A Time to Live (26 page)

She swallowed hard, staring at him, her eyes liquid with tears. “Michael, don’t you understand? I can’t hope like that anymore. I don’t dare.”

About an hour later, the door opened.
Doc entered with an older Indian man with short hair and wire frame glasses.

“Nikki, Michael,” Doc said.
“This a good friend of mine, Doctor Rashid from USC.”

She swallowed hard and nodded a greeting.

“I understand you were a patient of Doctor Harris,” Rashid said with a soft accent.

She nodded again.

“Miss Matthews, Doctor Harris and I pursued the same research, but I quickly became disenchanted with his...ethical standards.”

“Bradley...Doctor Harris...told me you weren’t serious about research.”

Doctor Rashid smiled. “He did?” He shook his head. “I thought Harris sought success at all costs. After studying your files, I have come to believe you are a victim of that desire.”

She tried to put together what Michael had told her with what Rashid was saying now - but failed miserably.
She rubbed her eyes.

“According to what I discovered, your cancer was in full remission over a year ago.”

Her stomach hit the floor. “But...but that’s when....”

“When you were...involved with Doctor Harris.
I have clear evidence that Doctor Harris received your test results on....” He pulled a note pad out of his pocket and looked at it. “...September ninth. At that time your treatment should have changed to recovery oriented methods. It did not.”

The day Bradley had taken the call and told her the awful news.
He had lied and destroyed her life.

Rashid watched her a long moment then nodded in understanding.
“I need to run more tests to be certain. We are going to send you to Denver to have chest x-rays, an MRI, and a bronchoscopy.”

Terror seized her heart in its ironclad fist.
She remembered the bronchoscopies. They were awful, she couldn’t breathe, she had gagged and choked.

“No,” she said hoarsely, her hand clenching Michael’s.

“Nikki,” Michael said gently.

“No.
I can’t do that again.” She sucked in her breath, a coughing fit hovering. Aside from the awful test, what if they discovered the cancer was still there? The chemo would start all over again. The pain, the drugs, agonizing alone in the hospital...she couldn’t do it. Not again. Her head spun and her vision blurred. She had to get control of herself now.

“Miss Matthews, I realize you are frightened.
Cancer and its treatment can be terrifying by itself and what you suffered with Doctor Harris was intolerable. But we must do these tests.”

“No!”

Michael’s hand tightened on hers. “You can do it, Nikki. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Do the tests.”

“I can’t.”

“Nikki,” he said, his voice pleading. “Please, do this for us.” Tears leaked down her face. Michael squeezed her hand again. “I will be with you, I promise.”

She buried her face against his neck, sobbing.
“I can’t, Michael. I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can, love.
I won’t leave you, I swear.”

Fear clawed at her, and she stared up at Michael.
This is exactly why she had not wanted a relationship with him. Desperate for hope, he grabbed for straws, forcing her into brutal tests. The results would be the same. Hope destroyed, the spirit and the body lost to disease. No future.

But what if they were right?

What if Bradley had lied? He had deceived her, he had cheated on her, he had broken his ethical code and went to bed with her. It was very possible he had manipulated her too. It wasn’t her hope that the cancer was gone that tipped the scales, but her distrust in Bradley.

Her fingers tightened on Michael’s hand - and her faith in Michael.
He would keep his promise, he would never abandon her. Slowly, she nodded. “All right.”

****

Nikki sat in the waiting room of the large hospital in Denver with Michael, terror clawing at her mind. They had driven down last night, and Michael pulled out all the stops, treating her to a stay in a suite at one of the finest hotels. They met with Doc in the morning. Luckily, he had given her some tranquilizers. If it hadn’t been for them, she would have been screaming her head off. They were strong enough to stop a bull, she was certain of it, but her body remained coiled like a spring and her heart rattled in her chest. She had to use her inhaler repeatedly.

Michael remained beside her, his fingers firmly entangled with hers.
He spotted movement at the door. “Hey, look who’s here,” he said and rose.

She was surprised to see Rory standing in the doorway.
He once again wore his hair in a ponytail. A black snug fitting turtleneck shirt revealed every inch of his powerful frame, with his shoulder harness and Beretta over it. On the belt of his black dress pants, he had clipped his badge. “Hi,” he said brightly and shook Michael’s hand. Nikki approached and Rory shocked her by giving her a kiss on the cheek. “How are you doing, kiddo?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“What brings you here, Rory?” Michael asked.

“A small problem,” Rory replied, his smile fading.
“I really hate to do this to you.”

“What’s wrong?”

He sighed, and tugged his hand through his hair. “Come with me, please. I know this isn’t going to be easy but....” he left the sentence hanging and led them down the hall.

Nikki and Michael looked at each other in confusion
, but followed him. He opened a door to a small room. Nikki spotted Doc, Rashid, two other men who appeared to be agents, and...her heart threatened to stop.

Bradley Harris.

She sucked in her breath and recoiled. Michael’s arm went protectively around her shoulders, and he snarled a curse.

“What is going on?” he growled.

Bradley sat in handcuffs, his normal arrogant attitude gone, his impeccable appearance now haggard and worn. He saw Nikki and his eyes widened as he jumped to his feet. “Nicole!”

Michael instantly stepped in front of her, snarling something under his breath.

Bradley recoiled and Rory clamped a hand on his shoulder, shoving him back into his chair. “Sit down, Harris.”

Nikki remained rooted, shaking terribly, too many painful memories possessing her thoughts.

“Doctor Rashid is trying to get information, but Harris isn’t being very cooperative,” Rory said through clenched teeth. He put his hands on the table and bent forward so his face was only inches from Bradley’s. “I thought that seeing the woman he tried to poison for a year might get him to talk. A woman who is going to put him in jail for the rest of his life if he doesn’t.”

Bradley flinched, staring at the ground.

Nikki couldn’t move although all she wanted to do was run. Michael stepped back and again put his arm around her.

“Bradley,” she whispered, her voice tremulous.
“What did you do to me?”

Bradley slowly lifted his gaze as Rory backed away.
“I saved your life, Nicole. My research was valid. I performed a miracle and cured the incurable.”

Her throat threatened to swell shut.
Cold anger filled her. “Why, Bradley, why did you tell me I was dying?”

“The test results came back negative.
No cancer at all but it was too soon. Even I never imagined that the drugs could work so fast and so completely. I needed more data. I needed to see how the body would react to long term exposure to the drugs.”

“You nearly poisoned her,” Doc spat.

“If she would have stayed I could have monitored her condition. I would have taken her off the drugs before they reached dangerous levels. But you left me, Nicole. Why did you leave me after all I did for you?”

Her stomach clenched and for a moment she feared she would retch.
God, how could had she been so naïve? So stupid? Anger and pain rose within her. Why would Bradley do this to her? She shuddered against the memories. She had been so wrong to trust him, to let him take the phone calls of the test results. But then he had been kind, he had offered hope, he had been understanding. But something had changed between them. She never knew what it was. He became cold and distant as if she were nothing more than another statistic, turning to another woman.

“What did you do to me but betray me?” Nikki growled.
“You told me I was dying then went to bed with Stacy.”

Bradley’s face turned gray.
“You...you knew about that?”

“I knew,” she snapped.
“I knew every night you did it.”

“Nikki, I’m
—”

“I never want to see your face again, Bradley because if I do, I’ll tear your heart out.”
She took a step forward and Michael quickly gripped her shoulders.

Rory arched an eyebrow, stepping between her and Bradley.
“Easy, girl,” he said, but winked at her.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Rory faced Bradley again. “Harris, you’re going down hard. The only thing you can do to help yourself is to give Rashid all the information he needs.”

Bradley remained silent.

“All right, I want everyone to leave this room. Michael you stay with me.”

Bradley looked up in surprise as people started to file out, Nikki stubbornly remained.
“What?” Bradley asked.

“I need a cup of coffee,” Rory said, smiling.
“I’m going to let Michael keep an eye on you while I’m gone.”

Bradley’s face turned ashen as he stared at Michael.
“Who...who are you?”

Michael’s hand shot out and grabbed the front of Bradley’s shirt, but Rory didn’t move to stop him.
“Nikki’s fiancé,” Michael growled.

Nikki blinked in confusion.
Fiancé?
Now that was stretching the truth, but then she realized his words had the desired effect on Bradley as his face lost even more color.

“What did you do, Nicole?” Bradley asked her.
“Get engaged to Conan the Barbarian?”

Michael curled his arm, jerking Bradley out of the chair.
His muscles sprang to life, making him look even bigger.

“I wouldn’t call him that if I were you, Bradley,” she said more casually than she actually felt.
“Rory, a cup of coffee sounds good right now. You buying?”

Rory faced her, grinning mischievously.
“Of course, my dear,” he offered her his arm. “Michael, you’ll watch Harris for me, won’t you?”

“Absolutely.”

Rory guided Nikki toward the door.

Nikki held her breath, wondering if Bradley would fall for Rory’s ruse.

“Wait!” he cried. “You can’t leave me here with...him.”

Rory scowled at him.
“Of course I can.”

“No, he’ll k
ill me and you’ll never get the information.”

Rory shrugged.
“We weren’t getting it anyway, so that makes you absolutely useless. I don’t need useless, it’s only more paperwork.” He took another step toward the door.

“All right,” Bradley screamed.
“I’ll tell Rashid everything. Just tell Conan to back off.”

Rory paused for a long moment.
“All right, Harris. I’ll give you a chance, but if you give us any problems...Conan here will be right outside the door.”

Michael shot Rory a withering glare.

“Now, Nikki, if you would ask Doctor Rashid and the others to come back in, I’d appreciate it.”

She nodded.
“How about if Michael and I bring the coffee to you?”

“That would be great.”

Michael shoved Bradley back into his chair. Nikki leaned close to Rory. “I thought he was going to call your bluff,” she whispered.

For an instant, Rory’s green eyes turned icy hard.
“I wasn’t bluffing..”

She gaped at him, not believing what she was hearing.
Rory released her and Michael took her hand. “Let’s go, sweetheart,” he said softly. “I need some air.”

Silently she followed Michael out.
“Michael,” she said when they were down the hall a few paces. “Would you really...I mean...you....”

“Yes,” Michael said between clenched teeth.
“I would have.”

Stunned, she followed Michael in silence.

A short time later, back in the waiting room, Doctor Rashid entered. “Well, thanks to Sanders, I have all the information I need from Harris. Are you ready to get started?”

Nikki nodded, unable to trust her voice.

“Good. We’re going to start with the chest x-ray.”

X-rays she could handle, no pain, no invasion of her body.
She and Michael stood together and followed the doctor.

Too quickly the simple things were over and she sat in a chair with equipment looming over her like movie version of an alien abduction.
The pulmologist entered and looked at Michael, who continued to hold her hand.