Скачать книгу

Year by the Football Writers Association and two days after accepting the award, he had led West Ham to their first FA Cup victory at Wembley. We were expecting our first child in January and both of us were absolutely thrilled at the prospect. And then this.

      He had noticed the lump in his testicle a few weeks earlier. The discovery had alarmed him and he’d mentioned it to the club physio, but between them they decided it was a sports injury, caused when someone kicked him in a tender place during training. It would probably disappear of its own accord in a couple of weeks. Until then, it wasn’t worth bothering the doctor. But it didn’t disappear. Instead, it became more and more painful until, turning over in bed that night and jarring it with the extra weight of my pregnant body, I put him in agony. Something was obviously badly wrong.

      The next morning, at the GP’s surgery, we saw our family doctor. Dr Kennedy was one of life’s true gentlemen and a dedicated physician who really pulled out all the stops for us. Instead of going home to Gants Hill with me, Bobby was sent straight to the London Hospital. Within twenty-four hours, he was on the operating table.

      As soon as he came round, he had a nurse ring me up. She handed him the phone. ‘I just want to tell you, I love you,’ he said.

      I sighed with relief. I’d had such a horrible, despondent feeling about the operation. ‘Everything’s going to be fine,’ I thought.

      When I went to visit him at the hospital that evening, I expected to be told he’d be well enough to come home within a few days. I hadn’t even got as far as Bobby’s bed when the consultant called me into his office. ‘I’m afraid we found cancer,’ he said.

      The consultant’s name was Mr Tresidder. I questioned the poor man over and over and he did his best to comfort and reassure me. ‘There are all kinds of tumours,’ he said.

      ’They come in all shades from grey to black, and Bobby’s was a light grey.’

      I tried to concentrate on what he was telling me, but I was so frightened for Bobby that I could barely make sense of the words. In that situation, you don’t hear anything except the word you don’t want to hear. Cancer, cancer, cancer.

      ‘Don’t tell Bobby that’s what it is,’ I begged him.

      From the beginning to the end of his treatment, Bobby and I never once mentioned the C word. I kept on asking the consultant questions; I must have driven him to distraction. I also went to the library and read up as much as I could about it, although the books weren’t very informative. I wanted to know every angle, every possibility. Most of all, I didn’t want Bobby to know. I thought it would really crush him and badly affect his chances of recovery.

      Looking back, Bobby must have realized what was wrong with him. He wasn’t stupid and besides, he had great courage. Even if Mr Tresidder had skirted round the issue, I’m convinced that Bobby would have put two and two together and pressed him for the truth. What’s more, not only do I think he was aware what the problem was but I’m pretty sure he’d made a mental vow not to disclose it to me because he wanted to protect me. All he said to me about it was, ‘Don’t tell anyone what I’m in here for.’

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QNxaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBNTTpPcmlnaW5hbERvY3VtZW50SUQ9 InhtcC5kaWQ6NjFDQzI5RDUzQTIwNjgxMThDMTQ4NkU2M0U4MkQyMjkiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50 SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6RjcyNTFGRkRCNDk4MTFFNjhBMTE5QzA4RDVCRjhGRTIiIHhtcE1NOkluc3Rh bmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6RjcyNTFGRkNCNDk4MTFFNjhBMTE5QzA4RDVCRjhGRTIiIHhtcDpDcmVh dG9yVG9vbD0iQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVk RnJvbSBzdFJlZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjdDMTMyQzI5REMyMDY4MTE4NzFGQTkwRkM5 M0ZEQzcxIiBzdFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjk0MkU2MzA1REMyMDY4MTE4NzFGQTkw RkM5M0ZEQzcxIi8+IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8 P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJyIj8+/+IIJElDQ19QUk9GSUxFAAEBAAAIFEFEQkUCQAAAbW50clJHQiBY WVogB9cAAwACAAoABwApYWNzcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAPbWAAEAAAAA 0y1iSUNDnG00pa2kRfYUbZiwUQwSbQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJY3By dAAABsQAAADJZGVzYwAAB5AAAACDd3RwdAAAAPAAAAAUclRSQwAAAQQAAAWEZ1RSQwAAAQQAAAWE YlRSQwAAAQQAAAWEclhZWgAABogAAAAUZ1hZWgAABpwAAAAUYlhZWgAABrAAAAAUWFlaIAAAAAAA APbWAAEAAAAA0y1jdXJ2AAAAAAAAArwAAAAKABUAHwAqADQAPgBJAFMAXQBoAHIAfQCHAJEAnACm ALAAuwDFANAA2gDkAO8A+QEDAQ

Скачать книгу