*Finally...I updated. Yes, I know it took me a long time, but I just didn't know how I wanted to go with it. I had a bunch of ideas, so even if this sounds a little far-fetched, oh well. Hope you like it. I'll try not to take as long updating the next chapter! As usual, please r 'n' r. It makes me sooo happy. If you feel like it, drop me a line at diddy988@aol.com. Thanks a bunch.*
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Not much happend after returning home from the hospital that day. They needed some quiet time together for everything to sink in. It was hard, to say the least. She cried more than once that night. It was so hard for him; he couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for her. She had never let herself get so vulnerable and that scared him. At least she had him. Some people have to go through this alone and she was so glad she wasn't one of those people. They stayed up late that night. Talking about everything. She even smiled a little bit. When she finally fell asleep in his arms, seeing dried tears on her cheeks, he couldn't help but cry himself. Not much. Just a few tears that he had been holding back the entire night. He knew he had to be strong in front of her.
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They almost forgot about the appointment they had with the oncologist that morning. The sooner they figured out a treatment plan, the better the rate of survival was. That's what the doctor said yesterday.
"Abby, are you almost ready to go?"
"Just a sec...i'm almost ready." She said coming out of the bathroom. "There... done."
He grabbed her hand and they were on their way back to County. They still hadn't told anyone else about her diagnosis. She wanted to wait until she found out exactly what the treatment would be. The last thing she wanted was to be pitied though. Carter had just told Weaver that she was sick still and he wanted to stay home and take care of her.
They walked into the oncology unit of the hospital. It was like deja-vu. They had been in the exact same place the day before.
"I have an appointment with Dr. Brown at eleven o'clock." Abby said to a short blonde nurse at the front desk.
"Just sign in and the doctor will be right with you. He's just finishing up with another patient right now." The nurse smiled and pointed to the waiting area where they could sit.
She looked okay. She was actually smiling and she had not cried a single tear since last night. Carter looked at her and smiled as the nurse approached them.
"Dr. Brown is ready for you." They followed the nurse behind the big wooden doors. She led them into another small room where they were greeted by the doctor.
"Good morning," he said as he smiled and shook their hands. "Have a seat. I know this must be alot to handle right now."
"Yeah. It was very hard last night. Unbelievably hard."
"Again, I am sorry but I think we should get to discussing your treatment options." Dr. Browns' tone became more serious.
Carter held her hand as Dr. Brown ran through possible treatment options and said that the best one, with the highest rate of remission was a bone marrow transplant. It also wasn't as aggressive as the rest of the options. The different mixtures of medicine would help and have shown significant results but have many side-effects that she wasn't sure she could handle. Problem was, finding a bone marrow match could be hard. But they couldn't think like that. Sometimes it's hard to be optimistic but they needed to now more than ever.
----------
The appointment was over and dates were set for testing. Carter would be tested tomorrow. He wanted to do it today, but they had absolutely no spaces available. Those were the nurses' exact words. How could they say they have no room? Now they had to wait again. They would be back tomorrow and now they had to figure out how to tell everyone down in the ER.
They stepped on the elevator and went down to the ER. "I don't know if I can do this Carter. I mean what do I say?"
"I know. I'll help you if you want. The sooner we get down there, the sooner it will be done."
"Yeah. I know. But what do I say, I am going to die if I don't get a bone marrow transplant?"
Did she think this was funny? It's good that
"Abby, you're not going to die. Just tell them the truth. They're your friends and they will understand."
"Here goes nothing." Abby said stepping out of the elevator grasping his hand tightly. As they walked towards the admit desk Susan approached them.
"What are you guys doing here? Weaver said you were sick." Susan asked with a puzzled look on her face. She could see that something must not be right. The way she saw Abby look at him with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.
"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about that. Can we go into the lounge or something? It's kind of crazy out here."
They headed towards the lounge together. There weren't many people on today. She wanted to tell Jing-Mei and Luka and the others but they were no where to be found.
"Abby. Are you okay?" Susan asked concerned. Abby tried to answer but nothing came out of her mouth. She just shook her head.
"Carter, I can't...," she whispered to him. He knew it was hard for her so he decided to take charge.
"Susan. Abby...she has leu-leukemia." He seemed as if he was going to burst into tears right then and there.
"Oh Abby, I-I'm so sorry." She embraced Abby and they started to cry. Susan couldn't think straight. This was all so sudden.
"We found out yesterday. After I get tested and we search for a donor, she is going to get a bone marrow transplant."
"I want to get tested." Susan pulled away from Abby. The idea was far-fetched. She probably wouldn't match, but she had to try.
"Thank you Susan. So much." Abby wiped the remaining tears off of her face and sat down on the couch.
A few seconds later, Susan was paged. It was a trauma coming in, so she had to leave.
"You two should go home. I have to go get this trauma right now. I'll see you tomorrow upstairs. And really, if you need anything just call me, Abby. You to John."
----------
It had been two days since Susan and Carter got tested as possible donors. They tried to be optimistic, but the possibility of either of them or anyone else being a match wasn't technically on their sides. There was always a chance and they needed anything they could get.
It was a little after five o'clock in the morning. Abby lied in bad awake, hands upon her stomach. All she could do was think. Mostly bad thoughts. Being pessimistic was alot easier for her. Laying in bed was no use. She decided she might as well get up and eat something. Try and take her mind off of everything. Yeah, like that was even remotely possible.
Carter rolled over and woke up when he felt the pillow in Abby's place. He didn't waste a second in getting up. To make sure she was okay. He hurried out of the bedroom and found a tired looking Abby sitting unharmed at their kitchen table.
"What are you doing up already? It's only...a little after five."
"Couldn't sleep. Kind of hard, you know. Taking your mind off of some things is easier said than done." She gave him a little smile and returned to take a sip of her coffee.
"I know. I was just worried." He barely sat down when the phone rang. They looked at each other intently both hoping that it was news they were waiting so anxiously for.
He picked up the phone. "Hello."
"Hey Carter. It's Susan."
"Oh hi." He sounded kind of disappointed in his response.
"I guess no-one called you yet. I got a phone call this morning from the hospital. Carter, they said I matched Abby!"
Almost instantly a never-ending smile crossed his face. He was speechless. Out of all people, Susan matched. And they weren't even related. We never thought she would match. We just tried hoping for the best, but not expecting much.
Covering the phone, Carter screamed, "Abby, sweetie, Susan matched. You're gonna be alright." Tears started flowing down his cheeks.
She couldn't believe what he just said. She thought she must be dreaming. When she realized it was true, she jumped out of her chair and ran over to Carter. He enbraced her tightly, dropped the phone and picked her up twirling her around in his arms. She kissed him, and tears simultaneously poured out of their eyes.
Realizing he just dropped the phone he picked it back up and apologized to Susan. They both talked to her, thanking her repetitively.
She really was going to be okay.
----------
Not much happend after returning home from the hospital that day. They needed some quiet time together for everything to sink in. It was hard, to say the least. She cried more than once that night. It was so hard for him; he couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for her. She had never let herself get so vulnerable and that scared him. At least she had him. Some people have to go through this alone and she was so glad she wasn't one of those people. They stayed up late that night. Talking about everything. She even smiled a little bit. When she finally fell asleep in his arms, seeing dried tears on her cheeks, he couldn't help but cry himself. Not much. Just a few tears that he had been holding back the entire night. He knew he had to be strong in front of her.
----------
They almost forgot about the appointment they had with the oncologist that morning. The sooner they figured out a treatment plan, the better the rate of survival was. That's what the doctor said yesterday.
"Abby, are you almost ready to go?"
"Just a sec...i'm almost ready." She said coming out of the bathroom. "There... done."
He grabbed her hand and they were on their way back to County. They still hadn't told anyone else about her diagnosis. She wanted to wait until she found out exactly what the treatment would be. The last thing she wanted was to be pitied though. Carter had just told Weaver that she was sick still and he wanted to stay home and take care of her.
They walked into the oncology unit of the hospital. It was like deja-vu. They had been in the exact same place the day before.
"I have an appointment with Dr. Brown at eleven o'clock." Abby said to a short blonde nurse at the front desk.
"Just sign in and the doctor will be right with you. He's just finishing up with another patient right now." The nurse smiled and pointed to the waiting area where they could sit.
She looked okay. She was actually smiling and she had not cried a single tear since last night. Carter looked at her and smiled as the nurse approached them.
"Dr. Brown is ready for you." They followed the nurse behind the big wooden doors. She led them into another small room where they were greeted by the doctor.
"Good morning," he said as he smiled and shook their hands. "Have a seat. I know this must be alot to handle right now."
"Yeah. It was very hard last night. Unbelievably hard."
"Again, I am sorry but I think we should get to discussing your treatment options." Dr. Browns' tone became more serious.
Carter held her hand as Dr. Brown ran through possible treatment options and said that the best one, with the highest rate of remission was a bone marrow transplant. It also wasn't as aggressive as the rest of the options. The different mixtures of medicine would help and have shown significant results but have many side-effects that she wasn't sure she could handle. Problem was, finding a bone marrow match could be hard. But they couldn't think like that. Sometimes it's hard to be optimistic but they needed to now more than ever.
----------
The appointment was over and dates were set for testing. Carter would be tested tomorrow. He wanted to do it today, but they had absolutely no spaces available. Those were the nurses' exact words. How could they say they have no room? Now they had to wait again. They would be back tomorrow and now they had to figure out how to tell everyone down in the ER.
They stepped on the elevator and went down to the ER. "I don't know if I can do this Carter. I mean what do I say?"
"I know. I'll help you if you want. The sooner we get down there, the sooner it will be done."
"Yeah. I know. But what do I say, I am going to die if I don't get a bone marrow transplant?"
Did she think this was funny? It's good that
"Abby, you're not going to die. Just tell them the truth. They're your friends and they will understand."
"Here goes nothing." Abby said stepping out of the elevator grasping his hand tightly. As they walked towards the admit desk Susan approached them.
"What are you guys doing here? Weaver said you were sick." Susan asked with a puzzled look on her face. She could see that something must not be right. The way she saw Abby look at him with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.
"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about that. Can we go into the lounge or something? It's kind of crazy out here."
They headed towards the lounge together. There weren't many people on today. She wanted to tell Jing-Mei and Luka and the others but they were no where to be found.
"Abby. Are you okay?" Susan asked concerned. Abby tried to answer but nothing came out of her mouth. She just shook her head.
"Carter, I can't...," she whispered to him. He knew it was hard for her so he decided to take charge.
"Susan. Abby...she has leu-leukemia." He seemed as if he was going to burst into tears right then and there.
"Oh Abby, I-I'm so sorry." She embraced Abby and they started to cry. Susan couldn't think straight. This was all so sudden.
"We found out yesterday. After I get tested and we search for a donor, she is going to get a bone marrow transplant."
"I want to get tested." Susan pulled away from Abby. The idea was far-fetched. She probably wouldn't match, but she had to try.
"Thank you Susan. So much." Abby wiped the remaining tears off of her face and sat down on the couch.
A few seconds later, Susan was paged. It was a trauma coming in, so she had to leave.
"You two should go home. I have to go get this trauma right now. I'll see you tomorrow upstairs. And really, if you need anything just call me, Abby. You to John."
----------
It had been two days since Susan and Carter got tested as possible donors. They tried to be optimistic, but the possibility of either of them or anyone else being a match wasn't technically on their sides. There was always a chance and they needed anything they could get.
It was a little after five o'clock in the morning. Abby lied in bad awake, hands upon her stomach. All she could do was think. Mostly bad thoughts. Being pessimistic was alot easier for her. Laying in bed was no use. She decided she might as well get up and eat something. Try and take her mind off of everything. Yeah, like that was even remotely possible.
Carter rolled over and woke up when he felt the pillow in Abby's place. He didn't waste a second in getting up. To make sure she was okay. He hurried out of the bedroom and found a tired looking Abby sitting unharmed at their kitchen table.
"What are you doing up already? It's only...a little after five."
"Couldn't sleep. Kind of hard, you know. Taking your mind off of some things is easier said than done." She gave him a little smile and returned to take a sip of her coffee.
"I know. I was just worried." He barely sat down when the phone rang. They looked at each other intently both hoping that it was news they were waiting so anxiously for.
He picked up the phone. "Hello."
"Hey Carter. It's Susan."
"Oh hi." He sounded kind of disappointed in his response.
"I guess no-one called you yet. I got a phone call this morning from the hospital. Carter, they said I matched Abby!"
Almost instantly a never-ending smile crossed his face. He was speechless. Out of all people, Susan matched. And they weren't even related. We never thought she would match. We just tried hoping for the best, but not expecting much.
Covering the phone, Carter screamed, "Abby, sweetie, Susan matched. You're gonna be alright." Tears started flowing down his cheeks.
She couldn't believe what he just said. She thought she must be dreaming. When she realized it was true, she jumped out of her chair and ran over to Carter. He enbraced her tightly, dropped the phone and picked her up twirling her around in his arms. She kissed him, and tears simultaneously poured out of their eyes.
Realizing he just dropped the phone he picked it back up and apologized to Susan. They both talked to her, thanking her repetitively.
She really was going to be okay.