What a difference a word makes

In the consulting room the doctor explained to me what happens.
'The consultants sit around a table and discuss the patients' cases. There is a radiologist, an oncologist ...'
I didn't hear anything else until her last word, '... risk.'

My stomach had done a triple back flip and my brain had frozen. I'd also gone deaf it seems.

'I'm sorry, what did you say?' I stuttered.
'You are low risk.'

I could breathe again.