Chapter 6 - The Handover
The next morning, room 412 looked different.
Dr. Vance, a towering, silver-haired oncologist with a booming voice and a gentle bedside manner, stood at the foot of Ivy’s bed, reviewing her chart.
Nora sat in the visitor chair, while Elias stood quietly near the doorway, wearing his white coat for one final morning rounds before officially stepping back.
Ivy looked between the two doctors, her sharp eyes narrowing.
“Why does Dr. Vance have my chart?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Are you firing me as your patient, Dr. Grant?”
Elias walked slowly to the side of the bed, stopping just out of arm’s reach.
“Not firing you, Ivy,” Elias said, his voice calm and deliberate. “Promoting you.”
“To what?”
“To a patient who is getting a new stem cell transplant next week.” Dr. Vance smiled warmly, stepping back to give them space. “I’ll be taking over your primary care while Dr. Grant takes a short, mandatory vacation.”
Ivy tilted her head, her gaze shifting from Dr. Vance to Elias, and then down to the small bandage on the inside of Elias’s left elbow—visible where his shirtsleeve was pushed up slightly.
A blood draw. Confirmatory testing completed.
Ivy’s eyes widened just a fraction.
“You’re G-714,” she whispered, so quietly that Dr. Vance didn't hear.
Elias didn't answer with words. He simply gave her a single, slow nod.
Ivy’s mouth opened in pure astonishment—an expression so rare on the usually stoic eight-year-old that Nora caught her breath.
“You’re the match,” Ivy breathed.
“I am,” Elias said softly. “Which means my job changes. I won’t be writing your medication orders anymore. My only job now is to make sure my cells are strong enough to give you a run for your money on the playground.”
Ivy stared at him, her usual quick comebacks momentarily failing her. Then, slowly, a brilliant, genuine smile spread across her face—the first real, untroubled smile Nora had seen on her daughter in over a year.
“Does this mean,” Ivy asked, her voice gaining strength, “that the wedding is back on?”
Nora buried her face in her hands, though she couldn't stop the laughter bubbling up in her throat. “Ivy, I swear to—”
“It’s under consideration,” Elias interrupted smoothly, a twinkle in his dark eyes as he looked at Nora. “Pending final contract negotiations with your mother, of course.”
“She’ll say yes,” Ivy declared with absolute authority. “She already bought better coffee.”
May you like
Dr. Vance chuckled, tapping his folder against his thigh. “Well, I’ll leave you all to your negotiations. I’ll check back in this afternoon for the pre-transplant briefing.”
With a friendly nod, the senior oncologist stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
