Here is another chapter per your request.
Darling, I have been afraid
I could only call your name
Thank the heavens that you stayed
But if I'm telling you the truth
When I cut the tether loose
It was me, saving you
- Smoke and Mirrors, Demi Lovato 2017
"Hello, Ms. Matthews. How are you feeling?" Riley woke up in a hospital nervous. She didn't know or when she got there and she was worried that it was another one of her episodes. She didn't want Maya's first day back to be so dramatic. Well maybe not dramatic but not this situation either.
"Hi, doc. What's going on?"
"Riley, you fell and hit your head when your ex-," he said as he read from a slip of paper, " boyfriend, Lucas yanked you away from your friend Jake. Your family brought you over to the hospital at least ten minutes after the fall. They are all waiting for you outside."
"Great, may I see them now?"
"No, we need to talk, Riley. It's dire that we speak now so that any preparations you may need to prepare will be in effect when you-"
"When I what?"
"Riley, there is no easy way of saying this, but-"
While Riley was unconscious in her bed, her family and friends were waiting worriedly for her. Maya was raging and wanted nothing more than to rip Huckleberry to bits. She didn't understand how everything about her friend had changed. He looked and talked the same but he was so different and not the good different. It hurt her to know that Riley had dealt with this for so long without her by her side.
She felt guilty for leaving.
"What are you mad about, Hart?"
Maya rolled her eyes, "Don't start, you won't be able to finish." She pushed herself off the wall walking from the waiting room when a hand reached her and pulled her back.
"Hey, we aren't the ones that left her! We aren't the ones that just abandoned friends."
Maya pushed Lucas away from her and slapped him, "You don't think I wanted to come back! You are the biggest jerk on the planet, Lucas Friar, and I hope you suffer. I hope you like karma because she is a bitch. Riley was the one who told me to leave. Riley packed my bags and rushed me to the airport. I didn't want to leave! So don't you ever, you lying cheating bastard, tell me that I wasn't a good friend." Maya shoved him again and ran off. She ran till she found herself on the roof.
"Hey, you know he didn't mean it, right?"
"What do you want, Zay?"
"I just want you to know, Riley doesn't blame you for never coming back, even though you said you'd come back after three years. I left and didn't want to but she pushed me to leave and make something of myself. After what Lucas did to her, I wanted to stay and take care of my friend but she pushed me to live, for her. I will never forgive Lucas for being the jerk that he is but don't believe anything he says, it isn't true."
Maya cried and Zay pulled her into his arms.
"Why are you such an idiot?" said Jake to Lucas. He was loosing his mind worrying about Riley. He loved her and would feel horrible if he never got to say how he felt.
"Oh says the guy who stole my girl."
"Luke, I didn't steal her. You lost her." Jake walked out of the waiting room in a huff. He was so in his thoughts that he didn't realize Riley's father, Cory, was standing beside him and touched his shoulder.
"Don't worry Jake, Riley knows that you love her. I understand that its hard to see her so vulnerable, I mean, she's my daughter and I may live longer than her but we have to be strong for Riley. And to tell you a secret, I never liked Lucas anyway."
"Thanks."
"I only two months left. How?"
"Well, the cancer has spread rapidly, and if we keep doing the chemo, my colleagues and I believe it will give you at least three months tops. I am so sorry." The Doctor sat on the side of her bed and took her hand. The Doctor cared deeply for the young woman because she never lost hope and she always had the sun shining in her eyes. Now there was only fear and grief and he didn't like it. He thought that it didn't fit his young patient.
"I am sorry, Riley. We wish we could do more for you. I just say live life to the fullest." A single tear went down her face and she quickly brushed it away. How was she supposed to tell her family, friends? Maya? Jake? She felt so hopeless and out of control of her life. Her parents and brother would be devastated. She didn't want to leave her brother, she wanted to fight, but would her body let her? She wanted to be strong but break down all the same.
"I want to get off chemo."
"Riley, are you sure?"
"Yes, there is no sense in doing chemo if it isn't doing anything for me."
"Well, there are other options, surgery for example. Its a risk but we could take out your ovaries that has the cancer and go from there. I want you to live and so does everyone here at this hospital. You have inspired so many kids and adults here at this hospital that you have become family. We would do anything to assure that you live."
Riley nodded, "I would have to think it over but thank you, Doc. It really means a lot. Um, could you give me a minute before calling my family in."
"Of course."
"Maya? May we speak?" Maya squeezed her eyes shut hoping the voice would go away but Zay pulled away from her and left her alone with her past. She turned away from Josh and looked out at the city.
"What is it?" she cleared her throat and started to wring her hands nervously.
"We should talk about us. I know its not the right time but we need to figure this out. Are we together or not?" He took her hands in his and massaged them softly.
"I-we-I don't know. Do you want a divorce, Josh? Do you really think we can move past our past?"
"Maya I am willing to fight for this. Okay, I am not the one that left!" Maya snatched her hands from him.
"Oh, so you didn't run, really? Who was it that said we were always going to be together? Who said that I was his everything? But no, when it got tough, you ran! You left me to deal with it myself. I lost our child and you said it was my fault! Josh, how can you think I would ever forgive you? You- I can't even look right now." She ran crying and Josh was left alone on the roof.
She didn't realize that she left him to. She didn't realize that loosing their son hurt him and ate at him everyday. She didn't realize that he did run after her, only for her to have been gone.
"What is going on? How much longer do we have to wait to see our daughter?" Topanga cried out as the Doctor walked him.
"Riley would like to speak to you all." Maya followed by Josh had just came back into the waiting room when the Doc walked in. They were all relieved and anxious to see Riley. They reached her room and saw the tear stained face and red puffy eyes and their hearts broke. Maya walked over to the bed and hugged her friend.
"What happened, Riles?"
"I-"
Yes! I know I am mean but I am going to stop here at this cliffhanger and relax my hands.
