Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the characters…
Summary: After suffering from breast cancer, Emily decides to work with young cancer patients fighting the deadly disease. However, being with these patients brings back painful memories. Since Emily has so much to live for, wouldn't it be best to just forget about everything connected with cancer?
Author's Note: This fic is one of my sadder, more emotional stories beginning with Emily finding out she has cancer, than her road to recovery. This story may be upsetting to those of you who are easily affected by dying and sickness.
"My personal goals are to be happy, healthy and to be surrounded by loved ones". -Kiana Tom
*~OoO~*
So Much To Live For
Six Months Ago…
Emily tapped her feet nervously on the white tile floor in the waiting room of the hospital. Twenty minutes had passed since she had taken her yearly mammogram. Now she was awaiting her results for the test. She hated mammograms. They were painful and nerve racking, but she knew that they were a necessity for women over the age of forty.
Where is the doctor? Emily thought. All around her, other women were sitting down, reading magazines calmly and using their iPods. Why did Emily have such a bad feeling about this mammogram? She had taken them before, for two years in fact. One by one, the other patients were being called in for the breast exam, some going in to see the results and all of them looked confident that the results were going to be okay, all except her.
Emily's heart skipped a beat when the tall, blonde doctor that had given her the exam appeared in the doorway of the waiting room, holding a clipboard in one hand and a dark blue, ballpoint pen in the other.
"Emily Prentiss?" she called anxiously into the crowd.
Emily stood up, picking up her purse and following the doctor, her heeled black boots clicking nervously on the sparkling white floor. The doctor led her into the exam room once again. Emily could feel the butterflies in her stomach taking flight once again.
The blonde doctor closed the door behind both women and sat in a cushioned seat, motioning for Emily to sit in the seat across from her.
*~OoO~*
Is everything alright, Doctor Robinson?" Emily asked intently. Being a profiler, she could tell that something was wrong by the doctor's upset scowl.
"Emily, I have good news and bad news" answered Dr. Robinson. "Which do you want to hear first?"
"Can you tell me the good news first?" Emily replied, chewing her lower lip in anticipation. The angst in the room was killing her.
The doctor frowned and drew in a deep breath. "We are having some wonderful weather today, don't you think, Ms. Prentiss?"
That was all it took for Emily to almost release the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. She could tell that the bad news wasn't going to be good.
"Tell me the bad news" she murmured nervously, crossing her arms tightly over her chest and closing her eyes, preparing to hear the worst from the doctor.
"You have stage 3 breast cancer" Dr. Robinson said softly, taking hold of Emily's trembling hand. She was frozen, trying to process the fact that she had breast cancer. About a million questions made their way into Emily's head; was this cancer treatable? Would she survive? Would she ever see her family again?
"Emily, it's a good thing that we caught the cancer in an earlier stage. It is treatable and there are chances of survival in this stage, but you must get treatments done right away. If you don't, the cancer may become worse, changing to a more serious stage that could be deadly. There are some support groups that I can recommend that you join for some stability in this difficult situation".
The tears came down Emily's cheeks before she could stop them. Dr. Robinson gently hugged her in a means of support. While crying over the other woman's shoulder, Emily felt like the weight on her heart had become even heavier.
Wiping her teary, swollen, brown eyes on her sleeve, Emily looked into the doctor's sympathetic blue ones. "What kind of treatments would help cure this disease?"
"Well first, I would recommend getting most of the tumors removed surgically, along with some radiation or chemo therapy. I am going to be perfectly honest with you; these treatments are not going to be pleasant. They have side effects that include vomiting, being tired, nauseous, depressed and a loss of weight, some loss of hair and appetite".
"Which treatment is worse?" Emily asked slowly.
"Well in your case, I would say radiation is the better choice. Chemo is a more intense form of recovery; the side effects double that of radiation. But, it is up to you to choose exactly what you want. Whatever you are more comfortable with, you can take". Dr Robinson handed Emily a packet of information about her type of cancer and the forms of recovery.
After a period of silence, Emily finally asked the question that had been in her mind since the doctor had broken the unfortunate news to her.
"What are my chances of survival in this stage?"
Dr. Robinson folded her hands on her lap. "Well, with forms of treatment and constant supervision, your chances of survival are about 75 to almost 95 percent of survival. If you don't get treatments, than your chances of survival are about 20 to 35 percent, with the fact that once cancer hits the fourth stage, survival is really not an option".
*~OoO~*
"Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity" -Hippocrates
*~OoO~*
Let me know if you think this is good or not. I don't
know if I should continue. Reviews are appreciated so
much!