Chapter 8

The warmth in his heart was temporarily forgotten as he lay on his couch sipping 7-Up with a cool cloth on his forehead. They'd given him medicine for nausea, and the treatment itself had gone by without any difficulty. He'd been relieved then, but right now he felt like he'd been hit by the chemo train. And he'd been so sure he would be the exception to nausea. So much for unbiased. Evidently that applied to anything other than chemotherapy. He'd taken his meds and while waiting for them to take effect he concentrated on anything other than the nausea. His mind automatically began replaying his first treatment.

He'd spent his time talking with Bittsy, her mother Eleanor, and off and on with the nurses. Even Hotch had stopped by to visit. As he lay there, his mind wandered back to Bittsy and her mother.

He'd found out that Bittsy was 8 years old, and would have been advanced from 3rd grade to 5th grade if she hadn't been dealing with cancer and chemo during the last school year. Currently her mother was home schooling her and was having a hard time finding challenging material for the feisty child. Eleanor was a widow of over 6 years, Bittsy's only grandparent was her maternal grandmother who lived several hours away and nonetheless remained active and devoted to both Eleanor and Bittsy.

He learned that Bittsy's hair had just regrown to its previous length when they discovered that her Hodgkin's Lymphoma had returned and she was starting chemo and had just finished low dose radiation therapy. He learned that her nurse Jennifer had given her every chemo treatment and had even come in on a day off just to give Bittsy her chemo. Bittsy had a central line catheter to give her chemo through and this was her second one. Her first had been removed when she had completed her treatments over a year ago and she had this new one put in yesterday. According to Bittsy it was, "no big deal, she was a tough cookie, and had strong character just like her Mom." Just listening to the thoughts and opinions of this 8-year-old strengthened his own resolve. He decided to believe Bittsy.

Flashback:

"Hey, this won't be a big deal. Sure, you may get a little sick and lose some hair, but so what? Better to take the medicine and live to be a hundred than worry about eating Jell-O and toast for a few days a month. Besides, do you have a girlfriend? You could really work the 'I'm sick, could you take care of me?' angle."

"Elizabeth Amanda May," Eleanor's voice took on that warning tone that let all children know the point of tolerance was coming to a swift end.

"It's okay Eleanor. I could use any pointers." Spencer laughed

And he had. Laughed and joked and even shared a little bit about himself with them. They had even acted interested and impressed and he learned that Bittsy and her mom lived in the apartments across the street from him. He was officially off the potential stranger-danger list, Bittsy and Eleanor had invited him over to play board games and eat Jell-O and their next chemo dates were the same day.

Flashback Ends:

As he lay there and his headache and nausea began to back off, he realized something. Cancer patients were kind of like a special family. So many similar worries, hopes and fears; the unspoken trust and understanding binding them in an intense way that few other shared experiences could. While his mom and the BAU team would always be his family, he decided might be able to make some room for new members.

And heaven help any doomsayer that wandered too close. Bittsy could rip them to shreds with one glare. Spencer smiled and closed his eyes as he dozed off, realizing his greatest champion was a 8-year-old girl with freckles, green eyes and curly brown hair that would soon be falling out.