~Thank yall for the birthday wishes!  It meant a lot, and I had a great day.  It meant so much that I have decided to write a short chapter to get yall through the week.  Short, kinda just a bridge because the part after this is a BIG one!  DUDES~ look out for it, expect it Friday or Saturday!  By the way, sorry if you think it's going too fast, but I just want to get it moving, y'know?  All right, so enjoy!~

alex

Disclaimer:  Anybody wanna give me them for my birthday?  Nah? Oh well, I don't own them.

Chapter 8

            Two months had passed.

            Over two hundred people had been tested.

            Family, friends, strangers.

            No match.

            And now her time was running out.

            Doctor Perry walked briskly down the hallway, clutching her clipboard with the Geller file.  But it wasn't just the "Geller file".  This case had taken on a new importance.  Over the past couple of months, the doctor had grown to love the tightly knit group of friends, and her heart truly leapt out to them.  All of her time had been devoted to Monica's case, searching desperately for a match.  But to no avail.  Of course the doctor had always wanted her patients to survive and beat the cancer, but Monica was different.  Monica reminded Kara Perry of herself when she was young.  Kara beat her leukemia though.  It wasn't looking good for Monica. 

            As part of her daily routine, Kara opened the door to Monica's room.  She found her patient, who was now a permanent hospital resident, asleep as per usual.  Kara perused Monica's vitals, and everything seemed okay for now.  But things were getting worse day by day.  Without a match, she had a month at most. 

            Kara watched Monica sleeping so patiently, and wished she didn't need to wake her up, but they needed to talk today, and Kara's son was sick, so she needed to go home to him.  She softly called out Monica's name, in an attempt to peacefully wake Monica.

"God?"  Monica whispered.

"No, sweetie, it's me, Doctor Perry."  She was slightly worried about Monica's reoccurring dreams.  She had often confused the doctor for God, but Kara was far from God, she couldn't perform the miracle needed here.

Monica allowed her eyes to flutter open, and the bright lights quickly woke her up.  "Any news?"  It was customary for Monica to ask, even though she found herself disappointed day after day.

Kara shook her head.  "Monica, we need to talk about something serious."

"Isn't this all serious?"  Monica stated wistfully.

"Yes, unfortunately it is."  Monica sighed.  "We still don't have a match Monica.  We're running out of time, and it's not looking good.  I'm sorry, but the best we can do now is make sure that you are as comfortable as possible.  I think you should go back home, relax and be with the people that you love."

"Oh."  It was final, she was dying.  "I understand, and you're probably right."  But I don't agree with it.  Keep trying, please!  Don't give up on me now. 

"We'll keep you here until Friday, and then you can go home."  Monica, I promise I am not giving up.  I will keep trying.   

"Does everyone else know?"

"I'm on my way to tell them."  The worst news she could deliver.

Monica nodded and the doctor left her room. 

"Why?!?!?! Goddamnit!  Why me? What the hell did I do wrong?"  Monica screamed.  She didn't know who it was aimed at.  Maybe God.  She let herself go and for the first time since her diagnosis, screamed her head off.  After a few more minutes of incoherent screaming, she broke down into tears.  She didn't want to die angry with anyone, especially God, but she didn't think it was fair.  She hadn't done anything wrong in life, and she was paying the ultimate price of her life.  It was the most unexpected twist she had ever been dealt in life. 

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            Kara spotted Monica's entourage in the waiting room.  They virtually lived at the hospital, and she was surprised they hadn't yet been given their own room. 

            "Hey guys."  She was relatively informal with them and vice versa.

            They all immediately perked up.  Could this finally be good news?

            "I'm afraid that I am the bearer of bad news once again.  I'm sorry."

"No matches?"  Rachel asked thoughtfully.

"No, and we are running out of potential matches. We're just waiting for a few results to come back, and they should be around tomorrow.  But I don't think it's very likely.  These strangers don't fit the profile."

Chandler slammed his fist against the arm of his chair and Phoebe placed her arm gently around his shoulders.  It was difficult for everyone, but she knew that he was taking it especially hard.

"I'm sorry," Chandler apologized.

"No need to be.  I understand."  She took a deep breath and braced herself.  Sometimes it was harder to tell family and friends that it was to tell the patient.  "Monica's going home on Friday."

"But not good going home, right?"  Joey asked for clarification.

"Right.  We want her to be as comfortable as possible."

"How long?"  Ross inquired

            "A month at the most.  Try to make everything as normal as possible and savor the time.  Help her to live every moment to the max."

            "Does she know?"  Chandler asked.

"She just found out.  Maybe someone should go and talk to her."

"I will," Chandler immediately volunteered.

The doctor smiled and politely excused herself.  She would go home and keep herself preoccupied with her son, but the whole time this ordeal would not be far from her mind. 

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            Upon hearing the knock on the door, Monica quickly wiped her teary eyes. 

            "Come in."  She ordered.  Chandler slowly opened the door.  "So, I guess you heard, huh?"

            "Yeah, I did Mon.  I'm really sorry.  I wish I could do something."

            "But you can't.  I know, Chandler.  It's not your fault."

            "But it's not fucking fair!"  Chandler's words were heated.

            "Don't you think I know that?"  Her words were cacophonous.  She immediately apologized.  "I'm sorry.  I don't have the right to take my hurt and anger out on you.  You've been so great, so unbelievably great. I guess I'm trying to say thanks."

            "Monica…"

            "Chandler, for the first time, I realized it.  I'm dying.  I've always felt there was a chance, some room for a miracle.  But no!  In a month, I'm outta here.  It's the scariest thing I've ever been told."

            "Monica, I can't even imagine what you are going through, but I admire your strength."  He told her truthfully.

            "Sometimes I wonder if this would have been easier if we were together."

            "You do?"

            "Of course.  Chandler, you do know that I wanted to say yes, right?"

            "Yeah, but you didn't."

            "I didn't want you to get hurt.  And just imagine if we were together.  In a month, you'd lose me forever.  I didn't want to leave you."  She rested her head back on her pillow.  She was tired again. 

            Noticing this, Chandler asked, "Do you want me to go?"

            "No," She simply replied.  "Stay, please.  Let's talk some more."

            "Alright, but if you get tired…"

            "I know, I know, tell you.  Don't worry, I will."  Monica smiled slightly. "What's new with you?"

            "Well, nothing really, but I've been granted a leave of absence from work and…" Chandler rambled on for a while, and Monica studied him carefully.  She watched how he gestured with his hands as he talked, and how rubbed his eyes when he couldn't think of the word he was looking for.  Of course she had watched him before, but this time, something jumped out at her.

            "I love you."  Monica interrupted.  Chandler stopped talking and looked inquisitively at her. 

            "What?"  He asked confused.

            "Chandler, I love you."

            "Well, that's random, always appreciated though.  Ummm…"

            "Did I freak you out?"

            "A little," he replied, and Monica was pleased with his candid response.

            "That's ok.  I didn't expect you to---"

            "I love you too."  Chandler picked up her small hand it placed it in his.  He gave it a gentle squeeze.

            "Hmm… Well, now that that's established, what do we do?"  Monica used her free hand to lift his chin and then placed her hand on top of his.

            "What do you want?" 

            "I love you, but that's still be friends.  I don't want you to…"

            "Get hurt?  I know."  Chandler decided to just accept it.  "We'll be friends who love each other.  But Monica, I want you to know that if we were in any other circumstance, I wouldn't give in this easily.  WE would be together, and I would fight for it."

            "Well, that's good.  And I would expect no less from you.  I love when guys go after me."  She smiled again.  Twice in less than an hour was more than she had in the past week. 

            "So, we're good then?"

            "Yep.  Good."

            "Good." Chandler squeezed her small hand again and watched as her eyes fluttered closed.  They were good, in some ways, but not in others.  Monica was still dying.  She would die. The he went to go find the doctor.  He knew Kara's home address and he went to get her.   

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