Dr. Singh told her that the images showed a bone tumour. Osteosarcoma. She said it with care, but she said it plainly. Dr. Singh told her that the cancer was in a more advanced stage than it would have been six or seven weeks ago. She also explained that osteosarcoma progresses quickly, and that earlier intervention would have meant a stronger position going into treatment. The delay hadn’t taken away Copper’s options entirely, but it had reduced them.
The options now were amputation of the affected limb followed by chemotherapy, or palliative care if Rachel chose not to pursue aggressive treatment. Dr. Singh said Copper was otherwise healthy — heart, lungs, liver all looked fine — and that he was a good candidate for surgery if Rachel wanted to go that route. She said she would support whatever Rachel decided.
Rachel drove home in a kind of fog. She fed Copper his dinner and sat on the kitchen floor with him while he ate. She didn’t cry right away. She went through the conversation in her head — all of it, from the first appointment four months ago to now. Something cold and clear settled in alongside the grief. She had trusted the wrong person. She needed to figure out what to do about that.