Being stuck in a hospital bed is typically not the way someone wants to remember their childhood, but that's what the majority of mine consisted of. I was barely in school, so my family arranged for a tutor to come and teach me while I was in the hospital. I can remember the day that I received the news like it was yesterday.

"Daddy, I don't feel good. Can I go to the doctor?" My six-year-old self remembered asking my dad, who was busy working on the radio in his Challenger.

"Sure honey. What's wrong, exactly?" He put down his pliers and pulled me into his lap.

"My head really hurts and I just threw up a little." He frowned and set me in the backseat. "Buckle up, baby. I'll take you to the hospital in a few minutes. "Okay, daddy."

"I'm just going to tell your brother and sister what's going on and then we'll leave." He walked into the house, leaving me on my own for the time being. My head was throbbing and I smelled something metallic before my nose started running. I didn't have any tissue, so I wiped with the back of my hand. All I saw was red and I started screaming.

My dad came running out flanked by my brother and sister. "What's wrong?! Oh! Hey, one of you get some tissue, lots of it!" My big brother ran in the house and came back with a whole roll of tissue.

"Here baby, put this under your nose and tilt your head back. You two get back in the house. I'll call when we get to the hospital." With that, he jumped in the car and took off through the streets of L.A. to the nearest hospital. I was rushed to the ER and was seen by a doctor within ten minutes. My nosebleed had subsided, but my head was still throbbing and my stomach was churning. I had to go through a giant machine that looked like a donut and an IV thing was put into my arm. I was told that it was called a CT scan and it would show pictures of my brain when I was done. I felt something being pumped into my arm and soon, I saw nothing but darkness.

I woke up to the sound of crying and I wiped my eyes, struggling to open them. When I finally managed to, I was in a hospital bed and I looked over to see my dad talking on the phone with tears running down his face. "Daddy, what's wrong?" He looked at me and forced a smile, wiping away the tears. He came and sat down next to me in the bed.

"Honey, the doctor just told me that you're very sick. You have something called a meningioma tumor. It's a cancer in your brain and it's a very rare kind for someone your age. The good doctors are going to take care of you, okay? You have to go into a surgery so they can take a look."

"Daddy, I'm scared! I don't wanna be sick! I wanna be healthy like you!" Tears poured out of my eyes before I could try and control them. He clutched onto me tightly and kissed the top of my head.

"I know baby girl, we're going to try and make you healthy. You have to be brave. Can you do that for me?"

I nodded and he wiped away the tears. "That's great. Some nice nurses are going to come and take you into the surgery soon. Your brother and sister should be here soon." He began to rub my hair and play with my fingers as we waited for those nurses to come in. There was a knock on the door and two heads poked through.

"Hello, we're here to take you to surgery, honey. Are you ready?" One of the women smiled at my dad and me. I looked up at him and he nodded, getting up from the bed and allowing the other nurse to wheel me outside. We entered a room and I say a lone light coming from the middle and a few doctors standing around with masks on their faces.

"Alright, little missy, we're going to put you to sleep and see what we're dealing with. Is that alright with you?" One of the doctors asked. I nodded and he nodded to the nurse. She hooked me up to another IV and I winced as the needle when in. The last thing I saw was the glint of a small knife.

A knock on the door brought me back to reality and I yelled at them to come in. The first thing I saw was a big bouquet of red roses, letting me know immediately who was at the door.

"Vince! Hey, I missed you!" He smiled at me boyishly and made his way over to the nightstand that held the previous bouquet of flowers he brought. He took the old, wilted roses out, poured out the old water, refilled it and tossed the new ones in the vase. He sat in the seat next to the bed and grabbed my hand.

"How've you been, baby doll?" He asked in that gruff voice of his.

"I've been alright. I've done a lot of vomiting this week and it's like I can't keep anything but fluids down. I had a really bad headache on Monday, but it's down to a subtle throbbing now. How have things been at the fort? Is the garage doing okay?"

"Man, you go through so much shit. You shouldn't have to for someone so young. Uh, the fort and the garage are both doing great. Everyone wants to come see you, but they're all busy. I managed to sneak away for a little bit."

I laughed and scratched my forehead. "Dom must've been gone." "Yeah, you got me on that one."

My stomach churned familiarly and my hand flew to my mouth. "Oh no." Vince grabbed the basin that was next to his chair and lifted it to my mouth. I threw up the contents of my stomach and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Groaning, I laid back in the bed.

"Vinny, I hate this. Why did God give me cancer?" The question I've been asking myself for the last thirteen years.

"I don't know, baby girl, but you're going to be okay. Dom is paying for the best doctors and the best care that you can get. You're so lucky to have a brother like him. He loves you so much and he's going to make sure you make it to your wedding day and have lots of healthy babies."

"I'm lucky to have a brother like you too, Vinny. Sneaking away from his job to come see little 'ol me." He ruffled my hair and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Speaking of job, I should probably be getting back. Don't look at me like that, you know I can't stay."

I continued to pout and he chuckled as he walked to the door.

"Bye baby girl. Mia said she would be by later, so that's something to look forward to. I'll see you another time."

"Bye, I love you."

He left and I sighed as the door closed. My name is Arabella Torretto and I'm a 19-year-old cancer patient.