BEHIND OFFICE DOORS

he has now regained consciousness

ually rose and noticed that she had

pport herself, but they

leagues fixed her with such an incredulo

arted to come back to her memories just as they began

s glare was directed at her boss before Laura

ling with dizziness, limped to her work

into her bag was an artifact from her pr

y to see the security guard hurriedly walking in her directi

aura," he murmured, his gaze shifting uncomfortably. "I tried to wa

around her as she realized how much had been hid

rself to keep moving, her heart

e, desperate to leave

a vehicle pulling up and rushed toward it, he

. "Come in, ma'am," he said, helping her with

ce was a quiet plea as tears welled up again. She could h

ed to enjoy it. She shut her eyes, hoping that when she

the mirror and having assessed her sile

ack tears, still not wanting to speak. Her h

*

a weight lift off her chest. She struggled with her handbag, clumsily

th a small mountain of things she had in her arms, work re

lightly opened. She felt something unpleasant across he

haling deeply to suppress the surge of panic. Then,

their movement. Laura's eyes remained alert and passive in the dim ligh

was never

y, it was unusual for her to be out this late. "

und no one. Hands shaking, she pulled her pho

l at the hospital," her little brother's voice quivered on the other end, triggering

She forced herself to focus. "What happened to Mom? Is she okay?"

d he needs to talk to you," her br

oice as she waved down a cab and gave the address to the dr

ook. "'Ma'am, you are going to have to sett

mand. As the car started, she leaned her head against the window,

*

hospital, she quickly reached out

shed past her, grabbed the cash out of

Laura cried, stumb

different to her plight, o

him what little cash she had left

s from people in the

l's voice echoed thro

urned and saw him r

r voice shaking. "Whe - Wh

thoughts and she spun around to see a doctor

llowed him through one of the corridors

other, thin and pale. Laura das

I am so sorry. I had no id

her voice normal but low, to soothe

m, what's going on?" She as

her has leukemia. It's an advanced case," he explaine

ed, her vision bl

knees felt weak and she gripped her mother's hand, the weigh