I watched her walk away and then turned back to Adam’s room. He was already asleep. I spoke to the nurse, who told me they’d given him some pain medication and that the doctor was at dinner but would be back soon to discuss his case with me. I took a breath and sat down in the chair Gates had been sitting in and stared out the windows at some trees.

By the time the doctor got in, I was nearly asleep. He was a younger guy, and he smiled widely as he shook my hand. Adam was still asleep, so we spoke there. He told me that the cancer was advanced and he was worried that without starting treatment right away, it would progress to the point that they couldn’t really do much to extend his life.

“The outcomes with treatment are good. With treatment and catching it as early as we did, I’d put it at a sixty percent chance for remission. Without treatment, I’d put his odds at five percent that he survives a year once it develops into its later stages.”

“But I mean, I know he’s coughing a lot, but he doesn’t look that unhealthy to me.”

He shook his head. “This type of cancer is very aggressive. The coughing is already nearly uncontrollable. In mere months, breathing without aid will be almost impossible. He needs to start the treatment protocol as soon as possible.” He grinned. “When I told him that, he said that I was just trying to buy another Ferrari.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him.” I glanced toward Adam. “I’ll talk to him.”

He nodded. “Well, he seems to be better now. You can take him home when he wakes. Make sure to keep him hydrated. I’ll prescribe a stronger cough medication with codeine, but he’s already on so much pain medication that we can’t get too strong because it might affect his breathing. Just make sure to keep an eye on him and contact me if it’s not working.” He looked over to him. “The elderly, in my experience, are frightened of this type of treatment. They know they don’t have long left, and they don’t want to spend it in a hospital bed. It’s a very human emotion, so it’s up to the family to help them overcome it.”

“Not sure he sees me as family, but I’ll try.”

When I got Adam home, I helped him up the stairs to his bed. He was still groggy from the morphine, and he sat on the edge of the bed while I took off his shoes and belt. He lay back on the pillows and groaned. I put a throw blanket over him and he said, “She would leave notes for me.”

“Who?”