| General Fiction posted October 7, 2025 | Chapters: |
...19 20 -21- 22... 
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Marie gets some bad news
A chapter in the book Beating the Devil
Beating the Devil - Chapter 21
by Jim Wile
| Background A cancer researcher invents an early cancer detection system. |
Recap of Chapter 20: Marie has an accident on the escalator down to baggage claim. Her heel broke, and she fell and is now in great pain. Brian thinks it’s a compression fracture, and Julia calls 911. While Julia accompanies Marie to the emergency room, Brian drives the kids to his sister Fran’s house to spend the night.
Brian meets Julia in the imaging center, where Marie is undergoing an MRI because, in addition to three compression fractures of the spine, the ER doctor suspects her cancer has returned. Marie will be admitted to the hospital. The on-call oncologist, who will likely take over her care while at the hospital, will look at the MRI tonight and discuss his findings in the morning.
Chapter 21
Brian arrived at the Imaging Center, where he met Julia in the waiting room.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said as Brian sat down beside her, gave her a kiss, and put his arm around her shoulders. “That was a good idea bringing the kids to Fran’s house.”
“Yeah, this could be a long night.”
They were joined a few minutes later by the doctor who had tended to Marie in the ER. She was a young woman, perhaps early 30s, who appeared to be of Indian descent.“Hello again, Mrs. Kendrick. Is this Mr. Kendrick with you?”
“Yes.”
“I want you to know that your mother is in very little pain right now. She’s in the process of being admitted, and she will likely be here for several days. I didn’t want to alarm your mother without further evidence, which the MRI should provide, but the x-rays showed a number of deformities that weren’t explained by the fractures she sustained. The records show she’s been in remission from metastatic disease for seven years now?”
“Yes,” said Julia. “Are you saying the cancer is back?”
“I can’t say for certain or how extensive it might be, but it looks that way. I’m very sorry. I’ve also consulted with our on-call oncologist, who will review the MRI results. If he determines that your mother’s cancer is active again, he will become her physician for the remainder of her stay at the hospital. If that’s the case, he will visit your mother on his rounds tomorrow morning around 9:00.”
“Can I see my mother now?”
“I haven’t been informed of the room number, but you can check at the Registration Desk. Your mother is a feisty lady. She told us what pain medication to give her and the dosage, and she was absolutely correct. She also said that her son-in-law was the genius who invented it. I wasn’t so sure, but since you’re here now, are you the son-in-law she was referring to, Mr. Kendrick, and is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Well, sir, I can’t tell you how much that drug, Glyptophan, has revolutionized pain management. It has been a godsend in the field of medicine. I’m honored to meet you, sir.”
“Thank you. Is there anything more you can tell us right now?”
“You should probably be here tomorrow morning for the oncologist’s visit.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
It was 11:30 PM by the time Julia and Brian arrived in Marie’s hospital room. She was in her bed, hooked up to an IV and various monitors, and she was awake.
“Hello, Mother,” said Julia as she went over and kissed her on the forehead. “Are you in any pain?”
“Very little. I told the ER doc what to give me and who invented it, but I don’t think she believed me.”
“Brian set her straight, Mother. She called you ‘feisty.’ Were you giving them grief in there?”
“Well, of course. Have to keep them on their toes. Where are Johnny and Lindsay?”
“They’re at Fran’s house,” said Brian. “They both send you their love.”
“That’s nice. Look, why don’t you two go home now? It’s been a long day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“We’ll be back in the morning before the doctor comes to visit you.”
“So you can hear the bad news right from the horse’s mouth?”
“We don’t know anything yet, Mother.”
“Yes, we do.”
“Let’s not assume anything.”
“We all knew it would eventually come back.”
Julia’s eyes began tearing up as she took her mother’s hand. “You beat that devil once, Mother, and you can do it again.”
“Maybe. Listen, I’ll see you in the morning. I’m exhausted now. Goodnight, you two.”
Julia arrived back in Marie’s room at 8:30 AM. Brian would come later with the kids.
“Did you have a good night, Mother?”
“Good enough under the circumstances.”
“Are you in any pain?”
“Not much. They’re doing a decent job with that.”
Julia could see a plate of food that appeared to be untouched. “Maybe you should eat something.”
While they fussed about that for a while, the on-call oncologist stopped in on his morning rounds. He was a tall man, mid-50s, with bushy, graying eyebrows and a full head of salt-and-pepper hair.
“Good morning, Dr. Schmidt. Are you a medical doctor?”
“Doctor of Music. I’m a professional violinist. Call me Marie.”
“I’m Dr. Gladwin. I’m the oncologist who will be treating you during your stay at the hospital. Is your pain being well controlled, Marie?”
“Fine. What did the MRI show?”
“Right down to business, I see. The MRI showed that the cancer has returned to your spine. I’m so sorry to have to give you this news. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.”
Julia took her mother’s hand and squeezed it lightly.
Dr. Gladwin continued, “You’ve done remarkably well for seven years now, but because it’s active again, it was responsible for weakening your spine, which led to the fractures. I know this is difficult to hear, and I’m very sorry. Do you have any questions for me?”
“Could the MRI tell if it spread anywhere else?”
“No. Its scope was limited to the spine in the area of the fractures. Your history indicates there was previously some liver involvement, so I’ve ordered a CT scan of the abdomen and some bloodwork for tumor markers. We’ll know more after that.”
“How long will I be in the hospital?”
“Most likely two or three more days. After we get the results of the CT scan, we can develop an action plan for getting you home.”
She hesitated before her next question, which was one that weighed heavily on her mind. “Will I be able to continue playing the violin? I’m in the New York Philharmonic.”
“Let’s not think too long-range at this point. Let’s just concentrate on figuring out the extent of the cancer and getting you home as soon as possible.”
Most likely, that meant no, and it was devastating to her. Playing the violin was one of the most important things in her life. It was the most important until just seven years ago, when she became a grandmother and reconciled with Julia after a 13-year estrangement.
They’d had a falling out when Julia was a sophomore at Juilliard. For the next 13 years, she had been a bitter, lonely woman, but her newfound family became the highlight of her life. Even so, if she could no longer play, she felt she would be losing her identity, perhaps the only thing she had ever been good at.
She said simply, “Okay, then.”
Before leaving, Dr. Gladwin checked her vitals and said he would talk to her again later this afternoon after he reviewed the CT scan results.
“I’m so sorry, Mother,” said Julia as she sandwiched her mother’s hand between both of hers. Marie’s other hand joined the rest.
The tears had returned and began slowly making tracks down Julia’s cheeks. She had to release her mother’s hand to wipe them.
“We knew this day would come, Julia.”
“I’m not going to give up on you, Mother. I hope you don’t either. You still have so much to live for.”
“Yes, I do,” she told Julia, but she knew the odds were against her this time and that she was not likely to last as long as the first time. As she had told Cedric, she felt like she was living on borrowed time, and that feeling had just been strengthened by recent events. She was determined, though, to make the most of that limited time.
In half an hour, Brian and the kids entered Marie’s room.
“Hi, Grandma,” they said together.
“Hello, my sweet things. Come give me some sugar.”
Lindsay looked puzzled. “I don’t have any sugar, Grandma.”
“She means give her a kiss, stu… I mean, Linds.”
Brian flicked him on his ear, and Johnny said, “Ow! What’ja do that for?”
“You know why.”
Lindsay never minded seeing her brother disciplined. She just smiled and gave her grandma a kiss. Johnny rubbed his ear and gave her a kiss too.
Marie looked at Julia, who shook her head with a pursed-lip smile.
“Are you feeling alright, Grandma?” asked Johnny.
“Never better now that you and Lindsay are here.”
While she conversed with the kids, Brian looked questioningly at Julia, who quietly gave her head a slight shake.
“Kids,” said Brian, “Momma and I are going to step out in the hall for a few minutes. You be good for your grandma.”
When they were outside the room, Julia filled Brian in on the meeting with Dr. Gladwin.
“I’m so sorry, Jules. How did your mother take the news?”
“She was stoic about it. I’m afraid of what they’re going to find with the CT scan, though. If the cancer’s in her liver, she may not be able to fight it off again this time. Brian, if the results aren’t good, how would you feel about inviting her to stay with us for a while, maybe permanently?”
 Recognized |
Brian Kendrick: A 43-year-old neuroscientist and cancer researcher
Julia Kendrick: Brian's 43-year-old wife. She is also a world-class violinist.
Johnny Kendrick: Their 8-year-old son
Lindsay Kendrick: Their 6-year-old daughter
Earl Kendrick: The Kendrick's chocolate Labrador Retriever
Dr. Marie Schmidt: Julia's mother
Abby Payne: Brian's partner on the project. She is 67 and a brilliant mathematician
Malcolm Roberts (Mal): One of Brian's two lab technicians
Tanya Roberts: Mal's wife
Samantha (Sammy) Roberts: Mal's 6-year-old daughter
Letitia Roberts (Lettie): Mal's mother
Larry Posner: One of Brian's two lab technicians
Vivian Delacroix: An oncology professor at Wake Forest University also doing early cancer detection work
Roberta (Bertie) Chen: Brian's new lab technician
Cedric (aka Cecil) Washington: Marie's premier violin student and friend
Maddy McPhail: Owner of Bo
Bo McPhail: Maddy McPhail's cancer-sniffing therapy dog
Picture courtesy of Imagen-4-Ultra-Exp
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© Copyright 2025. Jim Wile All rights reserved.
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