Spencer's stay in hospital hadn't improved. If anything, it had proved that he was one of the unlucky kids who reacted quickly and badly to chemo.

He had attained an average of five vomits a day, usually around the morning after he woke up. But aside from that, he was tired, sore, sick, and sad.

He had finished his cisplatin infusions and was now onto cyclophosphamide. Coupled with the cisplatin, it was making spencer feel terrible.

All dave could think about was how by the end of the week, it would be one down, five to go.

The week went by and spencer continued to vomit and sleep almost endlessly. Dave was thankful his first round of treatment was over and that the doctors had agreed to let him go home.

Signing the discharge papers, dave quirked an eyebrow as spencer groaned from his wheelchair.

"i'm gonna throw up," spencer moaned, clutching the stack of disposable bowls even closer to herself.

"well then throw up in the bowl," dave replied simply, making edmonds grin as he took the papers back and handed his a pharmacy slip.

"see you tomorrow for vincristine," edmonds said, leaning against the counter as dave took the handles of spencer's chair.

"i'm gonna puke," was spencer's reply. Edmonds laughed as dave rolled his eyes.

After bidding his goodbyes, dave carefully wheeled spencer through the corridors of the hospital, being mindful not to move his too quickly. Spencer's nausea was bad enough as it was, and despite dave being nonchalant about it, he wouldn't have been surprised if spencer had vomited before they made it out of ward 3b.

Somehow, he didn't.

"i'm gonna throw up in the car," spencer mumbled.

"i'm not sure if you're being serious, or if the meds are making you a little loopy, but that's the third time you've told me you're going to throw up and it still hasn't happened," dave replied with a chuckle. "i love you to bits buddy, but tell me when it's going to happen, ok?"

"i'm gonna puke in the car," spencer reiterated. Dave bit back a grin.

"you aren't going to puke in the car, you're going to puke in the bowls, yes?" he asked as they made their way down the ramp towards the parking lot.

Spencer didn't reply. He remained fairly quiet, aside from a few groans of discomfort while dave helped his into the car.

After walking round to the trunk with spencer's hospital bag, dave slid into the driver's seat, looking over at spencer to see that he was good to go. Seeing that he was, he started the ignition, and pulled out of the parking lot.

He had only just pulled out onto the road when spencer threw up, thankfully right in the bowl on the top of the stack.

"put it in the bag bud," he told his son, referring to the triple lined garbage bag sitting at spencer's feet.

"i told you i was gonna puke," spencer mumbled, carefully placing the used bowl inside the bag. Sitting back, he closed his eyes, swallowing thickly as his mom carefully navigated home.

"edmonds said you can have some reglan if you're really desperate, but we should only try to use it for really urgent situations," dave told his.

"i just wanna sleep," spencer muttered, clutching the stack of bowls closer to his. "i'm so tired"

"i know peanut. We'll be home soon"

Spencer had slept all morning since they got home from the hospital. Dave had called edmonds and asked what spencer was able to have for the nausea. After getting an ok for a mild antiemetic that could be administered through his central line, dave had hooked it up while spencer slept.

Knowing he needed to chat to spencer sooner rather than later, Aaron had waited until Dave was occupied with cooking dinner and the other kids were doing their homework.

Slipping into spencer's room, Aaron closed the door behind him, slowly crossing the room and sitting down on the edge of spencer's bed.

For a moment he sat there, simply watching the peaceful expression on his sick child's sleeping face. He really didn't want to do anything to shatter that peace.

"Spence," he said softly, rubbing gently circles on spencer's upper back. Spencer was lying on his stomach, his face partially buried in his pillow.

Ever since he'd watched them pump those awful chemicals into spencer's body just under a week earlier, Aaron had found herself wishing there were easier ways to treat cancer. He found herself wishing more people cared about finding a cure.

Because in the past couple weeks, he had had no choice but to allow the doctors to cut, burn, and poison his youngest child. Albeit he knew the scar was a small price to pay for the fact that the doctors had actually been able to potentially cure his cancer, but he didn't know how much longer he could watch his child suffer in the way he already had.

"spence," he said again, getting up and moving around to the side of the bed spencer was facing. Kneeling down beside it, he gently stroked spencer's cheek. "come on my sweet boy. Time to wake up"

Spencer screwed up his nose, reaching up with one hand to rub his eyes as he stirred.

"i'm tired daddy," he mumbled, his eyes remaining closed as he slumped back against his pillow.

"i know monkey," dave replied, placing his hand over spencer's. "but you've gotta take your meds, then we can maybe try having some dinner okay,"

Spencer managed to open his eyes, looking at his dad with concern. "do I have to?"

Aaron shook his head quickly. "yea little one, im sorry we gotta give you your meds to make you feel better?"

Spencer nodded, reaching up for his Dad in a sleepy haze. Aaron obliged, easily lifting his son into his arms and carrying his over to the window seat.

Once they were both settled, with spencer wrapped in a blanket and cuddled into his Dads, side Aaron took a deep breath.

"here buddy," Aaron said, holding out spencers medication in one hand.

Spencer looked up at his father and shook his head. "No daddy please, I don't want it."

"Spence buddy, I know you don't but you gotta take it so you get better,"

"but they make me feel yucky, and sick, and tired,"

"I know, I know bud, but if you keep taking them soon the doctors will say you don't have to anymore and you can go back to normal life again,"

"yeah?"

"yeah bud,"

"you're doing well, so well, spence. Your chemo is hopefully working. Some are luckier than others but I will do everything in my power to keep you here with me, ok? I'm not going to let this horrible disease take you if i can help it," he said tearfully.

"i love you," spencer mumbled, burying his face in the crook of Aaron's neck.

"i love you too little one. So much"