Day 1.
"And here we go with shooting day 1 of Casey's last chemo cycle, starring Casey McDonald as herself and Derek Ven…"
As she came back from the bathroom, after having changed into her new hospital gown, she smiled tiredly at him, gently putting her hand in front of the camera.
"Der-ek, this is my first cycle… and please, don't make a documentary out of it, will you?"
He shook his head, smiling back and putting away the camera. "Alright, princess. As you wish, your highness…"
She sat on the bed and took a look around her room. Everything was so tidy and perfect: the light blue walls, the white curtains on the window, the water bottle on her bedside table. It just looked all so peaceful.
He had just turned over to put their bags in the wardrobe, when she called for him. "Der…"
He froze immediately, dreading what was coming next. As he approached her moving towards the bed, memories started flashing right before his eyes. He vividly recalled that night. They had been lying on the floor for hours, too tired to get up. Kissing her forehead, he had let his fingers graze lightly against her bare hip, his head resting motionless upon her shoulder, nuzzling her neck. "How did you get that bruise, babe?"
White. Right now all he could think about was white. White streams running down her veins, white nurse uniforms, white IV bags. White. As in blank. Colorless.
"Der, can you please call Mom? She wanted to bring the family to spend the day here with me, but I'd really like for them to visit tomorrow, maybe. Or the day after it. Just… not today."
He was shaken out of his thoughts and sat next to her, nodding. "Sure. So, looks like it's just gonna be me and you today, uh? I suggest we wait for the nurses' shift change and then enjoy ourselves and…"
Casey cut him off with a swift kiss, moving his shaggy hair out of the way across his forehead. "Der, it's ok. Please, enough with blabbing today. Really, honey, you haven't stopped talking ever since we left the house earlier this morning. I'm sure you mean well and just want to cheer me up, but… it's fine. Really. As long as you don't go messing around with that blonde hospital receptionist on the first floor, I'm gonna be just fine even with you being quiet."
He sighed heavily and put his arm around her back, bringing her close and letting her temple rest against his chest. "Alright, baby. I'm sorry."
"Ah, don't be, you sexy man." She whispered, raising her head up to kiss his earlobe. "Do you think…"
The sudden shrieking sound of a woman's voice coming from behind them caused them to break apart from the cuddling before Casey could even finish her sentence.
"Alright, Miss McDonald… I'm nurse Jackie and Doctor Welsh says we might start running some preliminary tests already and then get right to the first shot, now if you'd follow me…" she paused for a moment seeing Derek stand up too. "Excuse me, you are…?"
"Uh… her boyfriend."
"Sorry, dear, only family members are allowed to…"
"Oh well now, the perks of also being her step-brother..."
Nurse Jackie stood frozen, looking quite puzzled. She sure didn't see that coming and didn't really know what to say.
"Don't worry" said the brunette, trying to relieve the embarrassment. "It sounded so freakishly creepy to me too, at first! You get used to it after a while, even our parents managed to." Casey smiled genuinely, her bright blue eyes glowing with liveliness. Nurse Jackie smiled back, gently tucking a strand of the the girl's hair behind her ear: she couldn't help but notice how pretty Casey looked. How young, she assumed as she believed the girl to be in her first 20's.
Indeed Casey had just turned 21 in December, a month prior to her diagnosis, and it had also been her and Derek's third anniversary.
As the the two of them and the nurse walked down the oncology ward, Casey began recalling the events of that day.
She woke up to a very wintry morning in their apartment in Kingston, awakened from a strange smell coming from the pillow beside hers. A plate of toasted marshmallows.
"Hey, Space Case! I see I must've got you pretty tired out last night…"
"Der-ek! Stop standing in the doorway, and come here to kiss me good morning!"
"No way! You haven't washed your teeth yet! "
"Der-ek!"
He smiled widely, suddenly running towards the bed to jump onto it, almost smashing her breakfast.
"Gosh, I'd like to eat those, Mr I like destroying everything in my path!"
He pretended not to hear the last comment and kissed the tip of her nose. "Alright princess, have breakfast quickly so we can go on with celebrating your birthday… something tells me you'll be skipping classes at college today!"
She eyed him suspiciously, taking a bite of her first marshmallow. Before she even got the chance to finish all of what was in the plate, he'd taken her out to the ice skating rink and then to the local Christmas fair she loved so much, bought her candy , and soon after that, at the end of the day, there they were, sipping hot chocolate on the couch, back at their own apartment.
"Der, this was the best day ever… I …"
"Hang on, I figured you would've also liked this…"
He disappeared into the kitchen only to come back a few moments later holding a Dvd in his hand.
"What is that?"
He proceeded to put it in the player, and then threw himself back onto the couch, allowing her to cuddle closer to his chest. As soon as the opening credit started playing on the tv screen, she immediately recognized the movie. Her favourite cartoon. Spirit, stallion of the Cimarron.
He made love to her halfway through the movie, and then as she entangled her hands in his hair letting his exhausted body rest upon hers, she began to quietly sing along the music playing from the tv, still caressing his nape.
As the needle was piercing the soft skin on her arm, Casey could feel Derek leaning down on her, humming a familiar tune in her ear:
I hear the wind call my name I know the road is long but where you are is home
The sound that leads me home again
It sparks up the fire - a flame that still burns
To you I will always return
Wherever you stay - I'll find the way
A.N. Alright guys, so this was the first chapter! English is not my first language, so please don't be harsh when reviewing… i tried my best ^_^
Just in case anyone was still wondering:
This is set after Casey and Derek are already off to college (they share the same apartment in Kingston), and already got together (later on there will be flashbacks describing how that happened). Events that took place in Vacation with Derek never happened in this fic.
And yes, sadly Casey is diagnosed with leukemia.
Italics are flashbacks or quotes from songs.
Please, review this, guys, you'd make my day! Chapter 2 will be up soon.
Disclaimer: I do not own LwD nor Spirit, stallion of the Cimarron and its soundtrack.