My Shorts, and Flash Fictions - 1. Prompt #576 – First Line "How much longer do I have, doctor?"

“How much longer do I have, doctor?” Marcus asked as he looked over to Doctor Morgan as he walked in.

“Not much longer, just got a prostate exam to do for your physical, and then you can go back to your day,” the Doctor replied with a soothing tone.

“Do we have to? You know I don’t like getting those.”

“Unfortunately, yes; with both your Brother and Father developing Prostate Cancer, you’re at a much higher risk than normal. Your blood work, came back fine, and the MRI shows you’re cancer free, but we’ve got to do a physical test to see if your prostate is enlarged.”

“Alright, let’s get it over with,” Marcus says with a sigh. He hated going to the Doctor, he hated getting poked and prodded, and his blood drawn, and everything else that went along with Physicals and Doctor’s visits. He’d been putting this off for days, knowing that it was inevitable, but after his Husband’s demand that he go and get checked, he relented and scheduled the appointment.

Doctor Morgan was the Family Doctor that Marcus had seen all his life. He trusted him, and though he was only Twenty-two-years-old, he knew these exams were important. Marcus bent over, letting the Doctor do his test, and was finished in no time flat.

“There you go. You can pull up your underwear, and get comfortable.”

“How is it Doc,” Marcus asked again, this time a bit nervous.

“All within normal parameters for a man your age,” Doctor Morgan replied. “I can say you’ve passed this physical with flying colors. Though I did notice something with your blood work.”

“What is it Doc?”

“Well, this is the first time I noticed this. Your Dad and Brother are both ‘A’ positive blood type, while your Mother is ‘AB’ positive. Your blood type, Marcus, is ‘O’ positive. An improbable occurrence, in a Family’s like this. The Children of such parents can only be one of three blood types; A, AB, or B. Never type O.”

“What are you telling me Doc? That my parents are not my parents?” Marcus asked stunned.

“There is no easy way to say this, but yes, it is not possible that they are your biological parents,” he says with a hint of compassion, mixed with a bit of sadness. “I’ll let you get dressed, and I’ll send your Husband, Phillip, in for you.”

“Thanks,” was all Marcus could reply. After Doctor Morgan stepped out, Marcus mechanically got dressed and was sitting numbly on the exam gurney, when his Husband walked in. He hadn’t noticed when he started crying, but as Philip walked over to him, Marcus began to bawling and grasped onto his love.

“What’s wrong babe?” Phillip asked, scared. “Was there a problem with the tests?”

“No… Yes… Maybe… I don’t know,” Marcus replied between sobs. “It’s not cancer… but… Doctor Morgan discovered that my parents couldn’t be mine.” He lost himself in a fit of crying, as he leaned in on Philip’s chest.

Philip comforted his husband, wrapping him in his strong arms, and kissing the top of his head softly, “It will be alright Hun. We’ll get out of here, and call your Parents. Even if they are not your biological parents, they still love you. Remember that.”

They left the office shortly after, for a drive home in silence.

The End, maybe...