a tough choice. Were you forced into bed with Yannis? Forced to relinquish the child born of that liaison?"
"Of course not." She was shaken by his vehemence.
"Here's your chance to make amends. To see your child and get to know him."
His words battered against a bruise that had never quite healed. "You've never changed."
"Meaning?"
"The world still revolves around you, Leon, and your demands. First you want my baby and me out of your lives." She snapped her fingers. "Now, when circumstances have changed, you expect me to meekly comply with your new rules."
"Tell me, Veronica, why did you agree to come here, and be tested?"
Heat rushed up into her face. "Who could refuse? And you had to know I'd agree, before you approached me."
Leon nodded his expression grim. "I gambled on you caring enough to help, although after seeing you in that night club, I had my doubts."'
Anger mingled with embarrassment. Little did he know how out of character that night was for her. "I see. It's perfectly okay for a Karvasis to prey on an infatuated teenager, but heaven forbid that a grown woman can enjoy a night out and a few drinks with friends."
Colour seeped up under his tan. "When have I ever said I approved of my brother's actions?"
Long supressed anger slipped its leash. It was more than time this man learned she wasn't the same teenage girl, easily intimidated. "You didn't need to, Leon. Kathleen always told me that actions speak far louder than words."
The anger that flared in his eyes made her nervous. "Meaning?"
"Why Leon," she mocked, her voice soft and exceedingly bitter. "Could it be because you ended up with my child? The same child Yannis used as barter to pay off his debts?"
The accusation ricocheted in the plush, hospital room bouncing off the tastefully decorated walls as if they wanted no part of such an awful accusation.
Leon's harshly expelled breath was loud. He stood, his hand clenching and unclenching into a tight fist. A red tide of colour ran up into his face and then receded, leaving him deathly pale.
"If you were a man, I'd knock you senseless for that remark," he said through clenched teeth.
He walked out the door, shutting it with a genteel thud as he left.
Veronica inhaled a shaken breath.
Did I just weather a storm force hurricane?
~***~
"It's all good news, Ms Langdon." Professor Carey beamed as he came through the door. "You and Jordan match on all ten points."
"Thank God." Giddy with relief, she brushed away tears.
"There's no reason to cry." He patted her shoulder. "You should be cheering."
"It's relief."
"So I was told when Karvasis reacted the same way."
"Leon was crying?" She looked at him, incredulous.
"Hey, don't be too hard on him, Ms Langdon. He's human and has been carrying this load alone for a long while."
His words stirred mixed emotions. Thankful she could give Jordan a good chance of going into remission, but her joy was tinged with sorrow. Would she lose even this tenuous thread of belonging?
Professor Carey was brisk. "It'll be a week before Jordan's ready for the transplant. Use those days to rest and soak up sunshine. It will give Jordan a boost. Okay?"
She nodded, fighting trepidation. "What happens now?"
"He will have several sessions of radiation and chemotherapy. This takes a week then we'll transfuse him with your healthy marrow. After that—" he spread his hands expressively, "—we wait. It will be three weeks or more before we know if your bone marrow has grafted. In the mean time we keep him as free from the risk of infection as humanly possible."
"These treatments," Veronica asked in a whisper. "Will it hurt?"
"There is always some discomfort." He met her eyes steadily.
"Leon asked me to go and see him."
"It would take courage."
That dry observation was impossible to answer.
She glanced up at the professor and encountered the shrewd gaze of a man who'd seen far too much human wretchedness to be surprised by
"Of course not." She was shaken by his vehemence.
"Here's your chance to make amends. To see your child and get to know him."
His words battered against a bruise that had never quite healed. "You've never changed."
"Meaning?"
"The world still revolves around you, Leon, and your demands. First you want my baby and me out of your lives." She snapped her fingers. "Now, when circumstances have changed, you expect me to meekly comply with your new rules."
"Tell me, Veronica, why did you agree to come here, and be tested?"
Heat rushed up into her face. "Who could refuse? And you had to know I'd agree, before you approached me."
Leon nodded his expression grim. "I gambled on you caring enough to help, although after seeing you in that night club, I had my doubts."'
Anger mingled with embarrassment. Little did he know how out of character that night was for her. "I see. It's perfectly okay for a Karvasis to prey on an infatuated teenager, but heaven forbid that a grown woman can enjoy a night out and a few drinks with friends."
Colour seeped up under his tan. "When have I ever said I approved of my brother's actions?"
Long supressed anger slipped its leash. It was more than time this man learned she wasn't the same teenage girl, easily intimidated. "You didn't need to, Leon. Kathleen always told me that actions speak far louder than words."
The anger that flared in his eyes made her nervous. "Meaning?"
"Why Leon," she mocked, her voice soft and exceedingly bitter. "Could it be because you ended up with my child? The same child Yannis used as barter to pay off his debts?"
The accusation ricocheted in the plush, hospital room bouncing off the tastefully decorated walls as if they wanted no part of such an awful accusation.
Leon's harshly expelled breath was loud. He stood, his hand clenching and unclenching into a tight fist. A red tide of colour ran up into his face and then receded, leaving him deathly pale.
"If you were a man, I'd knock you senseless for that remark," he said through clenched teeth.
He walked out the door, shutting it with a genteel thud as he left.
Veronica inhaled a shaken breath.
Did I just weather a storm force hurricane?
~***~
"It's all good news, Ms Langdon." Professor Carey beamed as he came through the door. "You and Jordan match on all ten points."
"Thank God." Giddy with relief, she brushed away tears.
"There's no reason to cry." He patted her shoulder. "You should be cheering."
"It's relief."
"So I was told when Karvasis reacted the same way."
"Leon was crying?" She looked at him, incredulous.
"Hey, don't be too hard on him, Ms Langdon. He's human and has been carrying this load alone for a long while."
His words stirred mixed emotions. Thankful she could give Jordan a good chance of going into remission, but her joy was tinged with sorrow. Would she lose even this tenuous thread of belonging?
Professor Carey was brisk. "It'll be a week before Jordan's ready for the transplant. Use those days to rest and soak up sunshine. It will give Jordan a boost. Okay?"
She nodded, fighting trepidation. "What happens now?"
"He will have several sessions of radiation and chemotherapy. This takes a week then we'll transfuse him with your healthy marrow. After that—" he spread his hands expressively, "—we wait. It will be three weeks or more before we know if your bone marrow has grafted. In the mean time we keep him as free from the risk of infection as humanly possible."
"These treatments," Veronica asked in a whisper. "Will it hurt?"
"There is always some discomfort." He met her eyes steadily.
"Leon asked me to go and see him."
"It would take courage."
That dry observation was impossible to answer.
She glanced up at the professor and encountered the shrewd gaze of a man who'd seen far too much human wretchedness to be surprised by
Similar Books
