Mistake
Lily stepped out of the lecture hall, and Philip immediately rushed over to her.
“So, howd it go?” Philip asked, his eyes full of worry and admiration.
“Brilliant!” Lily waved her grade book in front of him. “And you?”
“Fantastic! Knew youd smash it.” Philip winced slightly. “Got a bit muddled myself. Scraped a B. Fancy celebrating?”
Lily lowered her gaze, hesitating.
“Ah, Im out of luck again, arent I?” Philip guessed.
“Sorry. I think Daniel might already be waiting for me.”
“Right,” Philip sighed, not bothering to hide his disappointment. “How can I compete with a future star of the scientific world? At least let me walk you to the gatesbest Ill get, I suppose.” He took her hand and led her toward the staircase down to the ground floor.
The ornate cast-iron steps hummed faintly under their feet. Lily glanced around, realising shed miss this placethe broad staircase, the old medical college building with its lingering scent of formaldehyde and dusty textbooks, cool and shadowed even on the hottest days.
Philip pushed open the heavy door, and they stepped outside. Lily immediately spotted Daniel by the gates, tall and holding flowers. Her face flushed.
“Tell me you love him,” Philip said, still gripping her hand.
“He proposed,” Lily whispered. She felt his fingers tighten around hers.
“Ow!” she yelped.
“Sorry.” He exhaled sharply. “Well, the heart wants what it wants.” He let go.
“Lily!” Daniel called from the gates.
“Phil” she started.
“Go on. Dont keep your fiancé waiting,” Philip said bitterly.
Lily walked away, feeling his gaze on her back. Shed miss more than just the collegeshed miss Philip too. Hed always been there, and shed taken him for granted.
“I told you not to come,” she snapped as she reached Daniel.
“Dont be cross. I was worried.” He leaned in for a kiss, but she dodged it. Glancing back, she saw Philip was no longer by the doors.
“Shall we go? Mums expecting us for lunch. She wants to discuss the wedding Oh, these are for you.” Daniel handed her the bouquet.
“I havent said yes yet,” Lily muttered.
“Mums found a lovely venue” he carried on, ignoring her.
Lily had hoped to talk to Philip after graduation, but he never showed.
“Wheres Samuels?” she asked his friend, Michael.
“He collected his diploma yesterday and left for London. Some relative offered him work. Lucky sod.”
Lily nearly cried. She skipped the celebrations and went straight home, hurt that Philip had left without a wordafter all his talk of love.
Neither called the other. Pride, mostly. Two months later, Lily married Daniel.
Seven years passed.
“Hi. Got a minute?” Lily asked, stepping into the gynaecologists office. “Ugh, how do you work here? I hate that torture chair.”
“Lils! Come in. Perfect timingjust finished for the day.” Olivia grinned. “Howve you been?”
They caught up, but Lily kept glancing at the nurse by the instrument tray.
“Rachel, you can go,” Olivia said, taking the hint.
“So, not just a social call? Finally expecting?” Olivia asked once they were alone.
“I wish. I need advice. Daniel and I its not working. Honestly, its all gone sour. His mother keeps insisting its my fault. Ive done some tests, but I dont want the local clinic gossiping. Can you help?” Lily looked at her hopefully.
“Of course. Show me what youve got.”
Lily placed a folder on the desk. Olivia studied it carefully.
“So?” Lily pressed.
“Minor irregularities, but otherwise fine. Youll need further tests. Who examined youSmith? Has your husband been checked?”
“God, no. Wouldnt even consider it.”
“Right. Can you come tomorrow at eight? Perfect. Lils, its so good to see you. Now, spill.”
“Whats to say? A year ago, I caught Daniel in his office with his assistant. Wanted a divorce then and there, but his mother and mine ganged up on meconvinced me not to throw away a marriage over a bit of fun. As if! The assistant was sacked, but things between us never recovered.
Mum said all men stray eventually, no point making a fuss. Just have a baby, and itll all sort itself out. Like its that simple.”
The next day, Lily returned for more tests.
“Well?” she asked, straightening her blouse.
“See for yourself.” Olivia slid over scans and results.
“Here. And here.” She pointed at faint marks.
“A tumour? But Ive been checked so many times” Lily stared in horror. “Surgery?”
“Youre a doctoryou know the drill. Best do it in London. Listen, Ive got Samuels number. Hell refer you to a specialist. Ill call him now”
“No! Not yet. Let me do it,” Lily whispered.
“Alright. But dont wait.” Olivia scribbled down the number. “Lils Im so sorry.”
Lily wandered the streets, numb. She felt finejust the odd backache. Not even thirty, and now this? Sunshine, future plans, dreams of a childgone. Surgery, chemo Why her?
She couldnt face telling her parents yet. Shed say she needed a break, take leave, and go to London.
Exhausted, she returned home. Daniel was glued to his computer.
“Daniel Daniel!”
“What?” He didnt look up.
“Are you hungry?”
“Dont bother me. The datas not matching.”
Typical. Always too busy with his spreadsheets to care.
“Daniel, I need to go away. A couple of weeks, maybe longer. Did you hear me?”
“Mhm,” he muttered, still typing.
Good. No interrogation. She made him coffee, reheated dinner, and left it by his desk. He snatched a bite without looking. She sighed and went to bed.
That night, she tossed and turned. Daniel climbed in beside her.
“Did you say something earlier?”
She pretended to sleep.
Soon, his breathing steadied. She slipped out to the kitchen, staring at the city lights until dawn, then crawled under the covers and finally slept.
The next day, she requested leave, packed lightly, and left before Daniel wokejust a note on the table.
London was chaos. From the station, she called Philip. He answered immediately.
“Hi!” she chirped, forcing cheer.
Silence.
“Phil? You there?”
“I Lily? After all these years? Cant believe it.”
“Neither can I. You once said if I ever needed help Well, I do.”
“Of course. Whats wrong?”
“Can we meet? Ill come to your clinic.”
“Youre in London? Ill text the address. Cant believe this”
An hour later, Lily peered into the doctors lounge.
“Hello?”
“Lily!” Philip stood, stunned.
She studied himhow had she missed how handsome hed become? Probably broke a few nurses hearts.
“Sit. Tea? Coffee?”
“Im here as a patient,” she said, taking a seat.
Philip sobered instantly. “Go on.”
Lily slid over her folder. He scrutinised the results, glancing at her between notes. Her hands trembledwhether from nerves or his presence, she wasnt sure.
“Where are you staying?” he finally asked.
“Nowhere. Came straight from the train.”
“Luggage?”
“In the cloakroom.”
“Good. Ill get you a room. You must be exhausted. Theres a decent café downstairs if youre hungry. RestIll consult colleagues and be back. A nurse will take your details.”
“Phil, just tell me. Do I need surgery?”
“Too soon to say.”
Over the next few days, she underwent more tests, IVs, injections. Philip visited but avoided discussing her condition. Finally, on the third day, the nurse said he was waiting.
“Its bad, isnt it?” Lilys heart pounded.
Philip placed scans and reports before her.
“Im too nervous to read this. Just tell me,” she pleaded.
“Nothing to tell. Youre perfectly healthy.” He smiled.
“What? But the tumour”
“There wasnt one. Just inflammationOlivia misread it. Weve treated it. No surgery needed.”
“Healthy” Lily repeated, flipping through the scans. She looked up and burst into tears.
“Crying over good news?” He handed her a tissue.
“Happy tears.” She blew her nose. “Cant believe it. Thank you, Phil.”
“Dont thank me. Stay a few more days to finish treatment. Call your husbandgive him the good news.”
Lily stopped crying, staring.
“He doesnt know. I just left. No kids, his mother blames me So I got tested and Wait, any openings for a GP here?”
“Youd stay? Ill ask.” Hope flickered in his eyes.
“God, I cant believe it. Id already made peace with”
“Mistakes happen,” Philip said softly.
Three days later, Lily returned home, resigned from her clinic, and faced Daniels furious mother.
“Had your fun?” the woman snapped. “Weve been worried sick!”
“I warned Daniel”
“Useless daughter-in-law! Cant even give him a child”
“Enough!” Lily shouted. The woman froze. “I can have children. Your sons the one who needs checking. Watch me pack if youre so worried Ill steal something.”
The woman spluttered and left.
Lily told her parents she was leaving Daniel, ignoring her mothers protests. Nothing held her here now.
Philip kept his wordgot her a job at his hospital. Just like college, he was there again. But only after her divorce did she let herself return his affection.
“Marry me?” he asked one day. “Or am I still hopeless?”
“I made a mistake. Let me fix it. You left so suddenly back thenI never got to say I didnt want to marry Daniel. Mum pressured me”
“I was hurt.”
A year later, Lily married Philip and had a healthy son.
Well, mistakes happenin life and in medicine. As they say, nobodys perfect.
