(Due to popular demand(read: someone threatening to torture my mental state if I didn't type faster), here's my oneshot-that-I-just-decided-will-lead-to-a-mini-series!
Wow that was a lot of hyphens.
Really quick... a deck chair- those really cool chairs they have at water parks that are usually white and can recline and stuff. I WANT ONE OF THOSE.
Also, short warning... there are SIX FLASHBACKS here. WOW! That's a new record!
And so, story time!
Greg, Cybil © Nintendo
Max © TCGeek
Children's Memorial Hospital © itself)
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Family Matters
Chapter One- Little Miracle
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"Mommy, come play with me in the pool!"
Cybil opened her light brown eyes, looking up to see her five-year-old son, Max, standing over her, his hazel eyes shining.
"Why don't you ask Daddy to play with you first?"
"I did, but he said you promised to play with me first!"
Cybil shot a dirty look at her husband. Even though he didn't open his eyes, Greg Kasal grinned mischievously.
"Alright, Max... let's go."
"Yaaaay!"
Cybil got up from the deck chair, following her son into the cool water of the public pool. Greg slowly opened his eyes, watching his wife and child play in the water.
He smiled softly, thankful for his happy family... that almost hadn't been.
As he watched Max try to drag Cybil underwater, Greg had to be honest with himself...
Four years ago, not too long after his son was born... this wasn't the future he would have expected.
He hadn't expected a future at all.
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"He's so adorable... isn't he, Greg?"
"Yeah... he is..."
Greg and Cybil were sitting in the living room, Cybil holding their nine-month-old son, Max. The television was playing the latest James Bond movie; Max seemed to take great interest in the actor playing the British spy.
"Daddy!" he squealed happily, his hazel eyes shining. Greg and Cybil laughed.
"No, that's not Daddy, Max... although your daddy -is- a handsome man," Cybil spoke gently, glancing at Greg out of the corner of her eye. Greg chuckled, leaning over and ruffling his son's jet-black hair as he briefly kissed his wife.
The phone in the kitchen rang.
"I'll get it," Greg said, standing up and walking towards the kitchen. He picked up the phone, answering it before the third ring had passed.
"Hello, this is Greg Kasal."
"Mr. Kasal, this is the pediatrics department at Children's Memorial Hospital..."
Greg's expression immediately became one of worry. He and Cybil had taken Max there a week ago, when they noticed he was much less energetic than usual... and the caller's tone was not a reassuring one.
"We have lab results from the examination... you need to come in for a consultation."
"...what's wrong with him...?!"
"...it's not my place or the time to say. When will you come in?"
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It had, without a doubt, been one of the worst phone calls he had ever received... Greg was never fond of being kept in suspense, especially about something so precious to him...
Max was sitting on Cybil's shoulders as she "ran" through the water, both of them laughing.
She hadn't been laughing then.
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"Mr. and Mrs. Kasal, I hate to be the bringer of bad news..."
Greg and Cybil were in the doctor's office that same night, Max sleeping peacefully in his mother's arms. Greg's expression was stoic as he prepared himself for bad news; Cybil, however, was fearful, holding her young son closely.
"We looked over the MRI scan and blood tests... and found a tumor in his abdomen--"
"What?!"
Max let out a small groan as he shifted in his sleep; Greg quickly silenced himself, not wanting to wake his son.
"...we found a tumor," the doctor repeated. "But... it looks like it's inoperable..."
"Why...?!" Greg tried to hide his fear. "Let me see the scans."
"Sir, I can't do that--"
"Please, Doctor," Cybil pleaded softly. "He's a surgeon, I'm an anesthesiologist... we just want to understand what's going on..."
The doctor hesitated, then slowly pulled out a scan from the file on his desk. It was slowly handed to Greg, who took it, glancing at it quickly--
"W-what is this...?!"
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"Mommy, watch my cannonball!"
"Ah, Max! You're going to get me all--!"
Greg laughed as Max leapt into the pool. The wave he made doused Cybil with water. Despite her slight annoyance, she couldn't help but laugh as her son resurfaced, a proud grin on his face.
"Wasn't that awesome?!"
"Oh, Max," Cybil chuckled, "what am I going to do with you?"
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"Greg... what... what are we going to do...?"
It was the next evening; they had stayed at the hospital overnight, waiting for the results of the tumor biopsy. Once they heard the results, they had left... as they walked into their house, Cybil just barely stemmed her tears. Greg hadn't spoken once since they left the hospital...
Since they found out their son had a wide-spread, malignant neuroblastoma.
"...I don't... know, Cybil," Greg replied quietly, hanging up his coat. "...all... all we can do is... is wait and see... what happens."
Cybil choked back another wave of tears, refusing to cry again...
"B-but... how long? ...how long do we have to wait? ...and how can we just sit here, and... and wait for Max to--"
She couldn't help it; tears flowed from her light brown eyes, falling onto Max's face as she held him closer. He woke up; Max cooed softly, his small hands reaching up towards his mother's face.
"...Cybil... let me hold him..." Greg murmured, putting a hand gently on his sobbing wife's shoulder.
"G-Greg, I-- I can't... I can't let go of him..." Cybil choked out. "I-... I don't want to... to feel like I'm losing him...!'
"Cybil... I understand that. ...but... you're not the only one who doesn't want to lose him..."
After a slight hesitation, Cybil slowly gave Max to his father. Greg held his son close, smiling sadly as Max squealed happily, reaching up towards Greg... oblivious to the tumor slowly destroying him on the inside.
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"Mommy, I want to play with Daddy now!"
"Alright, Max- let's go get Daddy, then."
Greg saw Max and Cybil getting out of the pool. Max raced towards his father, his black hair slicked back from the water.
"Daaaaaddyyyyy!"
Greg quickly closed his eyes, feigning sleep.
"Daddy, come on! Wake up and play with meeee!"
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"Greg, wake up- the hospital just called..."
Greg's hazel eyes shot open.
Cybil and Greg had left Max at Children's Memorial for the night, so the doctors could see if the tumor had metastasized... they certainly hadn't expected a call so soon; and phone calls from hospitals at three in the morning were hardly considered good signs...
"What is it--?!"
"They said we need to come in now," Cybil's voice reflected Greg's hidden worry. "They... they said he's okay, though..."
Greg sighed, slightly relieved.
"Alright... let's go."
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"Come ooon, Daddy! Let's goooo!"
Max was madly shaking Greg's arm, trying to "wake" his father. Cybil stood by her son's side, knowing perfectly well that Greg was just doing this to torture his poor son.
A wicked grin suddenly spread across the Iron Vixen's face.
"Max... stay right here, okay?" she whispered into Max's ear. "I'll be right back. Keep trying to wake up Daddy, okay?"
"Alright, Mommy."
Cybil left, taking Max's plastic pail with her...
"Daddy, wake up!"
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"Max, sweetie... wake up."
Max's hazel eyes opened slowly, heavy with sleep. He rubbed his eyes with a chubby fist, then slowly looked up to see his mother and father smiling down at him, tears flowing down Cybil's face.
"Mommy... Daddy..." Max murmured tiredly, reaching out towards Cybil and Greg. Cybil quickly scooped him into her arms, holding him close.
"Oh, Max..."
"Mommy... home... go home... now..."
"That sounds like a good idea," Greg spoke softly, smiling. "Let's go."
Seven months after they first brought Max into Children's, Cybil and Greg were able to leave, without worrying about ever having to come back...
For a child with no sickness has no place in a hospital.
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"Max, move."
Max quickly moved away from his father. Greg opened his eyes to see what was going on--
"AAAAAGH! JESUS CHRIST!!"
Cybil and Max howled with laughter as Greg bolted upright, soaking wet, covered in ice-cold water. Cybil dropped the plastic bucket as she tried to stop her tears of laughter.
Greg wiped the water off his face slowly, a crazed grin forming...
"This was your idea, wasn't it, Max?" he proclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Max, who giggled as he shook his head no. "Yes it was- you want to play? Alright, then-- hey! Get back here!"
Max ran away, screaming with laughter as Greg began chasing his son. Cybil sat down,watching, grinning, as Greg finally caught Max, scooping the wriggling child into his arms and carrying him towards the pool.
"Daaaaaddyyyyy! Put me doooown!"
"Alright, Max."
Greg tossed his son into the pool. Max resurfaced, spitting out water before frowning at his father.
"That wasn't very nice, Daddy!"
Greg laughed as he slid into the pool, quickly adapting to the cool water.
"You're right, it wasn't. I'm sorry. ...this really won't be, either!"
He snatched Max before the young boy could swim away. Max's squeal was cut off as Greg dunked his son underwater. He pulled Max back up, and Max wiped the water from his eyes, giggling uncontrollably.
"Do it again, Daddy!"
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"I still can't believe that it just... disappeared-- no, Max, don't throw that on the floor...!"
Max flung his bowl of mashed peas to the floor, laughing. Cybil sighed, picking up the bowl before leaving to get a napkin from the kitchen.
"I read somewhere that sometimes... the tumor just vanishes," Greg responded, taking over the feeding duties for his seventeen-month-old son. "Like it was never there..."
"Well, I'm just thankful that that's what happened with Max--"
Cybil froze in the doorway...
Then starting laughing uncontrollably as Max pulled his hands away from Greg's face, done with using his father's face as a canvas for his food art. Max beamed with pride.
"Silly Daddy!"
"You think that's funny, Max?" Greg's voice was low as he put down the spoon he had been holding. "Two can play that game!"
"Greg, what are you--"
Greg took a handful of mashed potatoes, then smeared it across Max's face. The young child screamed with laughter, trying to push away his father's hand.
"Daaaaddyyyy!"
"I'm not done with you yet, Max!" Greg laughed, taking some applesauce.
"Greg, you're going to get him all messy--"
"That would be the point, Cybil."
"At least keep it out of his--"
Greg rubbed the applesauce into Max's black hair, much to the delight of his son.
"...hair..."
Greg began to pull his hand away from Max, but his son quickly shot his hands out, grabbing onto his father's wrist.
"As I was saying..." Cybil resumed, sitting down once again as Max examined Greg's hand with a fascinated expression, "I'm glad... that... that we didn't lose him."
"...yeah," Greg smiled softly, never taking his eyes off of his son. "I am, too."
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"Mommy?"
Cybil removed her sunglasses, looking at Max, who had a despondent expression on his face.
"Mommy, I lost Daddy! Will you help me find him...?!"
Cybil sat upright.
"Okay, Max... just stay calm. Where did you see Daddy last?"
"H-he was going to the deep end of the pool..."
Max took his mother's hand, dragging her towards the deep end of the pool. Cybil followed him, her eyes searching the crowded pool for her husband- but it was hard to see without her glasses on her face...
Max stopped walking before he reached the edge of the pool. Cybil stepped a little closer, trying to find Greg...
"...are you sure he came over here, Ma--"
She felt an arm slip around her shoulders and behind her knees; Cybil was suddenly swept off her feet.
"Aieeee--!"
Her shriek was silenced as she was tossed into the water; when Cybil resurfaced, she saw Greg and Max laughing, the elder Kasal standing dangerously close to the edge...
"Gregory Ethan Kasal, what was that for?!" Cybil gasped, trying to readjust to the cold water of the pool. Greg laughed, crouching down, looking at his wife with his hazel eyes.
"Payback for you throwing water on me."
"Hmph! Well... I guess revenge is a dish best served cold!!"
Cybil grabbed her husband's arm and pulled on it, hard; Greg let out a cry of surprise as he toppled into the pool.
Max laughed.
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"What a day, huh?"
The sun was starting to set when they finally left the pool. Greg was carrying a sleeping Max on his back; Cybil had a large tote bag slung over her shoulder, filled with all the things they had brought that day.
"Yeah," Cybil nodded. "God, I haven't had that much fun in a long time... we need to get out more often."
They found their car in the parking lot; Cybil put the bag in the trunk as Greg carefully put Max in the back seat, buckling him in.
They drove home, exhausted from a long day at the pool...
But they were happy.
Cybil and Greg were happy to be able to spend their day with their little miracle.
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(End chapter one.
WHOOSH. So many flashbacks. HOLY SHIT THIS THING IS NINE PAGES?!
This is ridiculous. I haven't written nine pages in Word since 2005! This is outrageous!
Whatever. I don't even care anymore. It's a GOOD nine pages.
Next chapter... I think I'll keep it a secret from y'all. Hee.
Please review!)