Sarah walked in to Support Group tired. She had been at the hospital over the weekend and was barely allowed to leave to come to support group. She was taking her chemotherapy twice a day and her Cancer Doctor wanted to start her on radiation if there was no change by next month. She slowly made her way down the stairs stopping at the landing to breath. She had two foam coffee cups in her hands so she was unable to hold the railing as she descended. when she had regained her breath she plastered on a smile and continued to descend. She emerged at the bottom of the stairs (once again panting and regain her breath) to see that Issac had not yet arrived. She grabbed a few cookies from the tray and found a seat in the circle. She listened carefully waiting for Issac to arrive. As she sat silently her heard someone sit next to her.
She looked up to see Mary, the girl from the week before sitting next to her. She looked calm and collected, a bandanna wrapped around her head. Her eyes where a soft green and she still smiled. Sarah thought about her story. Stage III. and she was only 15. Two years younger and worse then her and yet still smiling.
"How are you?" Mary asked softly. She head out her hand as if to take on the the coffees. Sarah pulled it back toward herself.
"I'm okay." She responded. "How about you?" She paused feeling awkward "You had a scan?" Mary chuckle.
"I did. I am all good. Two more weeks of chemotherapy then PET scans twice a month." Mary said this very proudly.
As the two sat in silents Issac walked in guided by his mother. Sarah heard something about his mother picking him up later and he shrugged an 'okay' before attempting to find a seat. "Sorry I'll be right back" She muttered to Mary and walked toward Issac. "Issac?" She said softly. He turned in her direction but not directly at her. "It's up Sarah, from last week?" Issac laughed.
"Oh yeah. The girl who hates her self." He smiled slightly. "How you doing?" She shrugged, then remembered he couldn't see her.
"I'm okay, I guess." She held out the coffee. "I brought you something." He smiled sadly.
"What is it?" he asked holding out his hand. She handed the coffee to him and wrapped his hand around the cup. His hands where warm and slightly soft. He brought the coffee to his lips and winced slightly. "Black coffee hu?" he asked. "Why did you bring me this?" she chuckled.
"You said you wanted something stronger then lemonade." He laughed. Not just a chuckled but a goofy loud laugh. She blushed and covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
"I did, didn't I?" He asked taking another sip. "Well, thanks for this. I guess." She smiled.
"You're very welcome." She said. From behind her Patrick began to speak. "Do you need help to a seat? or can you find it?" he laughed.
"If you could give me a hand that would be amazing." Held out his hand and she set it on her shoulder. He followed at arms length behind her to their seats. Patrick began to tell his story again and Sarah leaded over to Issac.
"Does he tell this story every time?" she asked in a whisper. He just nodded and drank his coffee. She shrugged. This was going to be long.
As the meeting came to an end Patrick looked right at Sarah.
"Sarah, how are you feeling? Have you started your treatment? Why don't you stand and share?" He asked in a patronizing tone. Sarah sighed as she stood spots danced before her eyes and she sat back down and gabbed Issac's knee in accident. She felt him tense his leg and she with drew her hand carefully. She stood slow the second time able to stand and speak
"Honestly I feel like Hell. I'm tired, short of breath, nothing I eat stays down and My hair is beginning to fall out." She glanced down at Mary and Issac. "But maybe it doesn't suck so much. I have my friends at school, although they don't help much they try, and I think I might be making a few friends here." She glanced back to Mary and Mary nodded smiling "So yeah, Life sucks and I just want to sleep forever, but give it a year. I'll be fine." She sat back down and looked over at Mary. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought she was.