I want to say thank you to everyone who keeps reading this. Writing has become one of my many passions, I think. 😀 Yes this is long (well actually I think they all will be long I can’t seem to make short chapters but oh well I know we all love long chapters anyway) SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADOOOOOOOOO…
A happy ringtone flooded from Hailey’s iPhone. Jaime was calling! Probably the results of her test. Hailey answered. “Hello?”
Sobs echoed from the other end. Hailey began to panic.
“Jaime? What’s wrong? Why are you crying? What happened? Are you OK?” More sobs.
“Oh, Hailey!”
“Jaime, please! Tell me what’s the matter!”
“Hailey…the tests…they came back and…” More sobs and soothing words from Hailey were needed before Jaime was calm enough to explain. “The doctor called this morning and told us the test results had come in, and we needed to go to the hospital right away. We went, and some x-rays and more tests and all that were done and they found out…Hailey!” Wailing burst once again from the other line. “Hailey! Oh, Hailey, I have cancer!”
“What?!”
“Multiple marrowlima or something. It means bone marrow cancer. I’m in the hospital right now. Hailey! Hailey,” A scream/sob pierced through Hailey’s heart. “Hailey, I have cancer!”
At first Hailey felt very strange. Every single body part was numb. Not tingly. Just…she didn’t feel anything. Like she didn’t exist, or had died. Sort of like a zombie. She couldn’t think. She just stood there holding the phone to her ear. Then she felt light and floaty. Her ears were ringing. Things started going black.
Suddenly she came back to life in one big explosion. “What? Cancer? No! Jaime, no! You can’t! What did you do? What did I do? Why? How? Jaime! Jaime!! No!” Hailey crumpled to her bedroom floor, shock pulsing through her veins.
“Hailey? Hailey, what’s wrong?” Rian appeared, wide eyed and very concerned.
“Go away! Please!” Hailey could barely make out the words.
“Tell me what’s the matter.” Rian formed the words very calmly and very slowly, as if each word was a sentance of it’s own.
“Jaime…Jaime has…cancer!!!” Hailey pushed her face into her fluffy rug, letting it absorb her tears, which were making a miniature Niagara Falls. “Jaime, you can’t have salmonela…marrowlimiona… bone-marrow-whatever cancer. This must be some stupid trick. You can’t! You just can’t!”
“But I do!”
“No! Don’t say that! It’s impossible.” Hailey forced herself to lie. But if anything, it made it worse, because reality hit her even harder than before. Practically screaming and shaking so hard she could barely stand, she said “I’m coming.” and hung up.
“Woah, Hailey, you can’t drive like that.” Rian stopped her from leaving her bedroom. “You’ll get in a crash before you even pull out of the driveway.”
“What do you expect me to do?!” By now mom had shown up. “Rian. People die from cancer. My best friend is dying. I have to go see her!”
“What?” Mom had no idea what was going on.
Rian explained. “Evidentally Jaime is in the hospital with myeloma. Bone marrow cancer.”
“Oh, honey!” Mom wrapped Hailey up in a hug. “Of course! We’ll all go!”
Hailey pulled away. “Mom, please. Just don’t. I…I need to see her alone. She probably would only be able to see one person right now anyway.”
At first mom looked a little hurt. But then she agreed and said she would get busy making a casserole or something for Jaime’s family. Rian grabbed his keys and led a hysterical Hailey to the car.
“Hailey. Before I start this car, you need to calm down.”
“MY FRIEND IS DYING. HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST CALM DOWN?!”
Rian grabbed her by the shoulders. “Look, sis. I’m not enjoying this. It hurts to see anybody go through this, but it especially hurts me this time because it’s your friend and it’s hurting you.” Hailey caught a glimmer of a tear in his eye. Last time Rian cried was when dad died. “People have survived cancer before. Just because they found out she has it today, doesn’t mean she’ll die tonight. Being as upset as you are, you’ll only stress her out more if you go see her like this. For both of you, but especially HER, own good, you NEED to calm down.”
15 minutes later they were on their way to the hospital, and 20 minutes later they were walking through the automatic doors. Hailey rushed to the desk.
“Excuse me, but do you know if Jaime Carter is available for visitors right now?” Her hands shook so bad her bracelet was bouncing around on her wrist to the point where it actually slipped off her slim hand. She bent down and picked it back up, her tremulous fingers barely holding onto it. She put it in her pocket.
The lady at the desk, who by the way really needed to not wear such bright red lipstick, narrowed her eyes at the computer. “Let me see. Who was it again?”
“Jaime Carter. She just came in today…” Her throat tightened, threatening to once again restrict her from breathing properly. She was just in absolute shock. This can’t be happening. This stuff only happens in movies and books. It’s totally impossible for your bestie to have cancer.
Once the name was found, the lady’s face softened. “Yes, I’m sure she would like your company. Take the elevator to the third floor, our cancer treatment center, and go to the right until you come to room 328.”
Hailey nodded and scurried to the elevator, nearly closing the doors on Rian. She never really liked elevators. Going up and down like that made her stomach seem to go all the way to the back of her throat. She sighed in relief as the doors opened, letting out Hailey and Rian and letting in a tearful couple with heads bent down. The woman held a handful of sympathy cards.
“I can’t believe Andy’s gone, Robert.” The woman wimpered, before the man pressed the button and the doors closed. Hailey’s eyes stung with tears. This is what cancer does to people. And Jaime says God loves everyone. Well, even if he does, and even if his Son did die for everyone, it’s obviously not doing any good! Thanks a lot, God! We love you too. Well, some of us, anyways.
Just before opening the door to room 328, Hailey stopped.
“Rian. I…”
“It’s OK. I’ll wait out here.” He gave her a hug. Even when they were little, Hailey never remembered hugging her brother. Except for one time when she had to say sorry for punching him. “Just take some deep breaths. It’s all right. Jaime will be needing some cheering up, not wailing by her bedside.” Hailey nodded weakly and stepped inside the room, closing the wooden door behind her.
“Hailey.” Jaime lay in a bed, with an IV and a few other little tubes and things attached to her. Homemade cards covered her nightstand. Her three younger brothers, Mason, Derek, and Ben-Ben, were hugging on her and talking quietly. Her parents were sitting down, clutching each others hands. Her mom had evidentally been crying. Well, her dad had been, too. It wasn’t as bad as Hailey had anticipated, but it still scared her. The worst that had happened to Jaime was a broken ankle. Or the really bad case of flu she had once.
“Jaime…” Hailey’s throat closed up for good. Her lungs seemed paralyzed. She knew she should probably relax to allow air to enter once more, but instead she ran to Jaime and gave her a hug.
Tears streaked Jaime’s cheeks. “Hailey…I’m so glad you’re here.” Jaime looked at her parents pleadingly. They got the hint and suggested to the boys that they go get some ice cream. Derek gave an especially tight hug before clambering from the bed and running to the door. The two girls just stood in silence for a few moments. Hailey tried to breath, but she just couldn’t.
“Jaime. I…I never…” Hailey couldn’t finish. She was running out of air. Her heartbeat quickened. She tried to relax, but it wouldn’t work this time. She clutched the end of the bed.
“Oh, Hailey, you’re turning blue! Are you all right?!”
Hailey shook her head. Jaime pressed the red emergency button behind her. “Help is coming. Hailey? Hailey?!”
Hailey fell to the ground, her lungs screaming. Her head felt weird. The last thing she remembered was two nurses beside her, and Rian bent over her saying something frantically and freaking out, before everything went black…
AWESOME CLIFFHANGER! and see what I mean? I was close to tears as I wrote this chapter…THIS IS GONNA GET AWESOME!!! guys do you understand why I am so excited?? I’m not quite sure either…but I’m loving this book and I can’t wait for the next chapter! I have been really busy with my birthday, (and btw I turned 15…yay!) but now that that’s over I am giving you all an explosion of Hailey and Jaime and tears…WalMart will be selling a lot of tissues and chocolate now…lol but even more once I post the next chapter (or maybe the one after that…not sure yet) *super excited freaking out crazy emoji*
Stay close to the LORD even if bad things happen (ESPECIALLY and WHEN bad things happen, I mean)
dogluvrgirl101
btw if you guys are wondering WHY IN THE WORLD THIS GIRL IS SO CRAZY FOR THE LOVE OF TOADS AND BANANA PUDDING, I kinda have ADHD so don’t judge
not like you were
BUT YOU WILL WHEN I POST THE NEXT CHAPTER AND YOU WILL HATE ME BECAUSE THEN RIAN-
oops…
i should probably shut up now
😀
