Thanks for the reviews guys, I love them. Here's chapter 11, hope you enjoy!

Walk Away and I Stumble

Chapter 11

At first Chandler didn't know where he was, even though the cream carpet and patterned wallpaper seemed familiar to him. He couldn't understand why he wasn't at Monica's, why he couldn't feel her body nestled up against his. And then in an instant everything came screaming back to him. How Monica had collapsed the day before, how he'd been so scared that she'd die right there, in his arms. The frantic dash to the hospital and his joy when the doctor told him she was awake, and seemed fine. Only to be told hours later that she was dying, that the woman he loved so much it hurt him, was leaving him already. She had only months to live.

"You're awake"

Molly. He'd come round to Molly's house, the only place he had thought off, the only place it had made sense to go. He nodded his head and sat up, rubbing his sore neck as he watched her place a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

"The kids are upstairs, I didn't want them seeing you here. It would just confuse them."

Chandler nodded, and thanked her for the coffee, "And thanks, for last night" he added as she walked back towards the kitchen. As he drained his mug, not even noticing the scalding contents, he remembered how he'd ran out on Monica the day before. He'd just left her, hadn't even said goodbye, he'd been too scared. He jumped up, frantically straightening his clothes and ran towards the door, hoping Molly understand what he had to do.

XXX

Monica hadn't slept well, but for once it hadn't been the headaches that had kept her awake. All night her thoughts had been full of Chandler, of what he was doing, whether he was thinking of her, whether he'd even really loved her. Or was she just a fling? Someone to have fun with and then he could go back to his wife, but now she was dying it had suddenly become serious and he didn't want that. She wiped her eyes, sweeping away any trace of moisture, before pulling the stiff covers back and thrusting her feet into her shoes. She grabbed her clothes from the stand beside her bed and began to dress as fast as she could, pulling the wires out of her arms as she did so. She needed to get out of here, God knows how long she had left, weeks or months, but she couldn't spend it lying in a hospital bed. With or without Chandler she was going home.

"Miss Geller? What do you think you're doing?"

Monica briefly turned to face the nurse, but then resumed dressing herself before walking past her towards the nurses station, "Hi" she began, speaking to the first doctor she found, "I'd like to discharge myself. Now. Please"

"Monica?" she heard him call out, his voice deep with concern, "What are you doing?"

She turned to face him, determined not to cry, "I'm going home Chandler, I can't die in this place. I just can't." To her surprise he simply nodded before approaching her slowly.

"OK. Whatever you want, I'm here for you"

"Do you really mean that?" she asked, her voice low.

"Yes" he replied before gently squeezing her hand in his, "I'm sorry about last night. But I mean it, I'm here for you. Whatever you want me to do, I'm there" Monica smiled back at him, something in his smile convinced her that he was sincere, he really did mean it. Filled with new resolve she turned back to the doctor,

"Like I said, I'd like to discharge myself. As soon as possible please"

He simply nodded before summoning her over to the nurses station, presenting her with a single sheet of paper. "It's no problem, you just need to sign here. It just makes it clear that it was your idea to discharge yourself, and that you are aware of any detrimental effects of your condition due to you no longer receiving hospital treatment."

She forced a wry smile as she signed, "I'm dying. Would you call that detrimental?", before taking hold of Chandler's hand and walking slowly towards the hospital exit. Towards the end of her life.

XXX

Ross had enjoyed a quiet night's sleep. It had almost been a full night's sleep, but the images of Monica and Chandler had returned to haunt him a few times. He'd left the hospital as soon as he and Chandler had been told Monica had been moved to a ward. Chandler had wanted to be alone with her for a little while and an hour later when he hadn't emerged Ross had simply gone home. If Monica had really been ill they'd have told him by now. He'd see her tomorrow, he'd told himself, if she was even still in the hospital. So he'd simply caught a cab home and tried to explain the whole sorry mess to Rachel. She'd left for the airport early this morning to try and get a refund on hers and Monica's wasted flights, and to try and rebook hers for the next day. She needed to get back, she'd told him, and Monica's latest little crush wasn't going to make her loose her job.

He pulled his shoes on while he sat on the couch, intending to swing by the hospital on his way to work. It was only when he saw Monica walk into the apartment, closely followed by Chandler that he stopped.

"Mon!" he practically yelled, leaping to his feet and hugging her tight, "You're back! What did they say, is everything alright?" he was too caught up in the moment to notice the glace Chandler shot at his sister, instead he focused his energy into praying she was OK.

She paused for a split second, before nodding her head emphatically and smiling at him, "Yeah. They think it was just stress. I'm fine. Just a little tired"

Ross exhaled, not even aware that he had been holding his breath. "Oh thank God. You had me worried!" he leant in and kissed his sister gently, "OK, I gotta get to work but I'll see you later. Love you sis"

Monica kept her back to Chandler for as long as she dared, knowing that as soon as she turned around she'd have to tell him why she'd had just lied to her brother. Why she wanted to hide the very thing she should be sharing with him. And she couldn't, she didn't even know the reason herself.