CHAPTER 514: A MOTHER'S BURDEN

The hospital waiting room was a place of quiet despair. It was mid-afternoon, and the sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting a warm glow over the rows of plastic chairs and the beige walls. Eleanor sat in one of the chairs, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Her face was pale, and the worry lines around her eyes seemed more profound than usual. She wore a simple navy-blue sweater over a pair of gray slacks, and her brown hair, pulled back into a loose ponytail, showed strands of gray that reflected her sleepless nights. She glanced occasionally at her watch, then at the door to the hallway, as if willing the doctor to appear sooner. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of coffee from the vending machine near the entrance. The room needed to be more sparsely populated. A young couple sat across from Eleanor, holding hands and whispering, their eyes occasionally darting to the clock on the wall. A tired-looking woman with a crum