CHAPTER 4: MONICA'S DECISION

Mary and Monica invited their closest friends to dinner at Sunup Eats. Charlie, Pat, Marcie, Sally, Lucy, Derrick, Linus, Mary Jo, Franklin, Eudora (enjoying a night off from there), Frieda, and Pig Pen were all there. Shermy had to work at the Bronze Beagle, thus was getting ready for the night crowd, and Patty was there helping him. Monica wanted to let everyone know what her decision was about her health and what she was going to do next.

"I'm glad you all came," said Monica. "As you all probably heard, I do have breast cancer. I wanted to let you all know that while it was shocking, Mary and I won't stop trying to fight it. I plan to have a mastectomy as soon as I can, and then start radiation treatment. I know you all will support me in this and I do appreciate all the love you all have shown me during this difficult time."

"Absolutely, Monica," said Pat, now showing that she was indeed pregnant. "We will always have your back."

"Anything you need, don't hesitate to let us know," added Charlie.

After eating and mingling for a while, Pig Pen rolled his wheelchair over to Linus and Lucy, who were having a conversation about something.

"Hey, you two," he began. "Glad I got you together. Was wondering how you were after Rerun's passing."

"It's still hard to believe our baby brother is gone," said a somber Lucy. "It's getting easier day by day, and getting more easy to accept."

"I'm doing okay, myself," added Linus. "It's been a pretty rough few months for all of us, with Lucy here dealing with Schroeder kidnapping her, plus Rerun's passing, your accident, and now that guy that went AWOL from Charlie's recruitment center and Monica's own cancer diagnosis. We just got over the whole situation with Violet. I wonder if there will be any kind of tranquility for all of us?"

"Ironic that I'm the one saying this, but, aside from what Charlie and Monica's dealing with right now with that soldier and her breast cancer, I think the worst is behind us," said Pig Pen, smiling. "Even though it sucks balls being in this chair, I know I have myself to blame for it, and have to accept it. And that's what we all have to do."

"You're right, Pig Pen," said Lucy. "Maybe this is the turning point for all this drama."

"I hope it is," Linus replied.

Charlie and Pat were talking with Mary and Monica. They were sharing some news about the baby they were having and what the names could be.

"If it is a girl, we're going to name her Hope," said Pat. "But, if it's a boy, we decided to name him after my father and Chuck."

"That's so sweet, you two," said Mary.

"I am happy for the two of you," added Monica.

"Thanks," said Charlie.

"So, how's the search for your insubordinate going, Sarge?" asked Mary.

"Well, we're still looking for Kevin," Charlie replied. "The trail went cold in Colorado, but some folks recognized him when the M.P.'s showed a picture of him. The bus station told them a man fitting his description picked up a one-way ticket to Billings, Montana."

"What's in Billings?" wondered Monica.

"I suspect he has family there," Charlie responded. "Tomorrow, I'm going to check out the new findings."

NEXT CHAPTER: KEVIN GETS DESPERATE