Disclaimer: They aren't mine and never will be.

Author: Catgurl83

Title: Shocking News

Rating: G

Author's Notes: I'm sorry that it has been so long since I've updated. I haven't forgotten the story. It is just that I am bogged down at school so I won't be updating as frequently as I did over the summer.

I am also sorry that this chapter is so short but I wanted to post it so you'd all know that I'm still alive. :-)

Thanks to everyone who voted. Counting private e-mails, the Yahoo site, and reviews, over fifty people voted!!!

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Annie turned to look at the clock. The procedure would be over anytime now. She fidgeted restlessly. Turning her head to the side, she saw Simon standing by the window. His eyes were locked on the clock, his hands clenched at his sides.

Lucy caught her mother's eye and gave her a reassuring smile. Annie returned the smile for an all too brief moment before her worried frown returned. Lucy was so worried about her mother. Annie was pale, drawn, and tense. She doubted that her mother had slept in days. She had bags under her eyes. She had lost a lot of weight from not taking the time to eat healthy meals and worrying so much.

Simon was another cause of worry for Lucy. The longer Ruthie was sick, the more Simon withdrew. Even today he was keeping himself separate from the rest of them. He was holding himself aloof from them when he should have been leaning on them for support.

The door opened and everyone's heads swung toward it. They were all hoping to see the doctor standing there. They needed to know. Regardless of Ruthie's condition, they needed to know. Not knowing made it all so much harder because they couldn't deal with it until they knew.

Chandler smiled to diffuse some of the tension as he stepped into the waiting room. He could tell from the expressions on their faces that they had been hoping that the doctor had arrived. He held his hand out. "I brought food."

Sam and David, who hadn't previously noticed him, looked up at the mention of food. "What kind?" David asked eagerly.

"McDonald's." Chandler answered with a grin. He knew how much the twins liked fast food. He also knew that Annie rarely permitted them to have it.

Eric returned Chandler's grin. "It's been ages since I've had a burger."

Roxanne stepped into the room behind Chandler. "And it is going to be even longer. We got you a salad."

"Thank you." Annie said as Eric groaned.

Lucy, Mary, the Colonel, Ruth, and Kevin all laughed. It felt so good. It had been days since they'd had cause to laugh.

Roxanne stepped farther into the room and started dispersing canned soft drinks as Chandler handed out the burgers, and in Eric's case, the salad.

Annie gave Roxanne a small smile as she watched the twins bite into their sandwiches with gusto. "Thank you. I haven't even thought about food."

Roxanne returned the smile. "Don't worry about it. Chandler and I knew that you wouldn't be thinking of such things right now. And you shouldn't have to."

"We wanted to help and this was our way of doing so," Chandler added.

"We really appreciate it," Eric told him sincerely.

As they finished their food the door opened for a second time. This time the doctor stepped into the room. They couldn't tell anything from his expression.

Kevin took his wife's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. Lucy gave him a tiny smile before turning her attention back to the silent doctor.

Eric dimly registered that the room had fallen completely silent. He could actually hear the clock ticking away the seconds.

Simon, who was staring out the window, turned to stare at the doctor instead. He was clenching his hands so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

Mary crumpled her burger wrapper into a tiny ball as she waited for the doctor to break his silence.

Sam and David looked up from their toys to look at the doctor with fearful faces. Neither wanted to admit it but they were terrified for their big sister.

The doctor took a deep breath before beginning.

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Such a cruel place to leave off wasn't it? I am so evil. :-) Review and let me know what you think. Who knows, you might get another chapter quicker that way.