day?"

"I sent off my last applications today; so now the hard part comes...the wait."

"Yeah waiting is pretty awful."

Mary notices Nancy face "You ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Little sister I have known you long enough to know you aren't fine. But  between you and Joannie not confiding in me is going to lead me
to extreme  paranoia." Mary says joking tho not really.

Nancy glances at her and then glances at her other siblings and sees all eyes are on her waiting for her answer. ~I can't tell them this.
They'll just spend the next two weeks worrying, bad enough I had to tell Dad and Abby about it.~ "My shoulder is just really bothering me
Mary that's all."

"OK...whatever." Mary says "Excuse me." Mary leaves

Nancy sighs and goes after her. "Come on let's go to your room." They go there. "Can you really keep a secret here? You can't tell anyone
ok."

"Of course" Mary says

"Look it'll most likely turn out to be nothing but I didn't want everyone worrying about me while I wait." She tells her about the
biopsy that Dr. Max wants done on her shoulder.

"Oh My...Does Dad and Abby know?"

"Yeah I didn't want them to know either but I kind of had to tell them, and I do feel better that I don't have to completely keep it to
myself."

"Nancy I am sorry." Mary says as she gives her a hug.

Nancy returns the hug. "Mary don't be, everything will be fine."

"Of course it will be fine." Mary says "I better get back downstairs and finish dinner before I get tarred and feathered. If you ever need
to talk day or night; don't hesitate to bug me."

"Thanks Mary, I'm going to go lie down for a bit, if I don't wake for dinner, will you save me some lasagna."

"OK."

Currently in the master bedroom: "What's the big rush Abby?"

"Tom's anxious to get out of bed already," Abby says.

They make it to the bedroom where Greg examines Tom and gives him a clean bill of health.

"Greg, Nancy will be ok right?"

"Yes Tom she will be." ~No matter what the results are I'll see to that.~

When Abby sees Greg out she asks him, "If worst comes to worst and it isn't a cyst, what's the prognosis? Would it be easily curable?"

Greg sighs sadly. "Abby that depends on a lot of things. Whether or not it spreads even after treatment and whether or not treatment even
works on the one growth we found."

"Look, I'm not real big on being told the comforting possibility," Abby says. "What's the worst case scenario?"

"And there's no way to do the biopsy sooner? I mean, two week, and then what--another week or two for results? That's a long time to
wait," Abby says.

"I think we both know what the worst case scenario can be."

"Wherever. I don't care, we'll get her there," Abby says. "Anything would be better than this waiting. Well, not anything, but..." she
shrugs.

"Not in Sacramento, but I'm on top of it Abby. I've been making some phone calls. I'm waiting to hear from hospitals in San Francisco and
Los Angeles right now. I just didn't want to tell you, Tom, or Nancy till I knew for sure if it can be done somewhere else earlier."

"Thank you," Abby says. "I won't tell them--don't want to get their hopes up, but I really appreciate you trying."

"I know, I'll call you as soon as I find out something." He tells her. "It's no problem at all." Max says before he leaves.

Abby goes back upstairs to Tom, to make sure that he's not taking too much advantage of his freedom.

Tom is already dressed and out of bed.

"You're out of danger," Abby says as she walks into the room, "that's not the same thing as being all right."

"Abby I'm not going to run any races. I'm just going downstairs to visit with the children."

"And if I tell you, at any point, that I think you should go rest, you will?" Abby asks.

"Yes I will." He kisses her. "There's no need to worry."

"You're a Bradford," Abby tells him. "That means there's always reason to worry."

"Cute," He says. "So did Max say anything more about Nancy?"

"Not really," Abby says, not wanting to give Tom any false hope.

"Damn, I think I'll call my sister tonight. She has a lot of connections maybe she knows of someplace where they can do the biopsy
sooner."

~Oh sure, for Nancy you can try to find your sister, but when we got married you didn't try, did you?~ Abby thinks, and then is horrified
at her own pettiness. "That's a good idea."

They go downstairs to the kitchen.

"Hello." Tom greets his children.

"Dad." Elizabeth hugs him. "Are you better now?"

"Yes honey I'm better now." He returns the hug.

Mary goes downstairs and sees her Dad sitting there "Dad, are you sure should be up?"

"Yes I'm sure dear. Where's Nancy?"

"She's resting," and gives her Dad a squeeze on his shoulder.

Tom smiles and hugs her.

"Hey shouldn't her shoulder be better by now?" Elizabeth asks. "I  mean I know it's hurting again because of what happened at school,
but  it was hurting last night too."

"It takes time to heal." Mary says and puts the dinner in the oven.

~Yeah sure tell me another one.~ Elizabeth is not convinced. She's about to grill Mary about it but changes her mind when she gets a
good look at Mary who doesn't seem very happy right now. "So do you want me to set the table or anything?"

"Setting the table would be nice, thanks."

Elizabeth smiles. "You're welcome." She goes to set the table.

Later that night while everyone else is asleep or out on dates Nancy ventures down to the kitchen for something to drink she takes it to
the sunporch and stares out at the stars. She ponders what Dr. Max, Abby, and Tom told her earlier. All three were being positive about
what the results of the biopsy would be. So was she, she was putting on an act too. Because the alternative was much too frightening to
think about. However, now in the darkness it was all she could think about. ~What if it is that. They sure weren't able to save Mom when
she died in the accident, so why will they be able to save me? They probably won't be able too. I'll die young and never have kids of my own. My Nieces and Nephews will never know me. How will I tell my siblings? Sorry guys but I won't be around years from now I'm dying. Hey Elizabeth you know how you always wanted your own room? Well guess what.~ Nancy shakes her head. ~No, those are terrible ways to tell them.~

She hears the sound of the front door opening and closing and the sound of someone entering the kitchen. ~Oh go away I don't want to
talk to anyone right now.~

The person enters the sunporch.

~Ok, I'll make idle chit chat but that's it.~ "How was your date?" Nancy asks.

"Great!" Tommy says

Nancy fakes a smile. "Good."

"How are You?"

"I'm fine." She lies.

"If you are fine, how come you aren't in bed?" Tommy says

"I couldn't sleep."

"Why? You worried about something?" Tommy asks

"Nothing I can't handle." She tells him.

"That's good. I better get upstairs or Dad will think I bust curfew." Tommy says

"Yeah." She manages a laugh.

"Goodnight." Tommy says and he climbs the stairs.

"Goodnight!!" She yells from the sun porch.

The next day Abby takes Tom and Nicholas out on their outing. She doesn't feel good about Tom driving yet.

"So Nicholas do you want to go see the movie or eat pizza first." Tom asks him.

"Movie." Nicholas says

"Ok."

"You two wouldn't mind if your chauffeur goes shopping while you're at the movie, would you?" Abby asks. "I'm just here to drive, not to
horn in on your father-son time."

"I don't mind if you come." Nicholas says

Abby looks towards Tom, a silent plea not to have to sit through some kids' movie in her eyes.

"No I don't mind, are you sure you don't want to see Star Wars?" Tom says.

"Oh, I'm sure it's a great movie," Abby says, trying to disguise her relief at the parole, "but the two of you planned a day out together
and the fact that I'm doing the driving shouldn't interfere with your plans."

"Nicholas, Abby has some important shopping to do."

"OK" he says.

Tom kisses her, "Ok, have a good time shopping."

"Have a good time at your movie. I'll be back to pick you up when it's over."

They arrive at the movie theater and discover they have an hour before the movie so they go and get some ice cream while they're
waiting.

"This is fun." Nicholas says

Tom smiles. "It sure is."

After the movie lets out Nicholas tells Tom "I swear Luke Skywalker looks like somebody I know."

Tom bursts out laughing. "He sure does."

Abby drives up and honks the horn to get their attention.

"It's time to go and get some pizza big guy." Tom says.

"Cool." Nicholas says "Pepperoni?"

"Whatever you want." They get in the car with Abby.

Later after the outing. Tom, Abby, and Nicholas return to the phone ringing. The caller, Tom's sister had just returned from an overnight
in Acapulco with her latest husband Horst and was concerned by her little brother's message saying it was urgent that she get back with
him right away. ~Oh I hope he hasn't driven his new wife crazy already.~

Tom and Nicholas are busy talking, so Abby picks up the phone, hoping that maybe it's Max with good news. "Hello?"

"You must be Abby, you certainly don't sound like one of my Nieces and if you're not Abby my brother is in big trouble." Vivian says.

"Yes, I'm Abby," she answers, trying to figure out who is calling, and then the penny drops. "You're Vivian. Nice to finally meet you,
sort of," Abby says, wondering how much small talk she has to go through before she can ask if V's got any good news about Nancy's
biopsy.

"It's nice to meet you too, although I hope soon it will be in person. I'm sorry I didn't make the wedding by the time I got all of
Tom's messages it was too late. Speaking of Tom he's left me quite a few more messages is everything all right? He said it was urgent."

"Maybe I'd better let Tom talk to you himself," Abby says. She covers the mouthpiece and calls out to Tom to pick up the phone.

Tom asks who it is, she mouths the answer. "I'll take it upstairs." He goes upstairs and takes the phone. "I got it Abby." Abby hangs up
the phone.

"Ok Tommy Belly Button what's going on. Your lovely bride is still with you so what's the big emergency."

"V, Nancy's in trouble." He tells her everything.

There's a moment of stunned silence on the other end. "Oh no, Tom if there's anything I can do just name it."

"Actually there is. So far we have to wait two weeks just to get the biopsy done, and then who knows how long for the results. Vivian do
you know anyone that can do it sooner?"

"Not off hand but I'll make some calls and call in some favors. Don't worry I won't leave a stone unturned." She assures him.

For this we give thanks part 4