in
his arms
Chapter
7
“Day 5,” I
murmured as I crossed a big red ‘X’ through
today’s date, August 10th.
“Done.”
My door swung open, and Nurse Martin stormed in. “When was
the last time you ate?” she demanded.
I shrugged. “Not sure. Why?”
“Are you skipping meals?”
“If I’m not hungry I won’t eat,” I
answered coolly.
Her eyes grew hard as she leaned against the foot of the bed.
“Kail, you can’t skip meals on chemotherapy. You need
the nutrients.”
“I’ll just end up throwing it up again anyways, so
what’s the point?”
Her eyes softened slightly as she shrugged her body.
“Kaitlyn, don’t talk like that.”
I just rolled my eyes and placed the calendar underneath my bed
and my bucket list in my pocket.
“I want you to go the cafeteria and eat lunch. Every
day.”
“Every day is another dose of chemo,” I told her.
“I’m too tired to even go to the bathroom some
days.”
“Then we’ll get you a wheelchair. Either way, I want
you in the café, eating with Anthony.”
I grimaced. “Why?”
“Because he’ll make sure you’re eating. You
have to, Kail.”
I sighed heavily. “Alright, okay. I’ll go to the
café. But you have to promise that you won’t
interfere in our friendship.”
“Who’s?”
“Mine and Anthony’s.”
She grinned widely. “Okay, deal.”
I walked to the cafeteria alone that day. Anthony was in his
seat, by the window. I wondered if he was waiting for me.
I picked up a fruit cup and a plastic spork and claimed the seat
next to him. He smiled at me, like he was genuinely happy to see
me. “Hey, it’s been a while.”
I nodded, daintily playing with a grape. “Yeah.”
I glanced over to his body. It was quite obvious he started
another dosage of chemotherapy as well. His eyes had sunken in
and he’d lost weight. I noticed bruises extending up the
sleeve of his arm.
“How long are your rounds?”
He sank back to his chair. “I get a dose of chemo for four
days straight, and then I have ten days of rest period.”
His eyes were brought up to mine. “You?”
“Same.”
“When can you go home?”
“Four days. My last dose of chemo’ll be the day after
tomorrow.”
“Yeah, that’s when I’m released.”
My eyes dropped and traced the tile along the floor, and I
wondered how many people had walked this floor. How many people
who once walked it healthy were dead? I knew in just a few
month’s I’d be one of them.
#prayforKyle
Last night, a boy named Kyle, who goes to my high school, was in
a very serious car accident. His condition is still unknown. I
can't get him off my mind. It's just starting to hit me,
how real this is. How I might never see him walk the halls again.
I can't shake him from my mind.
Please, Kyle. Please be okay <3
*I don't notify, please
don't ask.*
