Disclaimer: Not mine.
Title: Shocking news part three
Author: Catgurl83
Summary: Ruthie has Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. How will her family react?
Rating: Pg.
Author's note: I am not a doctor. Most of my medical info came from the site listed in my A\ N for the last chapter. All mistakes are mine. :-) I also want to thank my beta for doing a great job on this story. :-)
***********
Matt slowly made his way to his sister's room. He was grateful for Sarah's presence beside him. At this moment, he really wished he wasn't a med. student. That was making all of this worse for him. He was pretty sure that he knew what was wrong with Ruthie. And if he was right, the chances of her survival weren't very good.
Yet, he knew that it was actually a good thing that he was a med. student. He could help his parents with some of the decisions they were going to have to make. There were so many things that were probably going to have to be decided during the next several months.
He paused briefly outside of Ruthie's room while he summoned the courage to go inside. Taking a deep breath he forced a smile and opened the door.
Ruthie was sitting up in the bed staring at the door morosely.
Matt and Sarah stepped inside and quietly closed the door. Silently they approached the bed and sat down. Neither spoke. They sensed that Ruthie needed to do this her own way, in her own time.
After a few minutes of silence, Ruthie finally summoned the strength to begin. "I'm really sick." She whispered.
"How sick?" Sarah asked.
"Leukemia." Ruthie answered.
Matt was not surprised. In his heart he had known that leukemia would be the diagnosis. He had just hoped that he was wrong. He still could be partially wrong. "Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia?" He asked quietly.
"Yes." Ruthie whispered. "Am I going to be okay?"
How should he answer? Matt wondered. How much could she handle? "I'm not sure Ruthie."
"But do you think I'll live?" She pressed.
"I'm not an expert. In fact, I really don't know very much about that kind of cancer." He answered her truthfully, although he did hold back a little bit.
"What is leukemia?" Ruthie asked after a few minutes of silence.
Matt blinked. The question had startled him. "Um." He wasn't sure exactly what she wanted. "The word leukemia means 'white blood'."
"It affects the white blood cells?" Ruthie asked.
"Yes." Sarah nodded.
"How does it work?" Ruthie asked. They had studied this in health at school but she really hadn't paid that much attention. It really hadn't mattered to her that much.
Matt gave Sarah a pleading look and she started the explanation. "Well, leukemia refers to several different cancers that start in the blood- forming tissues of the bone marrow."
"What is bone marrow?"
"It is this spongy stuff that fills some of your bones and produces blood cells," Matt answered.
"In leukemia, the bone marrow makes diseased white cells that can't do their job." Sarah went on.
"What is their job?" Ruthie asked.
"They fight infection." Matt answered.
"So, my white blood cells fight infection?"
"Yes." Sarah answered.
"If my white blood cells are, in essence, sick, then my immune system is weak. Right?"
Matt and Sarah both nodded.
"So I can get other illnesses on top of this?" Ruthie pressed.
"A lot of the time leukemia patients do," Sarah answered.
"So what do I do to stop it?"
"Your doctor will probably give you instructions," Matt told her. "But you shouldn't be around sick people."
"This is a hospital," Ruthie pointed out.
"Yes but you shouldn't socialize with other patients." Sarah stated.
"What else?"
"We will all have to be careful that we don't come here if we even suspect that we have a cold." Matt said. "And pretty soon we'll probably have to start wearing gloves and maybe a gown when we come in."
"Oh." This was going to be very hard on all of them. She decided to change the subject. She had to talk about something happier. "How is Charlie?"
Sarah smiled. "Wonderful. She is in the waiting room getting acquainted with your grandparents."
"They took her from us the moment they arrived," Matt added. "I'm beginning to wonder if they ever plan on giving her back."
"They'll give her back as soon as she starts crying." Ruthie predicted with a small smile. "When can I see her?" Sarah's smile faded. "I'm not sure Ruthie. The doctor isn't going to let her in here."
"So, I'll have to wait until he releases me? When are you going home?"
Matt hesitated. "I'm not sure."
"Oh."
"We will probably be here for a while though," Sarah told Ruthie. "We both made arrangements with our instructors."
"Oh." Ruthie said again. She really hoped she wasn't causing anyone problems. She didn't want to do that. "Can you send Mary in?" She asked the question abruptly.
Matt and Sarah were startled for a moment and then quickly hid it. "Sure," Sarah answered.
********
Mary made her way down the long hallway to her sister's room. The walk seemed to take twice as long as it should. One part of her couldn't wait to find out what happened. The other part of her wished she didn't have to hear this.
Her parents hadn't given them any idea what was going on. All they had said was hat Ruthie wanted to tell each of them herself. They had been silent after that.
The rest of the family knew it was bad though. Annie and Eric were holding onto each other very tightly. Like they desperately needed that anchor to keep their world from completely crumbling.
She finally reached Ruthie's room and stepped inside. She tried to smile, but when she saw Ruthie like that she couldn't.
"Sit down," Ruthie stated.
Mary studied her sister for a moment. Ruthie seemed a bit detached. That was another sign that this was bad. Ruthie had had to detach herself from her own health problem in order to be able to handle it.
Ruthie took a breath before spiting it out. She knew it would be easier then tiptoeing around the topic. "I have Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia."
"Leukemia?" Mary whispered.
"Yes."
"Um." Mary tried to clear her mind enough to come up with a coherent thought. "What is the doctor going to do?"
"He is putting me on some type of medication that I can't even pronounce. He said that is the first step. I don't know what the next step is."
"Are you going to have to have a bone marrow transplant?" Mary asked quietly.
"Yes."
"How do I get tested?" She felt that she had to do something and this was it. This was the only thing she could possibly do to help.
Ruthie shrugged as if it was not a big deal even though they both knew it was. "I'm not sure. The doctor will probably tell us when he comes back."
"Okay." She really didn't know what to say.
They were both quiet for a few minutes of awkward silence until Mary finally stood up. "I'm going to."
Ruthie nodded. "Okay."
"Do you want me to send Lucy and Kevin in?"
Ruthie just nodded.
**********
Lucy studied Mary's expression as she quietly told her that she could go see Ruthie now. Mary was being uncharacteristically quiet. They all were. No one seemed to know what to say.
She stood up and walked toward the door. She held on to Kevin's hand tightly as they approached Ruthie's door.
Kevin looked at her until she nodded and then opened the door. They both stepped inside the room quietly.
A very pale Ruthie was lying on her hospital bed staring at her hands. She didn't even look up when the door opened. Lucy was pretty sure that her sister hadn't even heard the door open. She briefly wondered what stage of dabda Ruthie was in. (Denial, anger, bargaining, denial, acceptance.)
They stepped up next to the hospital bed and Lucy gently laid a hand on her sister's shoulder.
Ruthie looked up.
"Hi." Lucy said quietly. She smiled at her sister. She knew that Ruthie needed the reassurance.
"Hi." Ruthie responded quietly. She gestured to the chairs by the bed.
Lucy and Kevin both sat down.
Ruthie looked directly into her sister's eyes. It was somehow easier with Lucy then it had been with Mary. "I have leukemia."
Lucy swallowed as she reached for her sister's hand. "What kind? There is more then one kind right?"
Ruthie nodded. "It is called Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia."
"What does it do?" Kevin asked.
"The doctor said that it makes my body produce too many white blood cells. It also makes my spleen get too large. Matt and Sarah say that my white blood cells have something wrong with them." Ruthie explained softly.
"Do you know what the treatment is?"
"Medicine first. Then later I have to have a bone marrow transplant."
Lucy nodded. "I'll get tested."
"So will I," Kevin said. He knew he wasn't a blood relative, but neither were the people in the national registry.
Ruthie nodded silently.
Lucy studied her sister's face. She was looking for signs of whatever Ruthie was thinking. "How are you doing?"
Kevin gave his wife a look. How did she think Ruthie was doing? Then he reminded himself that she was taking classes in this type of thing. She knew what she was doing.
Ruthie was silent for a few minutes before whispering, "I'm scared."
"About?" Lucy prompted.
"Dying," Ruthie admitted.
Lucy swallowed. This was so much harder when it was your sister. She almost wished that she hadn't started this conversation but she knew Ruthie needed to do this. She also realized that her dad wasn't up to this. And Ruthie probably wouldn't talk to anyone but her or her father. "Why?" she forced herself to ask.
Ruthie looked back down at her hands. "I'm not ready to die. I don't mean religiously. I think I'm ready religiously, but I'm so young. There is so much I want to do," she whispered. "Will I get to do all of it? Any of it?"
"Ruthie you don't know what will happen. We are all praying for you," Lucy stated.
"I know, but God might say no." She waited a moment. "And I'm worried. How will everyone take it if I die?" A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Oh Ruthie," Lucy had no idea what to say to her sister. She had instantly forgotten all of her training.
"Will Mom and Dad be okay? Will the boys?"
"Yes," Lucy stated with more certainty then she felt. She sensed that that was the answer that Ruthie needed. "It would be difficult, but they would be fine. Ruthie we don't know what is going to happen, though. You could, and probably will, be alright." She really hoped that she was correct.
Ruthie looked up. "I hope so. How do I tell the boys?"
"Tell them the truth but reassure them that you will probably be okay," Lucy suggested. "And give them a chance to ask questions."
Ruthie nodded. "Thank you." She whispered.
Lucy stood up sensing that the conversation was over for now. Kevin also stood. "I'll send Simon in," Lucy told her sister as she left.
**********
Simon did not want to go into that hospital room. He really didn't. He would rather do almost anything then go into that room.
He didn't want to see Ruthie like this. He didn't want to hear what was wrong with her. It was as if not knowing what was wrong would make it go away. He knew that wasn't true though.
He took a deep, calming breath before stepping into the room. His little sister was staring at the door and now at him. She was so pale.
He forced himself to smile as he took a step farther into the room. He took another step. And then another until he was close to the bed. Closer than he wanted to be. He wanted to run from the room and pretend this wasn't happening.
He knew he should probably sit down but he couldn't. He had to stay standing. It was impossible for him to sit down. It was as if whatever strength he had would fade away if he sat down.
He kept his eyes on his sister even though it was so difficult to do so. He wished he could stare out the window. That would be so much easier. "Had it been this difficult for the others?" he wondered.
Ruthie knew that she would have to speak eventually. Simon wasn't going to. "Maybe you should sit down."
Simon shook his head mutely.
Ruthie sighed. She had known that Simon would be the toughest to tell but she hadn't known it would be this hard. "I'm really sick," she began.
Simon made himself nod.
"I have something called Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia."
Simon swallowed hard. Leukemia. He had been terrified that she would say that word. That awful, awful word.
He remembered the day Deena told him that she had had the disease. It had really upset him but this, this was devastating.
Ruthie watched her brother's face. She knew he was thinking about Deena.
This was such an ugly illness. He remembered some of the things that he finally got Deena to tell him about when she was sick. It had been awful for her and it was going to be awful for Ruthie.
Why Ruthie? He wondered. Why his little sister? Of all of the people in the world, why did Ruthie have to have this illness? He and Ruthie had always been close. Really, really close. In fact, he was closer to her then he was to any of his other siblings. So, why Ruthie?
Ruthie didn't think she could watch him much longer. She wanted to cry so badly but she forced the tears back. "Can you.?"
Simon forced his attention back to his sister.
"Can you get the boys?" Ruthie asked quietly.
Simon nodded in relief. He couldn't do this right now. He didn't know what to say or do. He had to get out of here.
********
David and Sam walked toward their sister's room with their parents.
"Are you ready?" Eric asked quietly.
The twins nodded.
"Your dad and I are going to stay out here okay?" Annie asked.
David swallowed. "Okay."
They both stepped into the room and tentatively walked closer to the bed.
Ruthie made herself smile like so many of her family members had that evening. She knew she had to reassure the boys. She didn't want to scare them. "Hi."
"Hi." They said as one.
"Sit down."
The boys sat down.
"You guys know that I'm sick right?" Ruthie asked.
"Yeah." Sam answered.
"What is wrong?" David asked.
"I have something called leukemia."
"What is that?" Sam asked in confusion as he and his twin both frowned.
"Leukemia is a blood disease. Part of my blood is sick." She explained.
"How will they fix it?" Sam asked.
"Well, I'll be taking some medicine and I have to have something called a bone marrow transplant."
"What is that?" David wanted to know.
"Bone marrow is a part of the blood. Everyone will be tested to see if they are a match for me. Then marrow will be taken from someone and given to me through my IV." She gestured to her IV.
"Does it hurt?" Sam asked softly.
"A little bit." Ruthie admitted.
"Will getting the bone marrow hurt?" David asked.
"I don't think so." Ruthie answered.
Both boys smiled. "Good."
"Can we get tested?" Sam asked. "We want to help you."
Ruthie swallowed the lump in her throat. "Of course you can."
"Don't worry." David assured her. "One of us will be a match and you will get better."
"Yeah." Sam agreed.
"Thank you." Ruthie whispered. She really loved those two. They could be a handful but they could also be so sweet.
*********
Title: Shocking news part three
Author: Catgurl83
Summary: Ruthie has Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. How will her family react?
Rating: Pg.
Author's note: I am not a doctor. Most of my medical info came from the site listed in my A\ N for the last chapter. All mistakes are mine. :-) I also want to thank my beta for doing a great job on this story. :-)
***********
Matt slowly made his way to his sister's room. He was grateful for Sarah's presence beside him. At this moment, he really wished he wasn't a med. student. That was making all of this worse for him. He was pretty sure that he knew what was wrong with Ruthie. And if he was right, the chances of her survival weren't very good.
Yet, he knew that it was actually a good thing that he was a med. student. He could help his parents with some of the decisions they were going to have to make. There were so many things that were probably going to have to be decided during the next several months.
He paused briefly outside of Ruthie's room while he summoned the courage to go inside. Taking a deep breath he forced a smile and opened the door.
Ruthie was sitting up in the bed staring at the door morosely.
Matt and Sarah stepped inside and quietly closed the door. Silently they approached the bed and sat down. Neither spoke. They sensed that Ruthie needed to do this her own way, in her own time.
After a few minutes of silence, Ruthie finally summoned the strength to begin. "I'm really sick." She whispered.
"How sick?" Sarah asked.
"Leukemia." Ruthie answered.
Matt was not surprised. In his heart he had known that leukemia would be the diagnosis. He had just hoped that he was wrong. He still could be partially wrong. "Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia?" He asked quietly.
"Yes." Ruthie whispered. "Am I going to be okay?"
How should he answer? Matt wondered. How much could she handle? "I'm not sure Ruthie."
"But do you think I'll live?" She pressed.
"I'm not an expert. In fact, I really don't know very much about that kind of cancer." He answered her truthfully, although he did hold back a little bit.
"What is leukemia?" Ruthie asked after a few minutes of silence.
Matt blinked. The question had startled him. "Um." He wasn't sure exactly what she wanted. "The word leukemia means 'white blood'."
"It affects the white blood cells?" Ruthie asked.
"Yes." Sarah nodded.
"How does it work?" Ruthie asked. They had studied this in health at school but she really hadn't paid that much attention. It really hadn't mattered to her that much.
Matt gave Sarah a pleading look and she started the explanation. "Well, leukemia refers to several different cancers that start in the blood- forming tissues of the bone marrow."
"What is bone marrow?"
"It is this spongy stuff that fills some of your bones and produces blood cells," Matt answered.
"In leukemia, the bone marrow makes diseased white cells that can't do their job." Sarah went on.
"What is their job?" Ruthie asked.
"They fight infection." Matt answered.
"So, my white blood cells fight infection?"
"Yes." Sarah answered.
"If my white blood cells are, in essence, sick, then my immune system is weak. Right?"
Matt and Sarah both nodded.
"So I can get other illnesses on top of this?" Ruthie pressed.
"A lot of the time leukemia patients do," Sarah answered.
"So what do I do to stop it?"
"Your doctor will probably give you instructions," Matt told her. "But you shouldn't be around sick people."
"This is a hospital," Ruthie pointed out.
"Yes but you shouldn't socialize with other patients." Sarah stated.
"What else?"
"We will all have to be careful that we don't come here if we even suspect that we have a cold." Matt said. "And pretty soon we'll probably have to start wearing gloves and maybe a gown when we come in."
"Oh." This was going to be very hard on all of them. She decided to change the subject. She had to talk about something happier. "How is Charlie?"
Sarah smiled. "Wonderful. She is in the waiting room getting acquainted with your grandparents."
"They took her from us the moment they arrived," Matt added. "I'm beginning to wonder if they ever plan on giving her back."
"They'll give her back as soon as she starts crying." Ruthie predicted with a small smile. "When can I see her?" Sarah's smile faded. "I'm not sure Ruthie. The doctor isn't going to let her in here."
"So, I'll have to wait until he releases me? When are you going home?"
Matt hesitated. "I'm not sure."
"Oh."
"We will probably be here for a while though," Sarah told Ruthie. "We both made arrangements with our instructors."
"Oh." Ruthie said again. She really hoped she wasn't causing anyone problems. She didn't want to do that. "Can you send Mary in?" She asked the question abruptly.
Matt and Sarah were startled for a moment and then quickly hid it. "Sure," Sarah answered.
********
Mary made her way down the long hallway to her sister's room. The walk seemed to take twice as long as it should. One part of her couldn't wait to find out what happened. The other part of her wished she didn't have to hear this.
Her parents hadn't given them any idea what was going on. All they had said was hat Ruthie wanted to tell each of them herself. They had been silent after that.
The rest of the family knew it was bad though. Annie and Eric were holding onto each other very tightly. Like they desperately needed that anchor to keep their world from completely crumbling.
She finally reached Ruthie's room and stepped inside. She tried to smile, but when she saw Ruthie like that she couldn't.
"Sit down," Ruthie stated.
Mary studied her sister for a moment. Ruthie seemed a bit detached. That was another sign that this was bad. Ruthie had had to detach herself from her own health problem in order to be able to handle it.
Ruthie took a breath before spiting it out. She knew it would be easier then tiptoeing around the topic. "I have Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia."
"Leukemia?" Mary whispered.
"Yes."
"Um." Mary tried to clear her mind enough to come up with a coherent thought. "What is the doctor going to do?"
"He is putting me on some type of medication that I can't even pronounce. He said that is the first step. I don't know what the next step is."
"Are you going to have to have a bone marrow transplant?" Mary asked quietly.
"Yes."
"How do I get tested?" She felt that she had to do something and this was it. This was the only thing she could possibly do to help.
Ruthie shrugged as if it was not a big deal even though they both knew it was. "I'm not sure. The doctor will probably tell us when he comes back."
"Okay." She really didn't know what to say.
They were both quiet for a few minutes of awkward silence until Mary finally stood up. "I'm going to."
Ruthie nodded. "Okay."
"Do you want me to send Lucy and Kevin in?"
Ruthie just nodded.
**********
Lucy studied Mary's expression as she quietly told her that she could go see Ruthie now. Mary was being uncharacteristically quiet. They all were. No one seemed to know what to say.
She stood up and walked toward the door. She held on to Kevin's hand tightly as they approached Ruthie's door.
Kevin looked at her until she nodded and then opened the door. They both stepped inside the room quietly.
A very pale Ruthie was lying on her hospital bed staring at her hands. She didn't even look up when the door opened. Lucy was pretty sure that her sister hadn't even heard the door open. She briefly wondered what stage of dabda Ruthie was in. (Denial, anger, bargaining, denial, acceptance.)
They stepped up next to the hospital bed and Lucy gently laid a hand on her sister's shoulder.
Ruthie looked up.
"Hi." Lucy said quietly. She smiled at her sister. She knew that Ruthie needed the reassurance.
"Hi." Ruthie responded quietly. She gestured to the chairs by the bed.
Lucy and Kevin both sat down.
Ruthie looked directly into her sister's eyes. It was somehow easier with Lucy then it had been with Mary. "I have leukemia."
Lucy swallowed as she reached for her sister's hand. "What kind? There is more then one kind right?"
Ruthie nodded. "It is called Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia."
"What does it do?" Kevin asked.
"The doctor said that it makes my body produce too many white blood cells. It also makes my spleen get too large. Matt and Sarah say that my white blood cells have something wrong with them." Ruthie explained softly.
"Do you know what the treatment is?"
"Medicine first. Then later I have to have a bone marrow transplant."
Lucy nodded. "I'll get tested."
"So will I," Kevin said. He knew he wasn't a blood relative, but neither were the people in the national registry.
Ruthie nodded silently.
Lucy studied her sister's face. She was looking for signs of whatever Ruthie was thinking. "How are you doing?"
Kevin gave his wife a look. How did she think Ruthie was doing? Then he reminded himself that she was taking classes in this type of thing. She knew what she was doing.
Ruthie was silent for a few minutes before whispering, "I'm scared."
"About?" Lucy prompted.
"Dying," Ruthie admitted.
Lucy swallowed. This was so much harder when it was your sister. She almost wished that she hadn't started this conversation but she knew Ruthie needed to do this. She also realized that her dad wasn't up to this. And Ruthie probably wouldn't talk to anyone but her or her father. "Why?" she forced herself to ask.
Ruthie looked back down at her hands. "I'm not ready to die. I don't mean religiously. I think I'm ready religiously, but I'm so young. There is so much I want to do," she whispered. "Will I get to do all of it? Any of it?"
"Ruthie you don't know what will happen. We are all praying for you," Lucy stated.
"I know, but God might say no." She waited a moment. "And I'm worried. How will everyone take it if I die?" A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Oh Ruthie," Lucy had no idea what to say to her sister. She had instantly forgotten all of her training.
"Will Mom and Dad be okay? Will the boys?"
"Yes," Lucy stated with more certainty then she felt. She sensed that that was the answer that Ruthie needed. "It would be difficult, but they would be fine. Ruthie we don't know what is going to happen, though. You could, and probably will, be alright." She really hoped that she was correct.
Ruthie looked up. "I hope so. How do I tell the boys?"
"Tell them the truth but reassure them that you will probably be okay," Lucy suggested. "And give them a chance to ask questions."
Ruthie nodded. "Thank you." She whispered.
Lucy stood up sensing that the conversation was over for now. Kevin also stood. "I'll send Simon in," Lucy told her sister as she left.
**********
Simon did not want to go into that hospital room. He really didn't. He would rather do almost anything then go into that room.
He didn't want to see Ruthie like this. He didn't want to hear what was wrong with her. It was as if not knowing what was wrong would make it go away. He knew that wasn't true though.
He took a deep, calming breath before stepping into the room. His little sister was staring at the door and now at him. She was so pale.
He forced himself to smile as he took a step farther into the room. He took another step. And then another until he was close to the bed. Closer than he wanted to be. He wanted to run from the room and pretend this wasn't happening.
He knew he should probably sit down but he couldn't. He had to stay standing. It was impossible for him to sit down. It was as if whatever strength he had would fade away if he sat down.
He kept his eyes on his sister even though it was so difficult to do so. He wished he could stare out the window. That would be so much easier. "Had it been this difficult for the others?" he wondered.
Ruthie knew that she would have to speak eventually. Simon wasn't going to. "Maybe you should sit down."
Simon shook his head mutely.
Ruthie sighed. She had known that Simon would be the toughest to tell but she hadn't known it would be this hard. "I'm really sick," she began.
Simon made himself nod.
"I have something called Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia."
Simon swallowed hard. Leukemia. He had been terrified that she would say that word. That awful, awful word.
He remembered the day Deena told him that she had had the disease. It had really upset him but this, this was devastating.
Ruthie watched her brother's face. She knew he was thinking about Deena.
This was such an ugly illness. He remembered some of the things that he finally got Deena to tell him about when she was sick. It had been awful for her and it was going to be awful for Ruthie.
Why Ruthie? He wondered. Why his little sister? Of all of the people in the world, why did Ruthie have to have this illness? He and Ruthie had always been close. Really, really close. In fact, he was closer to her then he was to any of his other siblings. So, why Ruthie?
Ruthie didn't think she could watch him much longer. She wanted to cry so badly but she forced the tears back. "Can you.?"
Simon forced his attention back to his sister.
"Can you get the boys?" Ruthie asked quietly.
Simon nodded in relief. He couldn't do this right now. He didn't know what to say or do. He had to get out of here.
********
David and Sam walked toward their sister's room with their parents.
"Are you ready?" Eric asked quietly.
The twins nodded.
"Your dad and I are going to stay out here okay?" Annie asked.
David swallowed. "Okay."
They both stepped into the room and tentatively walked closer to the bed.
Ruthie made herself smile like so many of her family members had that evening. She knew she had to reassure the boys. She didn't want to scare them. "Hi."
"Hi." They said as one.
"Sit down."
The boys sat down.
"You guys know that I'm sick right?" Ruthie asked.
"Yeah." Sam answered.
"What is wrong?" David asked.
"I have something called leukemia."
"What is that?" Sam asked in confusion as he and his twin both frowned.
"Leukemia is a blood disease. Part of my blood is sick." She explained.
"How will they fix it?" Sam asked.
"Well, I'll be taking some medicine and I have to have something called a bone marrow transplant."
"What is that?" David wanted to know.
"Bone marrow is a part of the blood. Everyone will be tested to see if they are a match for me. Then marrow will be taken from someone and given to me through my IV." She gestured to her IV.
"Does it hurt?" Sam asked softly.
"A little bit." Ruthie admitted.
"Will getting the bone marrow hurt?" David asked.
"I don't think so." Ruthie answered.
Both boys smiled. "Good."
"Can we get tested?" Sam asked. "We want to help you."
Ruthie swallowed the lump in her throat. "Of course you can."
"Don't worry." David assured her. "One of us will be a match and you will get better."
"Yeah." Sam agreed.
"Thank you." Ruthie whispered. She really loved those two. They could be a handful but they could also be so sweet.
*********
