"So… it's all over the Square."

Katy furrowed her eyebrows, having no idea what Tina was talking about. The brunette had been slouching in the chair beside her hospital bed for about twenty minutes. They'd started off talking about the bar and what was coming up over the next couple of weeks. Then they'd moved onto what was happening at home. Now, though, she'd apparently started a new conversation without letting Katy in on the exact topic.

"What is?"

"Ronnie and Roxy."

"Oh…"

"I mean, she sprinted down Bridge Street and threw herself at you on that stretcher, babe." Tina said with a shrug. "Barely any one missed that and, if they did, at least one other person has told them about it."

"What are people saying?"

Shrugging, Tina dropped the magazine she'd been flicking through onto the bed. "They're confused, obviously. I mean, everyone thought they were dead and now, since Whit's wedding, they're back walking round the Square like they own it."

"They're what?"

"Oh, yeah… It's like they've never been away."

"Where are they staying?"

"I'm not sure. Not on the Square, anyway." Tina said with a shrug.

"You do believe that I had no idea about this, don't you?"

"About them being alive?"

Katy nodded. "I honestly–"

"I know, babe." Grabbing her hand, Tina gave it a squeeze. "I do believe you."

"Good, because…" She sighed deeply. "I don't know how to… if it is back, if I've got cancer… I don't want to be…" Katy let out a sound of frustration. She was unable to articulate what was in her mind, her annoyance at her current situation clouding everything. "If I'm going to die, I don't want to do it when we're like this."

"You're not going to die."

"You don't know that."

"I do." Tina replied stubbornly. "You're a Mitchell and apparently not even death can kill your lot."

Katy laughed, shaking her head. Her friend grinned, relieved at the sudden lift in her mood. For a couple of moments they sat in peaceful companionship, the younger woman chuckling softly at what had been said. Then she let out a long sigh.

"I'm scared, T." She admitted at last. "I've been trying to ignore things… warning signs. I've had too much to do… too many people relying on me. I can't… I can't get ill."

"Are you actually trying to say that you're too busy and important to get ill?" The brunette asked, laughing. "I've got news for you, Mitchell; it doesn't work like that."

"Well it should."

"What've you been ignoring? You've seemed fine to me."

"Bruises, headaches, blurred vision, constantly aching and feeling tired… it was easy enough to explain away, even to myself. I've been working long hours, lifting crates of bottles, I'm naturally clumsy." Katy sighed. "I was just hoping it would all go away."

Tina looked stricken. She leant forward, her eyes large and serious. "You shouldn't have ignored all that, Katy. If you hadn't got caught up in that mess at the Vic you'd still be ill, but you wouldn't know. You could have… we might have lost you."

"I know, I know… I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too. I should have noticed that something wasn't right."

"It's not your fault." Katy told her with a weak smile. "I'd have denied it, even if you did realise."

"God, you're annoying."

"I know."

"But they can treat it, right? You're going to get better again, ain't ya?"

"I dunno, T." She shrugged. "They're still running tests and it's not confirmed yet. I'm supposed to be having an urgent bone marrow biopsy later, which isn't fun. But if it is back… last time they said I'd probably need a stem cell transplant."

"But they can get you one of those, yeah?"

"Yeah… the problem is that a donation from a close relative has a much lower chance of causing complications than an unrelated donor, so they'll probably want to test Amy or the boys to see if they're a match and I don't want that. They're too young to be put through all of the pain and fear. We looked into all this when I was ill last time, before we came back to Walford. There's the possibility of having a mismatched transplant… if Jack or Ronnie donated stem cells they'd be at least a fifty per cent match." Katy explained thoughtfully, talking to herself as much as Tina. "Which would be fine… except I could get GVHD where the donated stem cells attack some of my body cells, whatever they go for."

"It sounds like you've got some pretty big decisions to make."

"Yeah…"

"I could get tested, if you want? Maybe my cells would match yours?"

"I couldn't ask you to do that, T."

"You wouldn't have to." The brunette said seriously. "I just offered, didn't I?"

"Tina… that's a massive thing to offer."

"I know that." She shrugged. "But it's way preferable to losing you for good."

Katy sighed, squeezing the hand that was still holding hers tightly. "Thank you. But we don't even know if I'm definitely going to need a transplant yet."

Biting her lip, Tina asked the question that had been on her mind since the conversation had started. "Have you told your parents about this? Glenda?"

"Gran knows." The blonde assured her immediately. "She came to all the appointments and discussed all the options. Jack… I told him, briefly, about it before. But Ronnie… no. She doesn't know."

"Don't you think you should tell her?"

"I will… if I have to."

"You've literally just said that you don't want things to be strained if you're gonna find out you're ill." Tina reminded her gently. "Surely keeping this from her isn't going to help."

Katy sighed and shrugged. Glancing up, she caught sight of the nurse heading in her direction with a tray of instruments. Guessing that they needed to take more blood, she smiled weakly. Getting the hint, Tina stood and gathered her things.

"Tina… I don't want this getting out around the Square. I don't want anyone else knowing that I'm ill. I can't… I can't deal with the pity or sympathy. I just want things to be normal. It's gonna be bad enough Mum and Roxy being back… I can't deal with people knowing about this as well."

She hesitated for a moment, before pressing a kiss to the younger woman's forehead. "I won't say anything. Be good."

"I'll do my best." Katy assured her, chuckling. "Back atcha."

Winking, Tina headed across the ward and disappeared through the door. Katy sighed and smiled weakly at the nurse who placed the tray on the bed before asking whether it was OK to take a few samples. Nodding, she held her arm out wordlessly, barely noticing as the woman got on with it. She turned her head and looked away, her mind constantly whirring between thoughts.

"Katy?"

She jumped. "Uhh? Sorry…"

"I was just saying that Doctor Matharu will be down in about twenty minutes to talk you through the biopsy."

"Oh… it's not my first." She said with a sigh. "I'd rather just get it over and done with."

Katy couldn't stand the look on the woman's face. She was clearly feeling sorry for her, but doing her best not to show pity. Avoiding her gaze, Katy looked at her phone, seeing that she had a message from Bianca and opening it quickly. Her cousin was asking whether Whitney had been in to see her, so Katy quickly replied telling her that she hadn't.

That set her thinking about the events of the previous day and she wondered how Ben was doing. Not having heard anything about his condition, not having seen anyone other than her parents, grandmother and Tina, she quickly sent Lola a message asking what was going on. The reply didn't take too long to reach her, informing her that Hunter was dead and that Ben and Keanu were doing well. Not having known that Keanu had been shot as well, Katy immediately demanded to know what had been happening. This time, however, there was no reply, although her phone told her that Lola had read the message.

Frustrated, she quickly sent Whitney a message, asking if she was alright. She didn't really expect a reply, considering that Bianca didn't even know where she was. She knew, though, that she hadn't really been there for her friend as much as she should have been and there were lots of things that she had missed by being caught up in her own problems.

Katy was surprised when, less than five minutes after she'd sent the message, Whitney herself strode onto the ward, making straight for her bed. Pulling herself up to sit against the pillows, Katy opened her mouth to ask how her friend was, before hastily shutting it. Whitney stood beside the bed, folding her arms and fixing the blonde with a hard look.

"Did you know?" Whitney demanded in a low, furious voice.

"Know? Know what?"

"Don't lie to me, Katy." The younger woman demanded. "Don't you fucking dare lie."

"How can I be lying if I don't have a clue what you're on about?" She muttered, shaking her head.

Whitney leant down and narrowed her eyes. "Callum and… Ben."

"Callum and Ben?" Katy frowned. "Callum and Ben what?"

"He cheated on me, Katy! Callum cheated on me with your fucking cousin!"

"He what? No… I swear I didn't know, Whit." Katy told her gently, shaking her head and reaching out to her. "I'd have told you if I had any idea, of course I would."

"Would you? He's a Mitchell, ain't he? You lot always stick together, don't ya?"

"Not, always. Not over this. Whit, we're family too, remember. And you're my best mate. I would never side with Ben over you. Never."

Studying her face for a moment, Whitney obviously believed what she saw. She dropped heavily into the chair and put her head in her hands. Katy reached out and took her hand, squeezing it tightly. Not looking up, the younger woman let out a dry sob.

"Did you really not know? Even after yesterday in the Vic?"

"Babe… I was shot." Katy reminded her. "I didn't really notice anything that went on in the Vic. Anything that happened before has kinda been wiped from my memory and anything that happened after… no chance."

"Oh… oh god. How are you?"

"My leg is fine." She shrugged. "I'll have a lovely scar to add to the collection, but it's fine. But they haven't moved me to Oncology for no reason…"

"It's… oh, shit, babe." Whitney's face crumbled as the realisation hit her. She sat up straight and reached for Katy's hand. "How bad is it?"

"It's not confirmed yet. They're doing a bone marrow biopsy in about… ten minutes."

"Is… is there anything I can do?"

Katy smiled, squeezing her hand. "Yeah, there is. I want you to be OK, Whit. I know… I know you're heartbroken, of course you are. I should be out with you, helping you forget about him. But you're strong and you deserve to be happy. So that's what you can do for me, OK?"

"Katy…"

"Honestly, Whit, the only thing I want you to do is be happy."

"That might take a little while." The younger woman grinned. "I guess that just means you'll have to make sure you stick around to check."

Katy laughed softly. "I guess it does."