Later on that night, the toons were all at the French diner, with The Subdivisions getting ready to perform, since Fifi recommended the location to them.
Backstage, Furrball, Cliff, and Calamity were getting prepared, as the rest of the toons showed up.
"How are things going, guys?", Buster asked.
"Feeling a bit nervous", Cliff replied, "but I'll be alright."
"Hey Cliff?", Furrball said.
"Yeah?"
"What am I gonna wear for the show? I don't wanna go on stage with no clothes on."
"What about Calamity?", Babs asked.
"He's got something to wear."
The grey coyote then appeared, wearing blue jeans & a black t-shirt.
"I don't know about you guys", he said, "but I am ready to rock."
"Alright", Cliff commented, "now we need to find something for Furrball to wear."
"I have somezhing for heem", Fifi said as she pulled out a bag & handed it to her boyfriend. The blue cat opened it, looked inside, then turned to Fifi.
"I'm not gonna wear this."
"Why not?"
"Because, this is a Rush tribute band, not an AC/DC tribute band."
"What's in there?", Cliff asked.
"It's my schoolboy outfit."
"Oh, your Angus Young outfit?"
"Yeah."
Cliff laughed before he said, "I think people would like seeing you in that."
"I know I certainly do", Fifi responded.
"Well", Furrball started, "if you insist, then I guess I'll put it on."
And with that, Furrball stood up & made his way to another room to change into his outfit.
Furrball got changed into his outfit, wearing his complete black Angus Young outfit that he wore in the Battle of the Tribute Bands.
As the blue cat folded up his bag, Sweetie & Sneezer appeared.
"Hi, Furrball", greeted the little mouse.
"Hey guys", Furrball greeted back. "How do I look?"
"You look nice", Sweetie complimented. "But I wanna ask, why are you wearing that for the show?"
"Because Fifi wanted me to, and Cliff said that people might like it. So I thought, what the heck, might as well."
Sneezer giggled, but then...
"Uh oh...ah...ahhh..."
"Oh no", Sweetie exclaimed. "Take cover!"
Furrball made a face of fear as he frantically searched the room for something to stop Sneezer.
He unfolded his bag, grabbed the little mouse, and placed him in the bag before he closed it.
"AHH...AHHHH-CHOO!"
The force of the sneeze inflated the bag, but Furrball managed to keep the bag shut until it deflated. The blue cat then opened the bag & released Sneezer.
"Phew", said Sweetie, "that was a close one."
Furrball then left the room, with the bag in his hand.
"There he is", Plucky said as Furrball returned, clad in his outfit.
"Ooh la la", Fifi exclaimed, hearts appearing around her head.
"Do I look good?", Furrball asked Fifi.
"Oui, you look, how you say, ravishing."
"Thank you", Furrball replied as he handed the bag back to Fifi, but Dizzy then took it & ate it.
"Mmmm, yummy baggy", Dizzy said, rubbing his tummy.
"Uhh, Dizzy", Furrball started.
"Uh oh...ah...ahh...AHHHH-CHOO!"
Dizzy's sneeze caused him to spin uncontrollably on the spot, and toward Cliff, knocking him off his chair & on his back.
Dizzy, still spinning, then crashed into a wall, creating a large hole. A moment later, Dizzy came out with his hand on his head, feeling dizzy.
"Bless you, Dizzy", Hamton said.
"I was gonna say", Furrball spoke, "Sneezer sneezed inside the bag."
As Cliff lifted his head, his shirt was lifted up slightly, revealing his waist, and the scar on his abdomen.
"What is THAT?!", Buster exclaimed with a face of shock. Everyone else all turned to Cliff & were surprised upon seeing his scar.
"Aagh!", Elmyra yelled.
"Oh my gosh!", Shirley chirped.
"Sacre pew!", Fifi gasped.
"Holy crabcakes!", shouted Plucky.
Cliff looked around quickly, before he immediately pulled his shirt back down.
"Cliff?", Furrball asked, feeling stupefied. "Was that a scar on your stomach?"
"Yeah, what happened?", questioned Babs.
"How deed vous get eet?", asked Cosette.
Cliff made a face of defeat. He knew he couldn't hide it any longer. Slowly, he got to his feet & pulled his shirt up again, showing his scar to everyone.
Sneezer & Sweetie didn't see it before, but once they did, they both made faces of revolt.
Sneezer started stammering before he fell backwards & passed out.
"I think I'm gonna be sick", Sweetie said, before she placed a hand over her mouth & gagged. She then quickly zoomed out of the room.
As the toons all moved in for a closer look at Cliff's scar, Calamity spoke up.
"What on earth happened?"
"Do you guys really wanna know?", Cliff asked. The toons all nodded in response. Cliff sighed & pulled his shirt down again.
"I was kinda hoping I wouldn't talk about this. It's something really horrible that happened to me in the past."
"Please tell", Hamton said, "we'd like to know."
Cosette then said, "Vous don't have to tell us eef you don't feel comfortable about eet."
After a moment of hesitation, Cliff finally spoke up.
"Back then, when I was only 4 years old, I was diagnosed with neuroblastoma."
"What's that?", asked Furrball.
"Cancer."
All the toons gasped in horror at the one word.
"You had cancer?", Shirley asked.
"Yep. I spent almost a whole year in the hospital. I had chemotherapy, a bone-marrow transplant, surgery. It was awful."
"Then that's a surgical scar?", Plucky asked.
"Yep. I had my left adrenal gland removed, since that's where the tumor was."
"So, now you have only one adrenal gland, right?", questioned Calamity.
"That's right, and because of that, I can get easily exhausted. All those months I spent in the hospital were nothing but pain & misery. The doctors didn't think I would live. They even told my mom & dad to set up a funeral for me. Everyone thought I was going to die. But, against all odds, I managed to pull through & beat the cancer, and I've been a cancer survivor ever since."
The toons all made faces of surprise & sorrow. None of them knew about Cliff's past, and after what he just told them, they all had heavy sympathy for him.
"Cliff", Fifi said, tears appearing in her eyes, "eez zhis all true?"
"Yep, it is."
At that moment, Fifi approached Cliff, gave him a kiss on his cheek, and hugged him.
"I'm so sorwy, Cliff", Fifi said softly, tears going down her face.
"We all are, buddy", Buster said as several of the toons all went up to comfort Cliff, rubbing his shoulders & patting his back. Once Fifi released Cliff, Cosette then gave him a hug & a kiss on his cheek.
"Don't worry about it, guys", Cliff told the toons as they all backed away, "it's all in the past. I'm fine now. Though, after what happened back then...", he placed his hand on his stomach, over his scar, "I'll never be the same ever again."
After a moment, Babs spoke up.
"Wow, Cliff. You are very, very lucky to be alive."
"She's right, Cliff", Shirley then said, "you are a living miracle."
"I know", Cliff said, "and I'm happy to be alive."
"Why didn't you tell us this before?", Buster asked.
"Because every time I tell this to people, I get painful memories of what I had to go through back then. This is why I didn't want to go swimming with you guys, so you wouldn't see my scar."
"How much do you remember?", questioned Plucky.
"Some of it. Mostly I remember being in the operating room, with all the doctors around me, getting ready to do surgery."
"Were you afraid?", Hamton then asked.
"Not really. Believe it or not, no one told me anything. All I knew was that my parents took me to the hospital because I was sick. They didn't say anything about me having cancer, because they didn't want me to get scared. People who get scared while having cancer would end up dying, and those who aren't afraid would live to tell the tale. I wasn't scared at all. I was brave, I was strong, and I won the battle."
"That's incredible, buddy", Furrball commented.
"Indeed it is", said Calamity, "being a cancer survivor is a very special thing."
"I know it is", Cliff replied. "Also, while I was in the hospital, I was given one free wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I didn't use it until just a couple years ago."
"What was your wish?", Plucky asked.
"I wished to meet Rush in person."
"Wait, you mean...?", Furrball started.
"Yep. That's how my mom & I met Rush."
The toons all exclaimed in amazement, before Cosette spoke up.
"How deed vous get zhe cancer in zhe first place?"
"I don't know", Cliff answered. "Some people said I was probably born with it, but I don't think that's true."
Fifi then asked, "Eez zhis why you can't use your claws anymore?"
"Yep. The chemotherapy messed up my nervous system, so there are a few things I could do back then that I can't do anymore."
"Well, hey", Buster then said, "at least you're still alive, buddy."
"Yeah, that's all that matters."
At that moment, the restaurant manager, a French man in a tuxedo, showed up.
"Is everyone ready?", he asked.
"I think we're good to go", Cliff replied.
As the manager left, Fifi gave Furrball a kiss.
"Good luck, mon amore."
"Thanks, sweetheart."
Cosette then gave Calamity a kiss.
"Have fun, mon cutie coyote."
"I will, honey."
Cliff had witnessed both kisses, and as the toons started leaving, Cliff said, "Aw, no good luck kiss for me."
Fifi & Cosette turned to each other & smiled. They both went up to Cliff & kissed his cheeks.
"Oh! He-he-he-he-he", Cliff exclaimed, before the French skunks followed the rest of the toons out of the room.
