Tangled In Strings

Chapter Twenty-One

"Thank you, Doctor," I whisper, opening the door without a second glance back. Thankfully, the waiting room is nearly empty, and everyone is focused on magazines or the show on TV. I slip past them on liquid legs, just needing to make it to the car to be safe.

I push on the door, relieved to find Norman's driver still waiting at the curb. He asks me if everything's alright the second upon laying eyes on me, holding open the backseat. I do my best to reassure him and climb inside.

...

"Scarlett, can you come here when you have a chance?" I hear Norman call out when I open the front door to the apartment. Without delay and without care, I drop my bag on the floor and kick off my heels, because at this point, I'm running on fumes. The apartment is dark, apart from a warm light coming from his office. When I poke my head inside, I find him seated behind his large desk, although, strangely enough, he's in his pajamas.

Uncomfortably, my arms find each other behind my back. "Is Monica in bed already?"

He sets down his glasses, shaking his head. "No, that's what I actually want to talk to you about."

His will is on the desk in front of him in a perfect stack. I look from them to his face, waiting. I grow gradually more nervous the longer he takes to say what he has to say.

"Monica has decided she's not going to postpone her book tour...and I've encouraged her to go."

The time ticks by me, leaving with all reason. "What are you talking about?"

"Her book tour is very important to her—"

"The tour lasts three months, Norman."

"I am aware of that."

I approach his desk, bracing myself against the smooth wood. "Did she ask for this?"

"She came to me very apologetically and told me that she couldn't afford to cancel it all—"

I hear myself laugh. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Scarlett—"

"You'll be dead before she gets back, you realize that right?" I snap, holding his gaze firmly. He doesn't even falter at my bluntness, because of course he knows. "She can't do this!"

"She's already left."

Oh, fuck. I slump down into the seat directly behind me, lightheaded. Filled with emptiness, a hollow slump within me, I attempt to recover my shock, failing miserably. I lift my hand from my mouth so I can speak. I don't even know what to say.

"Norman, I'm so sorry."

He shakes his head, looking down. "What is there for her to stick around for? To watch me die? I'd rather her go now than go through that. I've realized this is going to be unpleasant—"

"It's cancer, Norman. We all knew that!"

"But, I feel it! So, forgive me if I spare myself from watching her cringe every time she's near me. She's not the nurturing type. This is out of her comfort zone!"

"This is no one's comfort zone!"

"Which is why I'm going to check into the hospital at the end of the week." He holds up his hands when I gape in disbelief. "The doctor told me I'll need around the clock care soon, and the hospital is the best place to take care of that."

"I've told you I'll take care of you. Norman, we've hired nurses."

"This is too much for you. This is too much to ask anyone to take on, but especially you. You can still come see me—"