The Freezer (Genesis Endeavor Book 1) Read Free Page A

around talking about ‘free love’, even here in the middle
of Montana, but Jack wasn’t interested in a roll in the hay with a hippie
chick. Well, a roll in the hay with that receptionist wouldn’t be that bad, he
thought , but immediately chastised himself over it and unconsciously
said a little word of apology to his wife who was probably listening in on his
thoughts from above. It’s bad enough that Bill is diddling her. His
shame at the thought was also a little comforting on some level… At least he
was still young enough to be attracted to the opposite sex. It had been two
years since he had been with a woman, and he was still a man with all the
natural urges a man has. The problem was, he seldom socialized, and he wasn’t
enough of a hypocrite to go to church just to try to meet a ‘nice girl’
either. He surmised it was probably a good thing he wasn’t in a position to
meet anyone, the guilt he felt for even thinking about it was still strong
enough to keep him from actively looking.
    As he entered Bill’s office, his stomach gurgled again and
his bowels felt a little loose. Normally confident under the most stressful of
circumstances, he was facing the unknown, and courage wasn’t about not being
afraid, it was about taking the next step despite that fear. He recalled his
earlier thought about being healthy. God I hope so.
    Bill was sitting in his high backed office chair looking out
the window. He spun the chair toward Jack, and gestured to a seat opposite him,
across the desk. Before the doctor could get a word out, Jack, in the tone he
used to address enlisted men, said, “Okay, Bill, I’m here. Now tell me why .”
    “Please Jack, have a seat, this is... not going to be easy.”
Jack’s stomach sank further, any hopes of this just being a visit that the doc
is using to pad his bill going out the window. His military discipline kept him
looking composed as he sat down. “I have the blood tests back from your last
visit, and the x-rays too.” Bill took out an x-ray and laid it in on the desk
in front of Jack. He pointed to the middle of the film and said, “You see this
white spot right here?” Jack looked down but was hesitant to focus on the dark
film lying on the desk. He just stared at Bill, waiting for the bad news. Bill looked
down at the file in front of him, then back up at Jack. “The indigestion isn’t...
well, I’m not going to bullshit you Jack, it looks like cancer.”
    A wave of shock followed by numbness washed through him from
head to toe, leaving him feeling like he was in another room looking back at
himself from a distance. He’d faced death dozens of times in Korea and lived to
tell about it. He’d lost his wife and child, and survived long enough to try to
put his life back together. He was a tough man, but those words sent fear and
despair coursing through him. He was nearly paralyzed by the declaration, and
he wasn’t sure how long it was before he spoke. “Is it treatable?” he asked,
practically holding his breath.
    The doctor hesitated as if trying to decide what to say. “There
are some things that Oncologists are trying with radiation and chemical therapy
in Minnesota, but...” Bill shrugged. “Jesus Jack, of all the people this should
happen to... Man, I am so sorry.”
    Jack started to speak, stopped, then started again. This
time he couldn’t keep the emotion out of his voice. “How... Are you... Are you
sure this is cancer Bill?” The doctor just looked at him for a moment, then turned
away and looked back out the window.
    “I’m not a cancer doctor, so I’m sending the x-rays to a
specialist in Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo clinic has some good Oncologists. I’ll
know more in a few days.”
    Anger flared in Jack, and the words came out a little louder
than he intended. “Come on Bill, you drag me in here to tell me in person and
you can’t even be sure it’s cancer?!” He knew it wasn’t the right response, but
he couldn’t help himself.