CHAPTER FIVE
Izzie's POV
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The ride to the hospital felt unbearably long and rough, each second dragging heavier than the last. Different scenarios played over and over in my head, each one worse than the one before. "Why is my dad being operated on?" I was trapped between silently freaking out and full blown panic.
My hands trembled in my lap as I whispered prayer after prayer, clinging to the hope that it was something minor--something easily fixable. He had to be okay. He just had to. Whatever had happened, I wasn't ready to face it.
I rushed into the hospital like a wild lose dog, frantically searching around for who to ask about my dad. I got to the reception--where a young female nurse was sitting. " Hi, I'm looking for my dad please can you tell me where he is?" I pleaded -my voice became hoarse. "What is his name?" she asked ready to type on the computer in front of her. "Miller...Austin Miller". I said, my voice shaking, barely holding together as I waited for her to tell me where he was.
"Here he is, Austin Miller." I held my breath as she said his name. "He was brought in after he collapsed, it says here that he has stage two stomach cancer... and he's currently in surgery".
Her voice faded as the words sank in. My knees buckled, and I dropped to the floor without realizing it. 'Stomach cancer.' The phrase looped in my mind, distant and unreal. It didn't make sense. it couldn't.
When? how? did he know? why didn't he tell me?.
A thousand questions screamed silently inside me, but no answers came. Only the hollow thud of my heart and the crushing weight of those two words. I wrapped my arms around my self, as if I could somehow hold the pieces together while everything inside me shattered.
"Are you okay Miss?" I looked up and saw the nurse who has gotten up from her seat and is now looking down at me. "I know how you must be feeling, miss, but you have to pull yourself together--for his sake at least".
Her words cut through the fog in my head. I got up quickly, brushing the dust from my clothes. She was right. I needed to be strong. for Dad. "Where is he now?" I asked, trying to steady my voice.
"Just go straight down--you'll see the OR. you can wait there till the doctor comes out". she said pointing in the direction. "Thank you," I nodded, already moving before the words had fully left my mouth.
My footsteps echoed down the corridor, each one heavier than the last. The sterile white walls blurred at the edges of my vision, but I kept moving. I couldn't break down again--not yet.
When I reached the operating room, I stopped just outside the double doors. A red light above them glowed steadily--'surgery In progress'. I stared at it, willing it to go off, willing someone to come out and tell me he was okay. As I stood there, staring at the glowing red light above the OR doors, a memory forced its way in --sharp and unwelcome.
The last time I was in a hospital was the day my mom died...The smell of antiseptic, the hum of machines, the soft footsteps of the nurses in the hallway--it all came rushing back. I remembered the cold metal chair I sat in with my dad, the way time felt frozen, and the doctor's face as he entered the room, already telling the story before he even spoke.
"We did everything we could..." the words had haunted me for years. And now, here I was again--same walls, same fear, different parent. Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them back. Not now. Not again.
This time I needed the ending to be different.
My fingers curled into fists at my sides. I didn't know what condition he was in, or how long he'd known. But right now, none of that mattered. All I could do was wait....and pray. I waited --sitting there for what seems like hours. Still no news of what's going on inside.
Just then, the doctor stepped out through the double doors. I shot up from my seat and rushed towards him. "You must be the patient's daughter?" he asked, his voice calm but tired. "Yes, i'm his daughter," I replied quickly, searching his face for any sign--anything. "How is he, Doctor?" I asked, silently pleading inside, 'please, let him be okay.'
"He had stage two stomach cancer," the doctor began. "We were able to remove all of the cancer, thankfully. He was brought in just in time--any later, and it could have been fetal. The damage hasn't spread or become severe."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Right now", he continued, "we'll need to run some more tests and keep him under observation for a while. but overall, he's stable".
Relief flooded through me, warm and overwhelming. He was alive. He was going to be okay. "Thank you doctor, thank you so much". I held his hand in mine with immerse joy. " No problem, he's being moved to a different ward now and you can go see him". he patted my hand gently. " Also there are some paperwork that you will need to fill out--you may do that after seeing him." he gave me a warm smile and left.
I bowed at him repeatedly as I yelled thank you behind him. Then I went on to look for Dad.
I got to the ward where he's been moved--i opened the door and stepped into the room--i saw my dad lying peacefully on the hospital bed. He was still unconscious, probably the anesthesia hadn't worn off yet. I walked over and sat gently beside him. The steady beep of the monitors was strangely comforting.
A single tear rolled down my cheek--not from sadness, but from overwhelming relief. I reached for his hand and held it in mine, then brought it to my face, pressing it softly against my cheeks. "Dad, i'm here. Your daughter's here," I whispered. "Please wake up...I'm dying to hear your voice again."
I looked at his face, pale but calm, and felt a wave of emotion crash over me--love, fear, gratitude, grief. I had never imagined something like this would happen. Ever since mom passed, i've always prayed nothing else would break us. But i'm learning that fate doesn't always listen.
Still...he's okay, and right now--that's enough. That's everything...