Mistake
Lily stepped out of the lecture hall, and Philip was waiting for her right away.
“So, howd it go?” Philip looked at her with a mix of worry and admiration.
“Brilliant!” Lily waved her exam record in front of him. “And you?”
“Well done! Never doubted you.” Philip winced slightly. “I got a bit muddledended up with a B. Fancy celebrating?”
Lily dropped her gaze and hesitated.
“What, am I out of luck again?” Philip guessed.
“Sorry. Denis is probably waiting for me already.”
“Right,” Philip sighed, not hiding his disappointment. “How could I ever compete with a future star of science? At least let me walk you to the gates, since thats all Im good for?” He took her hand and led her toward the staircase down to the ground floor.
The ornate iron steps hummed faintly under their feet. As they walked, Lily thought about how much shed miss this grand old staircase, the ancient medical school building with its smell of formaldehyde and old paper, where even on the hottest days it stayed cool and dim.
Philip pushed open the heavy door, and they stepped outside. Lily spotted Denis at the gates immediatelytall, holding flowersand flushed.
“Tell me, do you love him?” Philip still held her hand.
“Hes proposed.” She felt his fingers tighten around hers.
“Ow!” she cried out.
“Sorry.” He exhaled and let go. “Well, the heart wants what it wants.”
“Lily!” Denis called from the gates.
“Phil” she started.
“Go on, dont keep the groom waiting,” Philip said bitterly.
As she walked away, she could feel his eyes on her back. It wasnt just the university shed missit was Philip, too. Shed grown used to him always being there, often taking him for granted.
“I told you not to come,” she snapped when she reached Denis.
“Dont be cross. I was worried.” He leaned in for a kiss, but she dodged it. Glancing back, she saw Philip was no longer at the door.
“Shall we go? Mums expecting us for lunch. She wants to talk about the wedding Oh, these are for you.” Denis handed her the bouquet.
“I havent said yes yet,” Lily reminded him.
“Mums found a lovely venue” he carried on, as if he hadnt heard.
Lily had hoped to speak to Philip after graduation, but he never showed.
“Wheres Samuels?” she asked his friend, Mike.
“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 hadnt even told her he was leaving. After all his talk of love.
Neither of them calledpride got in the way. Two months later, Lily married Denis.
Seven years passed.
“Hi. Got a minute?” Lily stepped into the gynaecologists office. “Ugh. How do you work here? I cant stand that torture chair.”
“Lily! Come in. Perfect timingmy last patient just left. How are you?”
They caught up, but Lily kept glancing at the nurse by the instrument table.
“Rachel, you can go,” Olivia said, picking up on the hint.
“Youre not here just to chat, are you? Finally expecting?” Olivia asked once they were alone.
“I wish. I need advice. Denis and I its not working. Honestly, everythings a mess. His mum keeps hinting its my fault. Ive had some tests done, but I dont want to do the full workup at my local clinictoo many gossips. Can you help?” Lily looked at her hopefully.
“Of course. Lets see what youve got.”
Lily handed over a folder. Olivia studied the contents carefully.
“So?” Lily pressed.
“Minor irregularities, but nothing alarming. Youll need further tests. Who examined youDr. Smalling? Has your husband been checked?”
“Of course not. Wouldnt even consider it.”
“Right. Can you come in tomorrow at eight? Perfect. God, its so good to see you. Now, tell me everything.”
“Whats to tell? A year ago, I caught Denis in his office with his assistant. I wanted a divorce, but then his mum and my mum ganged up on metalked me out of destroying the family over a silly fling. Can you believe it? Just a bit of fun, apparently. The assistant was sacked, but things between us have been rotten ever since.”
“Mum says all men cheat eventually, and I shouldnt make a fuss. That having a baby would fix everything. Like its all on me.”
The next day, Lily returned for more tests.
“Well?” she asked, smoothing her blouse as she sat down.
“See for yourself.” Olivia laid out the scans and results.
“See here? And here.” She pointed to faint marks on the image.
“A tumour? But Ive been examined so many times” Lily stared in horror. “So, surgery?”
“Youre a doctoryou know the drill. Best do it in London. Listen, Ive got Samuels number. He wont refusehell refer you to a top specialist. Let me call him.” Olivia reached for her phone.
“Dont. Not now. Ill do it myself,” Lily said quietly.
“Up to you. But dont wait. Ill text you his number. Lily Im sorry its turned out like this.”
Walking home, Lily tried to process it all. She felt finejust the odd backache. Not even thirty, and after this surgery, shed never have children. A sunny day, future plans, dreams of a family Was it really all going to end like this? Surgery, chemo Why her?
She wandered the city for hours, running through every possible outcome. She wouldnt tell her parents yetno need to worry them prematurely. Shed say she was exhausted, take leave, and go to London.
By the time she got home, she was drained. Denis was at his computer, as usual.
“Denis” she called. “Denis!”
“What?” He didnt look up.
“Are you hungry?”
“Dont bother me. These figures wont balance themselves,” he snapped.
Typical. Always buried in his spreadsheets, his researchnever any time for her.
“Denis, I need to go away for a bit. A fortnight, maybe longer. Are you listening?”
“Mhm,” he muttered, still typing.
Good. At least he wouldnt grill her: where, why? She made him coffee, reheated some food, and left it on the table. He grabbed a bite without looking up. Lily sighed and went to bed.
That night, she tossed and turned. She heard Denis undress and climb in beside her.
“Did you say something earlier?” he asked.
She pretended to sleep.
Soon, his breathing steadied. She got up and went to the kitchen, staring out at the city lights, the occasional car rushing home. Eventually, she crawled under the covers and fell asleep.
The next morning, she requested unpaid leave, citing personal reasons. She packed lightly, checked the fridgeenough food for a few days, till his mum took over.
She left at dawn, while Denis still slept, leaving a brief note. London greeted her with noise and chaos. From the station, she called Philip. He answered almost instantly.
“Hi,” she said, forcing cheerfulness.
She pulled the phone away, checking the connection. Still there.
“Phil? Can you hear me?”
“I can,” he finally replied. “Lily? Blimey. After all these years Didnt expect this.”
“Neither did I. You once said if I ever needed help Well, I do.”
“Of course. Whats wrong?”
“Can we meet? I can come to your clinic.”
“Youre in London? Ill text the address. Cant believe it”
An hour later, Lily peered into the doctors lounge.
“May I?”
“Lily!” Philip stood to greet her.
She studied him curiously. Where had her eyes been before? Hed filled out, grown even handsomer. Probably broken a few nurses hearts along the way.
“Sit down.” He gestured to the sofa. “Tea? Coffee?”
“Im here as a patient,” she said, taking a chair.
Philip sobered instantly. “Go on.”
Lily pulled out her folder and slid it across. “Take a look.”
He pored over the results, glancing at her between notes. She was oddly calm, but her hands trembledwhether from nerves or his nearness, she couldnt tell.
“Where are you staying?” he finally asked.
“Nowhere. Came straight here from the train.”
“Your things? Left them in storage?”
“No. My suitcase is in the cloakroom.”
“Good. Lets get you settled in a room. You must be exhausted. Theres a decent café downstairs if youre hungry. RestIll consult with colleagues and come back. A nurse will pop in to set up your file.”
“Phil, arent you going to say anything? Do I need surgery?”
“Too soon to say. Lets see”
Over the next few days, Lily underwent more tests, saw specialists, had drips and injections.
Philip visited, chatting about everything but her condition. On the third day, a nurse told her Dr. Samuels wanted to see her in his office.
“Its bad, isnt it?” Lily asked as she sat down, her heart pounding.
Without a word, Philip laid out the scans and specialist reports.
“Im too nervousI cant focus. Just tell me,” she pleaded, twisting her fingers.
“Nothing to tell. Youre perfectly healthy,” he said, smiling.
“What? But the tumour” Her voice shook.
“There wasnt one. Just inflammation, which Olivia misread. Weve treated it with antibiotics and IVs. See for yourself. Its not entirely gone, but no surgery needed.”
“Im healthy Healthy.” Lily flipped through the reports, staring at the scans. When she looked up at Philip, tears spilled over.
“There she goes. Should be celebrating, and shes bawling.” He handed her a tissue.
“Happy tears,” she sniffed. “I cant believe it. I saw it myself Thank you, Phil.”
“Dont thank me. Stay a few more days to finish treatment. Call your husbandgive him the good news.”
Lily stopped crying abruptly, staring at him with red-rimmed eyes.
“He doesnt know. I just said I was leaving. We dont have kidshis mum decided its my fault. I started getting checked, and then Listen, any openings for a GP at your clinic?”
“You want to stay? Ill ask.” Hope flickered in his eyes.
“God, its unreal. Id already I was saying goodbye to everything.”
“Mistakes happen, you know that,” Philip said softly, gazing at her.
Three days later, Lily returned home. She handed in her resignation at the clinic.
When she got back, her mother-in-law was waiting.
“Had your fun?” the woman snapped. “Weve been worried sick!”
“I told Denis I was leaving”
“Dont you dare!” Her mother-in-law rantedshed known it would end like this, Lily would get nothing, good riddance to a barren wife
“Enough!” Lily raised her voice. The older woman fell silent. “I can have children. But your son needs checking. I think you know that. Care to watch me pack? Make sure I dont take anything extra?”
Her mother-in-law flushed, muttered something, and left.
Lily visited her parents, announced she was leaving Denis and moving away. Ignoring her mothers protests, she walked out. That was that. Nothing held her here anymore. No kids, no grudgesthe divorce would be quick. If needed, shed return to finalise it.
Philip kept his word. He spoke to the hospital director, and Lily was hired in the GP department. Just like at uni, he was by her side again. But only after the divorce did she let herself respond to his affection.
“Will you marry me? Or am I still out of luck?” he asked one day.
“I made a mistake. I want to put it right. Just give me time. You left so suddenly back thenI never got to say I didnt agree to marry Denis. Mum pressured me”
“I was so hurt”
A year later, Lily married Philip and gave birth to a healthy son.
Well, mistakes happennot just in life, but in medicine too. As they say to err is human.
