I said before I was telling my aunt's story and everything she had to go through. The hardest thing you could live with and have to endure is hearing once again that you have Cancer but the worst is when you're told that you'll never get better and treatment will not be successful to help you.

" That doesn't necessarily mean it has but what I'd like to do is a full biopsy to confirm if it has and then we can try to go from there.."

" I'll wait right out in the waiting area... Keep your chin up Lesley.." Jessie gave Lesley a hug and stepped out.

After about an hour, Dr Richards finally had gotten the biopsy that confirmed what he was hoping not to find

" The biopsy confirmed what we were suspecting from your pet scans. There are masses on both your liver and your pancreas. Both masses are malignant and have spread further than we thought." Dr Richards started to explain

Lesley sat back for a moment to collect herself enough while still in with Dr Richards with Jessie" So the mass here that Jessie noticed on the side of my neck here?"

" Yes, the cancer has spread too far into your lymph nodes in your neck and possibly it has spread further to your brain. Lesley everything that we can do we're gonna do... We can try our best however with how aggressive it is, we will not be able to treat effectively this time... Consulting with the head of oncology… treatment will not be effective this time." Dr. Strider answered as gently as he could.

" But we can still do with treating..." Lesley asked

" Lesley we can certainly try to delay it's progression to give you as much time as possible... Just understand that this kind of cancer can not be effectively treated this late in this stage."

" How long could I have...?"

" Looking at your scans and speaking to the specialist on your case... You could have anywhere between 2 to 4 months, maybe 5 at best 6 months realistically would be pushing it. Lesley I am very sorry… But at this stage the cancer has become terminal" Dr Richards replied as gentle as possible

" Thank you Jerry I appreciate that you have helped over the last few hard months... " Lesley spoke up as she swiped a few tears that overflown

Lesley got ready to head home with Jessie but found herself starting to feel numb to what's going on and the thought that she was terminal and she had to tell Rick frightened her especially when she didn't know how she would go to tell him

" Lesley are you okay?" Jessie laid a hand on her shoulder

" How am I supposed to tell him Jessie... How do I tell Rick that I only have 2 to 4 months, maybe 5." Lesley turned slightly away

" Hey you don't have to do it alone Lesley I'm gonna be with you just as Rick will be... Dr Richards didn't say that treatment was not an option for you... And if you can get through it once then you can do it again I believe you can."

" Oh Jessie, sometimes I want to believe that... But I just can't help but feel like I'm slowly losing everything.." Lesley tried not to cry

" Lesley listen to me I know you are scared and you don't feel like you're gonna be able to do it again... Lesley you are gonna be fine you will pull through this." Jessie insisted

" Jessie I'm sorry... I didn't mean to get upset... I just... I don't know how long I can do this and then face hurting Rick as he finds out that I very well will not make it this time" Lesley replied

~~~

Rick just finished in the O.R with a touch and go patient when Lesley wanted to check in and let him know that she was home and she was okay

" Hi sweetheart... How are you... Everything alright?" Rick asked

" Y-yes everything okay... I just thought to call you and tell you that I love you and miss you and I hope to see you soon when you come home..."

" Les, sweetheart, you're crying, is there anything wrong...?" Rick asked

" I just miss you Rick, that's all... I'm okay." Lesley insisted while trying to hide that she was upset.

" Lesley I know when you've been crying... Sweetheart it's alright.. you can tell me what upset you..." Rick replied gently

" I love when you do that... Rick I'm okay.. you go and finish up and I'll see you later tonight. And maybe we could talk about how my appointment went with Dr Richards." Lesley answered

Lesley had just gotten off the phone but started to feel guilty because she had just lied about how she felt and how everything wasn't really okay

" I just couldn't tell him Jessie... How could I when he was in a good mood... I don't want to hurt him Jessie... I can't." Lesley about cried after she spoke to Rick

" Lesley for as long as I've known you, you couldn't hurt anybody if you tried... The important thing is that both Rick and I will be able to help you with things that you need... But we have to tell him Lesley you know he's gonna have to know." Jessie sat beside Lesley hoping to guide Lesley in the right direction.

" What scares me most is hurting Rick and the kids... Jessie, they need me. How do I tell them that it's come back and this time there's nothing much that can be done... I don't know how to tell them that I only have up to 2 to 4 months to live...?"

" I will help you Lesley if you let me... Come on, you need to rest and take an easy you've been through enough today." Jessie insisted

~~~

Later in the evening Lesley was able to get some sleep while Rick was about to check out and head home for the night. Thinking that something was off, Rick decided to call the house just to check in before he left.

" She's okay Rick... She's gone to bed and I am about to put Riley to bed before I get ready to head home after you get here..." Jessie replied after Rick asked again if Lesley was alright

" Jessie I'm alittle concerned about her and I know she had cried before I last talked to her but she won't tell me what was wrong... Do you know maybe what's wrong?" Rick asked

" I think that it's better that you allow her to tell you but don't push it Rick today was rough on her... I was just with the kids before you called." Jessie replied

" I just feel like something is wrong. I can sense it but she wouldn't tell me what it was..."

Rick had just gotten home after about another 2 hours after talking to Jessie and immediately asked how Lesley was

" She's okay... I checked on her before you walked in.."

" She really worries me sometimes, especially when I know that something is bothering her and she won't tell me what it is."

Rick went upstairs to get a shower and to settle for the night while Lesley was asleep... He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong or that something was bothering Lesley from earlier that day as he knew she'd been crying. Rick didn't push Lesley to open up about it, instead he waited for her to come to him as he always has.

Lesley sensed that Rick had finally gotten home and turned into his arms for the night like she's done 100's of times before. Rick wasted no time to wrap his arms around her and whispered in her ear that he loved her before going to get up the following morning

~~~

" Girls come on, you're gonna be late if you don't leave for the bus now." Rick called out

" We're going... We're gonna be home later... Um Regan asked if it would be okay to come over here to hang for a few hours..?"

" I guess that will be fine... Just remember that if your mother is upstairs trying to rest, the noise has to be left outside the house." Rick replied

" We will... Bye Dad." Both said in tandem.

Rick headed upstairs to check on Lesley and help her get ready for work but noticed that Lesley was up and needed to go to the bathroom with the vomiting again and his concerns started to rise

" I'm gonna be right here Lesley... It's alright."

" R-Rick you shou-shouldnt..." Lesley started coughing. " You shouldn't have to be here to see me like this Rick..."

" Hey I am gonna be here to help you no matter what we have to face... You will not be left alone to deal with things by yourself..."

" Ple-please don't leave me, I really don't want to be alone Rick..." Lesley gripped on to Rick's arm

" Sweetheart I'm right here and everything is gonna be okay come on I want you to lay down... I'm gonna call the hospital and let Steve know I'm gonna stay here with you and I will speak with Dr Richards too. I'm taking no chances.."

Rick carried Lesley back to bed and slightly pulled up the blanket so Lesley could rest " Rick please don't worry about me... I'm alright I think I could have caught the flu bug that's been going around you had it recently yourself." Lesley insisted

" Well you are in no condition to be up and around. I want you in bed. I am gonna get Monica to cover my load today. I don't want you home alone."

" I love you Rick..." Lesley replied

" I love you too, bug and that's why I'm still gonna make sure you're taken care of and I will be talking to Dr Richards... I'm gonna be right downstairs for alittle bit okay I want you to rest." Rick gave Lesley a kiss after pulling up the blanket slightly so Lesley could get some sleep while she had a chance.

~~~

" Main desk this is Price... Oh Dr Hardy is right here just a second." Georgia handed Steve the phone. " It's Rick, he said it was something about Lesley..."

" Rick, is everything alright?" Steve asked right away