Rick stayed up all night back and forth between the ICU and the hospital chapel searching for an answer to why Lesley's had to fight for so long for her life
" God please don't take my little bug... I'm not ready to give her up. She still has so much that I want to do with her and she wants to do with us... I would give anything to take her place... just please God don't let her die."
" Rick...?" Bobbi asked
" What is it... What's happened to Lesley?!" Rick replied fast
" Lesley is okay, she's stable for the time being... Dr Martinson asked me to get you.. they want to talk to you about Lesley and her condition.." Bobbi replied
" Thank you Bobbi um could you ask them to give me a couple minutes I think I should get myself together before going back up to ICU.?" Rick asked
" Of course... Hey... She's in my prayers too you know... She helped my brother and I'm very grateful to her for that." Bobbi exclaimed
" Jessie... We're gonna do everything we can... Right now she's stable and we're gonna watch her vitals very closely" Steve tried to assure Jessie
" Steve I'd like to believe that Lesley is gonna be okay but Dr Richards was clear... He has stopped Lesley's treatment because she's not responding to it and it's spreading quicker than we thought." Jessie replied and moved to sit in the ICU lounge..
Rick stayed by Lesley's side hoping she would be able to hear him " Lesley, you got to fight the kids and I we need you... We need you Lesley and we don't know how to live without you… I don't know how to live without you"
" Rick...?" Martinson asked
" What can we do to help her..." Rick got out
" We're doing everything we can at this point Rick... Right now her vitals are very low and her liver has started to shut down... The best thing we can do is wait and watch but pray for the best that she'll pull through the night.."
" Earl, that's not good enough... We need to do something anything we can to help her... I am a match... We can do a transplant if we have to.." Rick answered
" She wouldn't be able to sustain that kind of operation Rick not with her vitals as low as they are and Dr Richards wouldn't recommend that it would be safe."
~~~
Over another 6 weeks Lesley was finally able to go home where Rick took a leave of absence from the hospital to spend some time with her while he had a chance..
" Rick, I'm alright... I promise you I am... Can we just relax for alittle while.. I don't really want to go anywhere or do anything today..." Lesley looked up at Rick with a shy look while hoping he wasn't gonna pick up that her side was bothering her more than usual as well as her strength had begun to gradually decrease..
" Course we can... How about we just relax on the couch and we watch alittle TV for alittle while maybe how's that sound" Rick smiled with his suggestion
" Rick... Could you help me for a second.. I want to sit up alittle bit more so we can talk..."
Rick helped Lesley sit up alittle more while they were on the couch. Rick wished to God that she would tell him everything but didn't push it because he didn't want her to feel pressured into telling him.
" Rick... I want to start and make sure that plans and arrangements are together incase something happens to me..." Lesley started and paused hurried to continue when Rick wanted to say something " I know that I'm alright for the time being but Rick it scares me that one of these days in the near future I may not make it... I don't want you to be left with the burden of having to figure out what arrangements to make. I think I have put you through enough pain for a lifetime since you first learned that I was sick."
" Lesley... Sweetheart, look at me... Don't you ever think that you've caused me anything... I'm the happiest man on the planet I am…. because I have you I am very fortunate that I get to come home to you. Lesley you are a very special person to me you're my wife and my best friend... The day I have to say goodbye to you Lesley that would be the worst thing I would do... Hey you're gonna be alright Lesley I won't let anything happen to you... You're gonna live... Can I ask you a question...?" Rick replied and asked
Lesley looked at Rick. " Honey what brought on your fears about something going wrong? Did someone say something to you that they shouldn't have when you went for your appointment with Dr Richards? Rick asked carefully
Lesley started coughing before she had a chance to answer and Rick wasted no time to help her get up to lay down for alittle while
" I let this go on for too long now I want you seen by Dr Richards. I don't like the sound of that cough... You've been through enough today and I want you to try to rest..." Rick insisted
" R-Rick please... Don't call him… there's nothing he can do right now"
" Lesley I've let this go for far too long and by letting it continue I'm not doing what I promised you... So I am setting that appointment for tomorrow morning..." Rick said firmly
" Sweetheart you are everything to me and you're my wife it's my job to do what I need to do for you even if you get mad at me because at least you'd be alive to be mad... Les I would rather you be mad at me, than I would have to spend time for the worst day of my life to ever come and that would be the day that I would lose you and I'd have to say goodbye to you..." Rick stated while holding on to Lesley's hand.
" I love you Rick... I love you so much, please don't leave me alone... I ju-just... I just want to spend the time with you that I could have left.." Lesley kissed Rick before he could get a word in.
~~~
Rick pulled up the blanket so Lesley could get some rest and afterwards stepped out to make a phone call for an appointment with Dr Richards for that next morning
" Rick, I'm sorry to make you wait. I was speaking with the family of another patient."
" It's alright I certainly can understand how that goes..." Rick replied
" What can I do for you?" Dr Richards started to ask
" Could you fit Lesley in for tomorrow morning between 8 and 10?"
Dr Richards checked his schedule to see how he could make that request for Rick. " Rick, how does 9:15 look for you?"
" Jerry, that is perfect thank you..." Rick got off the phone
After a few hours Lesley started to wake up with Rick by her side smiling like a fool
" Rick, how come you are still awake...?" Lesley asked
" I like to watch you sleep Les... Is there anything I can do for you.." Rick replied with a smile.
" Yeah come to bed... I don't like being alone..." Lesley barked with a returned smile
Rick laughed at her in his head because to see her smile he couldn't help but feel grateful that she was seemly okay and safe in his arms
" Rick... Can I ask you something...?" Lesley shifted to look towards Rick
" Course you can."
" Do you think it would be wrong if we were to spend time alone somewhere away for awhile like outside of Port Charles?" Lesley asked
" Well I don't think it would be wrong if you wanted to go somewhere but sweetheart you are gonna be fine because you've come through worse... And I am not gonna lose you right now.. if Jerry was to find something tomorrow or after that... We'll treat it... I'm gonna make sure my little bug gets better." Rick replied
" Rick, I would like to just be with you… no hospitals or doctors… I just…. I just want to be with the man I love.." Lesley looked slightly towards Rick.
Rick finally got Lesley to go back to sleep but got up himself for alittle while as he couldn't go back to sleep... It was almost like Lesley was hinting at something to Rick like she was trying to tell him without actually telling him, the going away idea, the topic she tried to bring up about her funeral arrangements, along with the fears she continued to show everytime Rick brings up about an appointment with Dr Richards. It's almost as if Lesley was telling him that she was sick again but this time she wasn't gonna get better... Rick brushed off the thought before going back to bed as he knew Lesley wouldn't keep that kind of info from him.
The next morning Rick had gotten up earlier to make sure that the kids caught their buses on time since Lesley had an appointment but he also wanted to see how she was feeling first before anything.
" Sweetheart... Lesley honey i'm sorry but I have to wake you we have to get going pretty soon... How are you feeling?" Rick sat by Lesley's side and gently rubbed on her upper arm.
" I'm okay when I get to wake up with you... Did the girls make their bus?"
" Yeah they did and Alice is here... Sweetheart, are you sure you're feeling okay...?" Rick asked
" Yeah I think I'm okay. I'm just tired and my side is slightly bothering me again but I'm okay Rick." Lesley insisted
" How long has your side here been hurting you?" Rick asked
Lesley looked up at Rick stunned by his question that she didn't have any time to downplay with her answer when she went to respond to him
" Just a couple of weeks but I don't think it is a big problem... Rick, please don't be so frightened I'm okay I promise." Lesley answered
Rick helped Lesley get dressed into something comfortable before he went to help her head downstairs so they could leave for the hospital.
" Rick... I know you don't want to talk about this... and I'm sorry I keep bringing it up but I just feel like we should talk about it before there's something to have to worry about..." Lesley spoke up
" Lesley Webber what have I told you about saying that you're sorry... You have nothing to be sorry about... There is nothing that would be wrong and you are perfect just the way you are..." Rick started and paused from helping Lesley with her hair when he found a lump in the size of a basketball
" Sweetheart, how long have you had this?" Rick asked
" Had what...?" Lesley turned towards Rick alittle
" You have a lump of the size of a basketball right here on your neck..." Rick answered and showed Lesley what he sees
" I wish I knew about it... But I haven't Rick..." Lesley turned away slightly more
" Sweetheart, it's okay... We're gonna see you through all of this... You're my stubborn little bug, remember... Everything's gonna be alright Les..."
Lesley and Rick headed for their appointment with Dr Richards and Lesley was almost tempted to confirm what Rick was suspecting but was still afraid to tell him she knew all that time that she had since been told her cancer had became terminal.
" Lesley it's really up to you with what you want to do. I can take your Chemo port line out today, or we can wait.. But that has to be your choice. My question to you is, are you absolutely sure this is what you want?" Jerry asked as he sat on the corner of his desk beside Lesley with Jessie at her side.
" I don't want to give up… but I know that we have to face reality and you've been honest from the beginning and you and Dr Strider were clear about the severity to my case and situation; I'm not gonna get better and I know that… so I think it's time to stop everything and remove it once and for all before it were to become infected and then causes more trouble."
~~~
Rick took Lesley home so she could get some rest and he and Jessie could talk while they had a chance
" I don't know Jessie... Something tells me that something is wrong... And finding that lump on her neck... It's returned… I know it but I can't for the life of me figure if that is a fact" Rick got out and sat down on the couch
" Now we don't know that... Not for sure yet Rick... You have to be strong right now because that is what Lesley is gonna need."
" Jessie how much more can Lesley take that poor girl has been through so much in her life. Starting to the night Smith had Laura killed and Lesley was almost permanently paralyzed." Rick replied, looking at the floor.
" Rick, we've been through this before and so has Lesley... And she can get through all of this again but we have to be there by her side for when she needs us."
Just as Jessie went up to check on Lesley and to see if she needed anything, Genesis and Jesslyn finally got home
" Girls come and sit down, we need to talk as soon as Jessie comes down from checking in on your mother."
" Dad, is something Wrong?" Jesslyn asked
Jessie sat with Lesley for alittle bit while Rick tried to talk to the girls downstairs.
" Jessie I want to tell him I really do but to tell him that I'm gonna..."
" Hey I want you to stop thinking this way... You're gonna be fine and you're gonna pull through this. Now I want you to rest.." Jessie replied
" Jessie…. Rick found the lump which not too long ago I already knew of it because it was you that saw it just before we were told that it's come back again right then I came close to blurting it out after I almost cried... Jessie, it scares me... It really does especially when I go to bed at night knowing that it could be at any point in time... I just wish there was nothing to worry about." Lesley admitted
" I know you're scared and you feel like you don't know where to turn... Try to rest and in alittle while I'll have Jesslyn help to run a bath for you to help you relax okay?" Jessie adjusted the blanket slightly so Lesley was more comfortable before she headed downstairs
" Jessie, thank you for helping me wi…with everything.."
~~~
" Daddy what is it why do you look so upset.." Jesslyn asked
" It's about your mother girls and eventually you're both gonna have questions as to what's going on." Rick started
" Daddy, what is wrong... Momma's okay isn't she... She's not having problems again is she?" Jesslyn asked
" It's very possible that the cancer may have returned right now, we don't have any idea of a definite answer as to what it is yet that she's dealing with but… We'll know soon" Rick replied as careful as he could
" But mom was fine a week ago... She was okay..." Genesis replied
" Girls, your father and I are gonna be on top of this we're gonna do everything we can to help her get better again... What you have to do is keep your chins up and don't lose your hope because we know your mother and she's a tough woman that and she's a stubborn fighter." Jessie chimed in
" So what do we do now? She's gonna have to go through chemotherapy again...? Is that what mom even wants to do?" Genesis asked
" Genesis we're gonna do everything we have to do for your mother. What's important is we have to be there by her side when she needs our help. That includes if I need you and your sister to watch your brother for whatever reason." Rick replied
" Rick..." Jessie spoke up
" Yes Jessie?"
" Go and spend time with Lesley... She could use alittle bit of company. She was asking for you anyway" Jessie suggested
" I guess you're right... Girls head up and get your homework done... And try not to make too much with the noise." Rick replied and stood up to head upstairs to check on Lesley and spend some time while he had a chance.
~~~
Rick spent the time after Jessie had gone home and the girls had gone to start their homework and Riley was playing in his room.
" I'm right here Les... I'll be right here by your side." Rick whispered in her ear and gave Lesley a kiss before he adjusted to lay down with her for awhile
Lesley turned slightly more into Rick's arms where she was comfortable enough but Rick knew it that something seemed to be off though Rick just couldn't place the sense of feeling he had until Lesley started to wake up
" I didn't mean to wake you little bug..." Rick whispered.
" You didn't... I've always loved how you would know if or when I would need you.."
" There's nowhere I'd rather be than to be right here and right by your side." Rick kissed Lesley on her forehead before she fell asleep again after trying to finally tell him she was terminal
About a half an hour later Alice had came up to let Rick know that Jessie had gone home and dinner was ready.
" Come on sweetheart, you need to get something to eat... Afterwards if you want you can come back up to get some rest..." Rick insisted.
Noticing that Lesley wasn't responding, Rick didn't hesitate to call Alan and Monica to get them to come out to take a look at her
" Alan I'm sorry to bother you and Monica this late but I think Lesley needs to be seen... She's very lethargic and her fever is up slightly at 103.9… And I can't get her to wake up. Something is very wrong"
" Rick, don't apologize, we'll be right there." Alan replied and hung up to get Monica
Rick went back upstairs " Alan and Monica are gonna be on their way shortly, how is she Alice?!"
" Her breathing seems to be maybe low, I think we should call for an ambulance." Alice replied right away
As much as Rick didn't want to admit it, Alice was right and just waiting for Alan and Monica to get over to the house was gonna be a mistake as Lesley's condition was already starting to decline more with how labored her breathing started to become and the notation that she was already unresponsive Rick knew he had to act fast and right then before she was to die right there.
