She knew that she might not be able to do the same for her dad. Olivia wept. Over the coming weeks and months Frank went through radiation and Chemotherapy. It took a lot out of him, and he was determined to fight this monster.
Word had got through to Stan about the Frank’s condition, and he went into investigating alternative medicine to find out a cure to this disease. Olivia also decided that a part-time nurse would come in and make sure to keep on top of Frank’s condition and help him out when he needed it.
Frank seemed to be tired and slept a lot of the time, but would always show life, happiness and resolve when Carla and Robert would come to visit. These visits became more and more precious. As he knew that the time left during his one and only life could very well be coming to a close soon.
Carla and Frank fell more in love as time went by, and slept by his side every night. Robert slept in his crib within hearing distance.
One morning before radiation treatment, Frank said to Carla, “My sweet Carla, I don’t know what’s going to happen with my disease, but I know that I love you. I don’t know if I have 5 weeks or 50 years to live, but whatever time I have left I want it to be with you. Would you marry me?”
Carla lost all train of thought, was facing the window and Frank saw her wipe away tears from her eyes. She turned around and ran over to Frank and said, “Oh Frank, of course I’ll marry you,” and they hugged and kissed.
That day Frank and Carla then made the announcement to Olivia and John that they loved each other and that they were going to be getting married. Olivia then hugged Carla and her dad, and John said, “I’m really glad to see that the two of you are going to be tying the knot,” and they all hugged too.
To celebrate the occasion they all shared a bottle of champagne. The ceremony was a very small engagement in their home with a justice of the peace, Stan, a few friends with elegant music and catering.
Even though this was a small event, Carla wore a beautiful white dress and Frank wore a black tuxedo. Carla and Frank then made their own customized vows to each other and proclaimed them to each other at the ceremony.
After the vows were performed, they exchanged rings and passionately kissed. Even though there were only a few people at the event, the applause and cheering was almost deafening.
During the catered event, Stan had a quiet discussion with Olivia and John about some excellent alternative treatments that would help cure Frank’s cancer, and how he’d help get the treatments to Frank. Olivia then hugged Stan.
Stan, Olivia, Frank, Carla and John sat down and they discussed the exciting alternative medicine cure to his cancer. Frank looked a little more chipper on this, his and Carla’s day.
For the next two weeks Carla and Frank spent alone out in the grandpa and now grandma suite. They would have taken a long vacation, but that would involve Frank missing his critically needed radiation treatments.
Olivia, through Stan hired a temporary help to see that everything was okay around the house for the two week period. The radiation treatments and Chemotherapy went well during this period, and with little Robert, Carla, Olivia and John nearby.
For six months Frank, and Carla had a good time together.
***
At the end of all the radiation treatments that he could take for his disease, he had a follow-up appointment with his doctor. The doctor then looked at his outward appearance and said that he really looked good.
Frank replied, “I’m in love and have married the woman I love, with my daughter, grandson and son-in-law living right beside me.”
The doctor then congratulated Frank.
The doctor said, “Frank, you’re going to have some routine follow-up tests and hopefully you’ll be in near perfect health.”
The follow-up tests were carried out and the doctor and the specialists got together. The senior doctor called Frank up and scheduled an appointment with him, and then he called Olivia and asked her and Carla be there too.
At the appointment, the doctor said, “Frank, We’ve given you the full gamut of radiation and Chemotherapy for your cancer and it’s spread to all of the major organs of your body. If the disease had have been detected earlier, or medical progress had advanced enough then we could have done more. I’m so very sorry.”
Frank’s expression was that of a broken man where Carla and Olivia cried and both of them hugged Frank. Olivia then whispered to Frank, “We’ll keep fighting with the alternative medicine.”
Olivia hugged her dad and whispered in his ear, “Dad, don’t worry we’ll try alternative medicine and hopefully it’ll do the job.” When Frank was looking away, Carla and Olivia then gave each other a ominous look.
Stan’s alternative medicine’s did curtail some of the negative effects of the cancer but it clearly wasn’t enough. Slowly Frank’s condition deteriorated and everyone could see it.
Frank let it be known to everyone that he wanted to stay at home and be nursed there, regardless of the outcome. Frank looked troubled one day, and one evening when Carla was out shopping, called Olivia over to their Grandparent suite.
Olivia knocked at the door, and Frank came to the door and opened it soon thereafter. Olivia then said, “How is our newly wed doing this evening? I see that Carla’s not here right now.”
Frank said, “Oh Carla’s out shopping this evening, as I think she needs some time out from me.”
Olivia could see the seriousness on Frank’s face and her expression changed. Olivia then said, “What’s wrong dad?”
Frank spoke up and said, “Olivia, this has been burrowing on my soul for a long-time and I’ve never spoke of this before.” After a pause he continued, “Olivia, do you remember when I was a senior engineer and owner of my own alternative energy company?”
Olivia replied. “Of course dad. It always troubled me that you lost all funding and closed your company.”
Frank paused and said, “Olivia, there was a lot more to this story that you might think. When I started this business, I had a vision to create a vehicle that would be completely free of pollution and would almost be maintenance free. It was my life’s work and dream to make the world a better place through this technological innovation.”
“I had done the impossible and the only thing that held me back was the critically needed funding for some final Research and Development, and marketing.”
“After doing some research, a Green Company came through the front door of my business and said that it has some serious investors that had very deep pockets. They said, they would become controlling partners of my corporation, in exchange for all the funding that I’d ever need.”
After a long sigh, Frank continued, “Naively, I thought that my ship had come in. I thought, well I’d like a controlling share in my business, but it’s better to have some control rather than have no product come out on the market. After consulting with my lawyer, I signed the papers.”
“Soon thereafter, the funding came in and I thought all was well. But soon thereafter the lawyers for this ‘Green Company’ came in and said that they were pulling out all funding and closing the company.”
“Later I found out that they were representing the oil interests out there, and the EPA. You see with no need for oil, there would be no pollution and thus no need for the EPA or the oil companies. They were going to fold my business up, and did.”
“I was offered two million dollars to shut-up and I had to sign a non-disclosure clause. I signed it and thought the matter was closed.”
Soon thereafter, I was leaving work one night really late after announcing the closure of our company due to a lack of funding. All of a sudden, some men with Bela clava’s over their face drove up to me and got out of a Hummer. They forced me to the ground and put a gun to my head.