My note….Yes I know, it's been a little while, and I'm very sorry for that, but I wanted to wait until the last episodes aired, so I could get this story up during the hiatus, and continue it with the next part of the season. This is mainly a Spimmley (Spinner, Jimmy and Ashley) friendship story, but the others in their close-knit group will be featured too. No real spoilers to warn of(since the eps have already aired in the U.S.), just some possible minor speculation...oh, and no residual IT/WGTB friction between Jimmy and Ashley. This chapters will contain the(my version of the) "missing scenes" from DOG1&2.
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
CHAPTER 1: FIGHT OR FLIGHT
"Cancer...is he sure?", Ashley asked questionably, sinking down into the couch next to Ellie.
Jimmy nodded solemnly. "That's what he told me", he paused to looked at the shocked and scared expressions on the faces of his best friends. "...he and his mom are meeting with the oncologist as we speak".
"Poor Spin. That's gotta be scary...I mean after having to watch his dad die from lung cancer...", Marco trailed off, unable to finish.
"Yeah and cancer is hereditary", Paige piped in glumly. "My dad has to get himself checked every year because my grandpa had prostate cancer and it...".
"It's not the same thing Paige", Ellie interrupted exasperatedly. "Spinner has testicular cancer, not prostate cancer...they're completely different. Prostate cancer mainly affects older men and is twice as likely to occur if a direct family member has it. Testicular cancer is most common in young men from like 15-34 and isn't as discriminatory".
"Looks like you did your homework Nash", Jimmy gave an impressed smirk, but Ellie just shrugged noncommittally. "And so did I", he added. "Testicular cancer is one of the most easily treated form of cancer, if it's caught early enough...and Spinner's was".
"So he'll be fine then?", Paige asked cautiously.
"Well yeah, he should be", Jimmy shrugged with uncertainty. "Eventually".
Ashley laid two comforting hands on Jimmy's shoulders. She could feel the tension that they held and gently tried to knead it away. "But this isn't going to be easy for him", Ashley stated sadly. "He's gonna need us there, all of us...to help him get through it".
The group nodded somberly as the gravity of the new began to sink in.
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"He's gonna kill himself if you don't do something", Ashley pleaded, as she took a seat on the bleachers, next to Jimmy.
"So what the hell am I supposed to do?", Jimmy asked, just as pleadingly. He pushed off hard to the middle of the court, leaning down to collect the abandoned balls on the floor.
Ashley walked over to help him. "Talk to him", she offered, as she took the basketballs from Jimmy and placed them onto the rack.
"He's not gonna listen to me Ash", Jimmy stated softly, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "He's got some kinda death wish. What can I possibly say to him that'll change his mind?".
"I don't know", Ashley shrugged helplessly."Just be there for him...he's really sick, and needs his best friend right now".
Jimmy cocked his head to the side and looked up at Ashley. "That's almost the exact same thing Jane said to me", he smirked ironically.
"Jane came to talk to you, about Spin?", Ashley asked curiously. Jimmy nodded solemnly and ran his palm across the ball, sitting in his lap. The corners of Ashley's lips began pulling up slightly, "She really seems to care about him".
Jimmy shrugged indifferently and tossed the ball into the large bin in the corner of the room. "I guess", he mumbled softly as he lowered his head.
A comforting hand rested upon Jimmy's shoulder. "Just like I know you do", Ashley added pointedly.
Jimmy laid his hand on top of Ashley's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Yeah I do", he stated firmly. "Which is why I'm going to knock some sense into that thick skull...", a slight pause as he gave her a sideways glance and smiled. "...before somebody else does".
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"This is all kinda surreal", Jimmy muttered as he glanced over at the growing crowd in the alley from the passenger seat of Ashley's car.
Ashley wrinkled her forehead in concern. "What is?", she pressed cautiously.
There was a long pause and Ashley could see Jimmy's expression turn from worrisome to wistful. She softly ran her fingers across his hand, which broke him from his thoughts. "There was a time when I wanted to see Spin get the snot beat outta him...", Jimmy smirked slightly, then trailed off.
"Oh, I think a small part of you still does", Ashley teased gently.
Jimmy flashed a quick smile in her direction before peering back out the window, when the yelps and chants became louder. "I couldn't stop him", he whispered guiltily.
Ashley's hand enclosed over Jimmy's and she gave it a small squeeze. "There are just some things you can't talk a person out of doing once their mind is made up", she replied encouragingly, only realizing the double meaning of her statement, seconds later. Jimmy nodded slowly in understanding, but didn't take his eyes off of the action down the dirty alley.
Ashley immediately regretted wording her reply the way that she did. She knew how conflicted Jimmy was feeling after being told of Spinner's illness. The regret he felt in shunning his best friend for over a year, the remorse he held inside for wishing something bad would happen to Spin, during that time...payback, for his part in the shooting that changed Jimmy's life forever, the guilt he had for wasting that year blaming Spinner for something that wasn't even entirely his fault.
"And Spinner's so pig-headedly stubborn", Ashley added lightly, a genuine giggle escaping her lips.
"Yeah", Jimmy chuckled in agreement, but his smile quickly faded as he looked down into his lap. "I can't even help him", he ground out through clenched teeth.
"Sure you can Jimmy", Ashley assured him soothingly.
Jimmy looked pleading at Ashley, before turning away again. "I mean out there", he clarified, motioning to the action a few meters away.
"I know what you mean", she replied quietly, laying her head on his shoulder for comfort. "But Spinner has to learn how to fight his own battles...", there was a slight pause as Ashley lifted Jimmy's chin, level with hers. "He needs you there for support, and that's how you're going help him".
Jimmy was just about to kiss Ashley, when a loud cheer came from the crowd. He subconsciously reached for the door handle, for a split second, thinking he could just jump out of the car and...
All thoughts of self pity were pushed aside as Spinner slowly limped from the alley way. He was clutching his midsection, but wearing a victorious grin.
"You okay man?", Jimmy asked as casually as he could.
"Never better", Spinner answered triumphantly as he gingerly slid into the backseat of Ashley's car.
"Well then, let's get you to the hospital...", Ashley announced as she waited for traffic to clear. "...your mom's meeting us there".
Spinner nodded solemnly, but his cocky grin returned as he glanced over his should one more time to see the friends of Bruce the Moose, try to scoop him up off the ground.
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"He's a little groggy, but doing just fine", Mrs. Mason announced as she walked out of Spinner's hospital room. There was a collective sigh of relief from those who were sitting there, waiting for news. "Jimmy, he's asking for you", she added, acknowledging the boy she regarded like a son.
Jimmy's only hesitation was a quick glance up at Ashley before he determinately pushed off in the direction from which Mrs. Mason had just come.
The door creaked slightly. Jimmy found Spinner reclined, his head turned to see the darkening sky from the slits in the partially open blinds that hung on the windows of the room. "How're you feeling?", he asked, overly cheerful, as he pulled up next to the bed.
Spinner turned his head to reveal a goofy grin and glassy eyes to Jimmy. "Dude, I don't know what she shot in here...", he paused, lifting his arm slightly to reveal the iv line protruding from it and chuckled. "...but it's some really good shit".
Jimmy forced a small smile and nodded. "So no pain then", he blurted nervously, a second later.
"Only where Bruce kicked me in the ribs", Spinner joked, hugging his abdomen and cringing for effect. Jimmy nodded again and Spinner followed his quick glance lower. "But, ah...", he waved his hand over his lap. "...that's all good".
Jimmy was starting to look like a bobble head doll, as he took the time during the lingering silence that followed, to scan the room. "Dude, please tell me that's take-out", he gasped as his eyes landed on the container sitting on the bed table.
Spinner smirked. "Yeah, for the pathology department", he explained. "They should be here in a few minutes...ah...to...um...collect it". Jimmy blew out a heavy breath and tried to think of something to say. "They need to test it to see what kind of follow-up treatment I'll need", Spinner cut in first.
"Chemotherapy?", Jimmy asked cautiously. Spinner just shrugged and sighed. "But then with the surgery and treatment, the cancer'll be gone for good, right?", Jimmy pressed hesitantly.
"Along with my mother's hope for grandchildren", Spinner spat bitterly.
Jimmy frowned with confusion as his eyes momentarily fell upon the container again. Spinner caught his best friends expression. "I might need to have radiation treatment too...", he paused and looked back toward the window. "...let's just say radiation and sperm don't get along too well".
Jimmy took inhaled deeply at the realization. "Couldn't you just bank?", he asked casually.
"Huh?", Spinner's eyes snapped back to Jimmy.
"Bank...your sperm", he prompted, enunciating each word.
"Like at a sperm bank?", Spinner asked incredulously.
Jimmy chalked it up to the drugs and bit back smirk. "Yeah", he answered simply. "Just deep freeze it 'til you're ready...that's what I did".
Spinner's mouth dropped open in shock and he sat up a little straighter in the bed. "Why would you need to do that...you never had any radiation...".
"No", Jimmy let out a small laugh before turning serious again. "But as you know, my body doesn't exactly work the way it's supposed to".
"I thought you found a pill that was working for you", Spinner replied questioningly.
Jimmy shrugged, slightly embarrassed by the direction this conversation was inevitably going. "Yeah for just that one issue, though", he responded hesitantly. "...but all other functions are affected too". Jimmy gestured with a raised eyebrow, but was only met with a blank stare from Spinner. "Okay", Jimmy sighed heavily, as he prepared to give Spinner the 101 on his bodily issues. "In order to make a baby, you need to...", he trailed off uncomfortably.
Spinner's eyes became as wide as saucers. "Dude...you can't...um...ya know", he stuttered disbelievingly and made some kind of motion with his hands. Jimmy cringed to himself, confused, but mostly because he was starting to understand what Spinner was implying.
"No, I can...just not with the ending result", Jimmy continued gently, sighing with exasperation when he noticed the gawk still on Spinner's face. "See, the mechanism for depositing...".
"Dude, I get it", Spinner cut in before Jimmy could recite anymore medical jargon. "You get same the result, but without the mess".
Jimmy started to shake his head in disgust, but smiled in spite of himself...coming from Spinner, that response was pretty subtle. "Not exactly the same result...but yeah, that's basically what happens", he confirmed, a little more casually than before.
Spinner fell deep into thought. "So this place...you got the number?", he asked hesitantly.
Jimmy's lips slowly parted into a small but genuine smile. "The clinic's right here at the hospital", he replied, pleased with the feeling that he may have actually helped. "The process won't be as big a deal for you as it was for me...you just fill out a form, take the jar they supply and a magazine, go into the little room...".
"Or maybe they'll let me take Jane in there", Spinner joked easily, but Jimmy could tell there was no humor in his voice.
The words were left hanging, dead in the air, until Jimmy cleared his throat nervously, "I'm sure your doc'll give you all the information...when the time comes". Spinner nodded distantly, and all Jimmy could do was just sit there and watch.
A small tap on the door cut through the silence. "They probably want their package now", Spinner quipped playfully, as he nodded toward the bed tray.
Mrs. Mason slipped her head through the gap. "Gavin honey, visiting hours are almost over and there are a few more friends here who want to see you", she offered gently and he nodded that it was alright for her to let the rest of the gang in.
Now soberly awake, Spinner sat fully upright in bed, ran a shaky hand through his disheveled hair and pushed the tray out of the way. Wordlessly, Jimmy moved around to the other side of the bed to sit in front of the tray, effectively blocking the view of the offending package. There was a look of mutual understanding between the two friends as the door swung open and they both plastered on fake smiles on their faces.
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I tried to be a thorough as possible in my research for this chapter(well, as thorough as Google-ing testicular cancer can be), and my info on Jimmy's issue was based on a previous conversation with Havocmangawip, so thank you Heather for your expertise. I will be continuing with this story, as the show airs more Spinner episodes, but if their storylines don't coincide with the direction I want to take this, it may AU in the future. Well, that's it for now...please leave me a little note to tell what you think of it.
Degrassi is not mine