Love For Hire

“Right this way, Your Majesty,” the nurse at the desk said as she led him and Brutus into Dr. Horton’s office. “Please take a seat,” he reached around until he felt the chair. Sitting down, he told Brutus to lay down, and he did so at Nicholas’ feet. He heard the nurse’s footsteps as she left the room, and then he heard Dr. Horton come into the room.

“Your Majesty,” He heard the doctor’s voice. “How are you feeling?”

“Same as always.”

“Have you been eating?”

“Yes,” not that it made him feel any better. It had been five days since he’d seen Dr. Horton, and he had been violently ill every day along with terrible headaches, cramping in both his stomach and muscles.

“Good to hear. Well, I scheduled the ultrasound for a week from Monday.”

“That is not why I am here.”

“Oh, then why are you here?” Dr. Horton asked with interest.

“My eye,” he said. “There has to be something, anything we can do to restore my vision. I have heard that sometimes an organ transplant can help the blind see.”

“Well, yes, that is true.”

“Then let’s do that.”

The organ itself is fine and healthy. The problem is the large tumour pressing on your optic nerve. So long as that tumour exists, you will not see. And

“Then, cut it out.”

cannot. I told you the location of the tumour in your brain has rendered it inoperable. I cannot

can do. There is always something.

it might be possible to shrink the tumour, and if we can make it small enough, it might reduce the pressure on the nerve and

try that,” Nicholas

must warn you there are side

“I am already fatigued.”

that daily. “Digestive problems, dry or sore throat or mouth, cough or shortness of breath,

I am sure it is going to be miserable,” Nicholas said. “When

***

sat next to Nicholas at the table. Matthew was trying not to smile. Nicholas had just told the whole family

whole idea. The chemotherapy would mask the side effects of the poison he was slipping his brother. He was already showing symptoms, but as anticipated, the blame

eating more than he used to, he still ate very little, so slipping the poison in his food was not smart. But Matthew had taken to sharing a drink with Nicholas after dinner each night. They talked about the future and how Nicholas was feeling. It was all a trick giving Matthew the opportunity to poison his brother’s bourbon.

and relieve the pressure on