Author's notes: I have tried to do as much research as possible to make all the medical information as accurate as I can so sorry if there are any inaccuracies! Also, I'm sorry if the story seems to be moving a bit slowly in these next few chapters but I just wanted to establish the seriousness of Andrea's condition and not glaze over too many details! Thanks for all the reviews : )
The night before Andrea is due to start treatment her and Neil pay their daily visit to Jake at St Hugh's hospital knowing that with Andrea's imminent hospitalization, the task of explaining her illness to Jake is now unavoidable. They had discussed it the night before and decided that the best way to go about telling Jake was to play it down and not make to big of a deal out of the news. All he needs to know is that Andrea is sick and she will have to go into hospital for the doctors to try and make her better. A huge grin spreads across Jake's face as he sees Neil and Andrea approach his ward. He is sitting up in bed, propped up by pillows and is happily working away filling in the pages of a colouring book. When Neil and Andrea reach his bedside he latches onto both giving each of them a loving hug. He then begins chattering excitedly to them about all the people who have come to visit him today and proudly shows off all the presents and cards he has been given, including one enormous handmade card created by his teacher and classmates and signed by everyone. They all say they hope he will be well enough to return to school when the summer holidays are over. After sitting chatting to Andrea and his dad for a while, Jake becomes restless and asks to have a story read to him so Andrea picks up his favourite story book and begins reading to him from it.
After finishing the story which Jake had been completely captivated by, Andrea and Neil prepare to explain Andrea's illness to Jake. Neil moves his chair closer to Jake's bedside and covers one of his son's small hands with one of his own.
"Listen mate, Andrea and I have to talk to you about something important. Now it isn't anything for you to worry about but we just need you to listen to us for a minute."
For a moment panic flits across Jake's face. He has misinterpreted his father's words and is afraid that they are about to tell him that there is something else wrong with him.
"What's wrong daddy? Did I get even sicker?" His big brown eyes are full worry and his bottom lip begins to tremble. Andrea quickly begins to speak, attempting to allay Jake's fears and stop him from crying.
"Oh no sweetheart this isn't about you, you are getting better." Andrea whispers reassuringly whilst stroking Jake's hair. "We just need to tell you something. I had to go to see the doctor as well a few weeks ago because I was feeling sick, and he told me that I'm not very well and I'm going to have to stay in the hospital for a little while so that the doctors can try to make me better." Even this simple explanation invites a series of questions from a curious Jake.
"What's wrong with you Andrea? Why are you sick?"
"I'm just a wee bit sick at the moment Jake and it makes me very tired and I'm going to need a lot of medicine to get me better. I don't know why I got sick lots of people get sick for no reason." Andrea explains gently trying to dispel any worry or concern Jake might have about her. He has enough to cope with at the moment.
"Are the doctors going to make you all better? They can't make me all better so what if they can't make you better either?" Sadness and panic are evident in his tone and facial expression. Even giving Jake such a simplified version of the truth has not completely protected him from getting hurt as Neil and Andrea had hoped.
"The doctors are going to give Andrea lots of special medicine to help make her better Jake and they will try their best to get rid of all the nasty germs that are making her sick sweetheart." Neil attempts to offer his son as positive an explanation as he possibly can without making promises that he and Andrea might not be able to keep.
Jake's questions continue for a while before one final thought springs to his mind.
"Andrea, when you have to stay in the hospital will you be able to stay in a bed near me?"
Andrea smiles lovingly at him before replying, "No sweetheart, the doctors said I have to stay in another part of the hospital with other people that have the same thing wrong with them as I do. That's where they keep the special medicine I need to get better. I won't be able to come and visit you for a little while either because the doctors say I have to stay in bed until I get a little bit better, but I promise I will come to see you as soon as I feel well enough and we can read another one of those stories together, I'd really like that."
Jake beams brightly back at her when she mentions this. He has always loved having stories read to him but he likes it best when Andrea reads them because she puts on all the different voices making him laugh.
"I'll miss you Andrea," he whispers quietly.
"I'll miss you too sweetheart," Andrea replies softly before giving Jake a cuddle.
As she and Neil go to leave the children's ward Jake suddenly calls after them. "Don't worry Andrea, daddy will look after you." They both turn and smile at Jake before leaving.
The next morning Neil accompanies Andrea to the oncology ward where her treatment is starting. By this stage Andrea is petrified and no longer attempts to keep up the pretence of normality. Neither does Neil. They are not afraid to admit to each other exactly how scared they are. When they arrive Andrea is allocated a room separate from the main wards due to the fact that she has to be kept in hospital over the next ten nights. After she has settled in her room the oncology nurses set up the IV infusion with the chemotherapy drugs Andrea needs. Eventually Andrea persuades Neil to leave and go to work telling him that he needs to have some semblance of normality in his life and that right now she has the medical team to take care of her, its when she gets home from hospital that she will need him to take care of her. Neil leaves reluctantly knowing that there isn't anything more he can do for Andrea right now and promising to come back and see her after he has visited Jake later on. As he leaves the hospital and walks towards his car, Neil silently anticipates the point ten days from now when he can leave the hospital with Andrea by his side and take her home where he can care for her properly.