They talk a little while longer both unaware that Elizabeth had overheard
part of the conversation, but not the part where Tom
mentioned Nancy by name. She barges into Joannie's room. "Joannie someone
in the family is sick."
Joannie jumps guilty; she's been rehearsing. "What? Who?"
"I don't know, I didn't hear anyone's named mentioned but Dad was talking on the phone to someone and he mentioned Biopsy."
"Biopsy? You don't think it's Dad, do you?" Joannie worries.
"I don't know it could be." Elizabeth also worries.
"Don't worry you two it's not Dad." Nancy says from the doorway.
"Then who is it?" Joannie asks. "No one's been to the doctor lately
except you and Nicholas, and we know what's wrong with you. Except
who knows what's with David--could it be him?"
She comes in and sits on Susan's bed. "It's not them either."
"OK, so you know. You just going to lord it over us, or are you going to spill?" Joannie asks.
"I didn't want you to know yet, but it's better than leaving you wondering. It's me." Nancy tells them.
"What?!" Elizabeth protests.
"Real funny, Nance. Now who is it?" Joannie says.
"I'm not laughing." Nancy replies seriously.
"You mean it really is you?" Joannie says, stunned.
"Yes, but there's no reason to get upset, because as soon as the results
are in it's just going to be a cyst or something.
Everything's going to be ok."
"That sounds like a rehearsed response." Elizabeth says as she hugs her.
"I learned about this in one of my classes," Joannie says. "We can use
creative visualization to fight off whatever's no good in your
body. I'll show you."
Nancy smiles, "ok but does this stuff really work?"
Joannie shrugs. "Can it hurt?"
"No I guess not." ~But please don't get upset if it doesn't work and I die.~
"OK, then we'll do it," Joannie says. ~This way, if worst comes to worst,
I can't blame myself for not trying everything I could. But
this is all a joke. It can't really be happening.~
"Ok," Nancy says.
"Hey Nance who all knows and is it ok to tell who doesn't know?" Elizabeth asks.
"Our brothers and Susan are the only ones who don't know yet, and yes it's ok to tell them."
Abby walks into the room and when Tom hangs up, she asks him if Vivian can help.
"She's going to do everything she can. She took it pretty hard."
"From what you've told me about your sister, Nancy seems to be the most like her."
"Yeah," he smiles. "Vivian loves all the kids like they're her own but she and Nancy have always been close."
"After we find out that this was just one big scare, we ought to do
something nice for the kids," Abby says. "It's been a rough month for
them."
"That's a very good idea, and when we do find out it's just a cyst there'll be a lot to celebrate."
Abby nods and embraces Tom.
Tom embraces her back.
Vivian makes her phone calls and finally comes up with a hospital that
can see Nancy on Wednesday. She calls her travel agent and
purchases four airline tickets so that Dr. Max can come along with
Nancy, Tom, and Abby.
She talks to her husband before calling her brother and his wife.
"Horst I'm going to meet them in Chicago." She tells him.
"I know I figured you would be. Do you want me to come with you? I can cancel all of my meetings."
"No that's ok. If worst comes to worst." Her eyes well with tears. "Then I'll call you."
"And I'll be on the next plane there." He says as he wraps his arms around her and comforts her.
A little while later she calls the Bradford home and Tom quickly answers the phone.
"V is that you?"
"Yeah Tommy it's me." She tells him the arrangements she made. "Now
the tickets will be waiting at the airport for you Tuesday. And I got
one for Dr. Maxwell in case Nancy feels more comfortable with him being
there."
Tom sighs in relief. "Thank you V."
"You don't have to thank me for this. I'd do anything for you and the kids. Does she know that I know?"
"Yes I told her earlier and she got mad at me. She's putting up this brave front and doesn't want everyone worrying over this."
"Did you tell her that she's asking for the impossible."
"Yes, but she wouldn't listen."
"Put her on the phone."
"I can't she's asleep. She has been most of the afternoon and night."
"Well then tell her I love her, and that I'm taking her shopping the
day before the biopsy and out to lunch too. Abby will come with us,
while you and Greg go do men stuff."
Tom smiles, "Will do V." They talk a little while longer and then hang
up. Afterwards he calls Greg, and Greg agrees to come with them
to Chicago.
Currently at David's. Elizabeth had told Tommy and Susan earlier and Tommy came by to tell David.
David is in shock for several moments and then finally speaks. "You
know I am really getting tired of bad things happening to this
family. If anything happens to Nancy." He stops himself before he goes
into full rage mode. "I'm sorry Tommy, don't worry everything
will be fine if it's not a Cyst and it is Cancer they can treat it.
They have people who have been in remission for years."
"I know...but." Tommy replies
"But what? Talk to me." David says.
"Why her?" Tommy says
David sighs. "I don't know it should have happened to Rick or Alan."
"No kidding. They are safer in Jail." Tommy says
"I second that."
Tom goes upstairs and finds Abby tucking Nicholas in for the night.
After she finishes and closes the light, she follows Tom out into the hall. "You look--happy? Relieved? What's up?"
"Vivian found a hospital that can do it sooner." He tells her.
"That's great!" Abby says. "When? Where?"
"The appointment is at 9am Wednesday Morning at Chicago General. Vivian got us tickets we leave Tuesday along with Max."
"Us? Tuesday and Wednesday?" Abby repeats.
"Uh yeah, is that a problem?" Tom asks.
"I suppose not," Abby says, but then decides to stand up for herself.
"Yes, a little. Tom, my conference is Thursday. I mean,
forget about the speech, even though I've really worked hard on it,
I suppose I'd get back in time for that. But how can I just drop all
the planning for the last two days?"
"Can't you work on it in Chicago?"
"I don't see how. I can't set up tables or soothe last minute ruffled
feathers from Chicago. I'll have to tell the rest of the organizers
I'm backing out. They'll love that," Abby says.
"Well if they're understanding at all. If they have families they'll understand."
"Families are one thing--a family like this is quite another," Abby sighs. "What time Tuesday do we leave?"
"We have to catch the plane at 10am, so around 8:30 or 9."
"That early?" Abby asks. "But the test isn't until Wednesday. Why are we going so early?"
"Vivian wants to take Nancy shopping and out to lunch to help get her mind off of the biopsy. And she wanted you to go with them so she can get to know you."
"And what are you going to be doing during all this?" she asks.
"Hanging out with Greg."
"Let me get this straight," Abby says very slowly and calmly, "I'm abandoning
my work, going away with you, and spending the day with
your sister while you and your buddy hit the hamburger joint. That's
just great."
"Well no one said you had to go shopping you can hang out with me and Greg can go shopping with Vivian and Nancy."
"No, no, I wouldn't want to upset your plans. I mean, why would I want
to spend some time alone with my husband, right? I mean, it's
not like I ever have." Abby starts to move off down the hall. "I think
we spent more time alone before we got married."
"It's not all my fault that we don't spend more time alone."
"No, of course it's not. If it's not Nancy or Nicholas, it's a car accident
or bailing kids out of jail or a sister who wants to take
your daughter tramping all over Chicago in search of a new blouse!
This isn't a marriage, it's a TV movie of the week."
"Abby calm down."
"I am calm. I'm just sick of this. And speaking of sick, do you really
think Nancy's up to walking around town? You see her--most
days, it's all she can do to get through school and come down to dinner.
You really think she's up to something frivolous like a
shopping trip?"
"Vivian has a limo and she's not about to let Nancy wear herself out."
"Well, at least one sibling's thoughtful," Abby says.
"And how am I not thoughtful?"
Abby just shakes her head and storms away.
Tom stands there for a few moments and then goes after her. "Abby, we're not through fighting yet."
"You want to fight? Fine, then, because I haven't even started to fight."
Elizabeth comes out of her and Nancy's bedroom. "Well can you guys fight somewhere else I'm trying to study."
"Elizabeth don't be rude." Tom says.
"I'm sorry, can you two please fight somewhere else."
"Now that's better." He turns to Abby. "Shall we go downstairs or to the bedroom?"
Abby laughs at the absurdity. "Oh, might as well be the bedroom. This way, after we've finished fighting we can make up."
Tom laughs also and they head to the bedroom.
Meanwhile back in Nancy and Elizabeth's room.
~Why didn't the argument wake her? Nancy never sleeps through arguments.
What if it is Cancer and we lose her I don't want my own
room that badly. True there'd be more food in the house but it definitely
wouldn't be worth it. Please don't let it be bad. Just let
it be a cyst or something.~
Nancy awakens.
"Hey do you want anything to eat?"
"Yeah and I'll get it."
"No you won't I'll get it." Elizabeth goes downstairs to fix her a plate.
~Uh uh that's not right. It's like we did a role reversal she shouldn't have the burden of being my keeper.~
A little while later Elizabeth returns with the food and Nancy eats it. After she's done.
"There must be better things you can be doing than looking after me." Nancy says.
"No not really."
"Elizabeth when is the last time you went out on a date."
They continue to argue about it.
"I know I can be thoughtless at times," Tom says as he and Abby enter
their bedroom. "I should have told V that I had to check with you
first. It's just that I wasn't thinking at the time I just want to
get this test done so we can get the results sooner. Abby I know it's
overwhelming having eight kids to worry about. It gets overwhelming
for me at times believe me."
"It's not that they're overwhelming, exactly--I mean, they are overwhelming,
but I do love them. It's just that all day long I'm a
teacher or a student, then I come home and I'm a mother, and once in
a while I'd like just to be a wife, you know? Do you even remember
the last time we had a conversation that didn't revolve around one
kid or the other?"
"No I don't remember. I think we need some time to spend together each day where it's just the two of us, no kids, just us."
"And just how do you plan to accomplish that miracle? Tell the kids
'Dad and Abby are going to go off to have a little private time,
so don't get stabbed or shot at or kidnapped or rejected or sick'?"
"Of course not, but there has to be a way."
"We could run away from home?" Abby suggests.
Tom smiles. "The thought is tempting but no."
"Well, then, I don't see how you're going to stop the merry go round
long enough for us to ever have a conversation that doesn't revolve
around the kids, much less a relationship."
"We'll never know if we don't give it a try."
"Well, we don't have much choice in the matter, do we?" Abby says. "We
are married, and we do have all these kids, so we'll just
have to find a way to deal with everything or die trying."
"I have a better idea when one of us is feeling overwhelmed they can lean on the other. That way we can get strength from each other."
"You mean there will actually be some times when we're not both overwhelmed?" Abby asks.
"Yes there very well might be." Tom says.
"Someday. Theoretically. Is this why you rushed me into marriage, so I wouldn't realize it wasn't just two really bad months?" Abby teases.
Tom laughs. "No, that wasn't it I swear. I did that because I'm madly in love with you."
"Does this mean we've gotten to the making up portion of the evening?"
"I don't know, does it?"
"One of these days we're going to have to expand this idea of 'private
time' out of the bedroom," Abby says as she kisses
Tom. "But not tonight."