Title: Shocking News
Author: Catgurl83
Disclaimer: The character's aren't mine and never will be. I am making no money off of this story and am not worth suing.
Feedback: Is greatly appreciated. My e-mail address is catgurl83@yahoo.com
Rating: PG just to be safe.
Author's notes: It has been brought to my attention that some of you had problems leaving reviews for the last chapter. That was most likely due to the removal of the author's notes chapters. If so, you may have the same troubles with this chapter. I can be reached at the e-mail address above.
I hope to post several chapters in the next few weeks as the semester ends this week and the new one does not start for almost a month, so keep your eyes peeled for updates.
I carefully researched leukemia for this story but there are still likely mistakes as I am not a doctor.
Thanks to Kimberly for beta reading this chapter! Your help is always appreciated!
***********
Matt slipped his arms into the paper gown. He put a mask on and then pulled his gloves on before stepping into Ruthie's room. This was the first time that he had seen his sister since her bone marrow transplant the day before. Besides his parents, he was the first member of the family to see Ruthie.
Stepping up close to her bed, he studied his youngest sister. Ruthie looked as bad as his mother had told him that she did. She was so pale and gaunt looking lying in that hospital bed unmoving.
She had regained consciousness for brief periods several times but had been out of it each time. That would probably last for a few more days at least. That was a good thing, Matt knew. For the first several days after a bone marrow transplant, the patient's blood had to be drawn at least once a day so that the doctors could monitor the white blood cell levels.
He stayed for a few more minutes before exiting the room and throwing the gown, mask, and gloves away. He made his way down the now familiar hospital corridor that led to the waiting room that his family used.
Stepping inside, he stood just inside the room, undetected by the room's other occupants. This afternoon, there were far fewer people here than there was the day before and for which Matt was very grateful. Just a few hours before Sarah, Mary, Lucy, and himself had talked his parents into going home to rest for a few hours after they had each seen Ruthie once more. Matt was very concerned about the effects of all of this on his parents' health, particularly his father's. Both Eric and Annie had slept very little in the last few days. In fact, their sleep had been disrupted since Ruthie's diagnosis. They were under a tremendous amount of stress. Neither of them was eating particularly well. The last thing that any of them needed was Eric having another heart attack.
The Colonel and Ruth had stopped by that morning with the twins before taking the boys to a nearby park to play.
Lucy sat in a hospital chair near the window looking through the college catalog, trying to choose her classes for the upcoming semester. Kevin was at work.
Mary was watching some television program on the small TV mounted to the wall in the corner.
Simon was not there but Matt had no idea where his brother had gone. At the thought of Simon, Matt sighed. He was concerned about the younger man. Simon was taking this harder than any of the rest of them, his parents included. Worse, Simon didn't seem to know how to handle his thoughts and emotions on this matter. He was obviously very worried about Ruthie but was unable or unwilling to express his worry and as a result, that worry was eating him alive.
He had tried to talk to Simon several times, as had their parents, Lucy, and even Kevin. Simon refused to talk to any of them. Matt just hoped that Simon found someone that he was willing to talk to. He desperately needed to confide in someone.
Sarah had taken the baby to her parent's house for a few hours. They'd be back later in the afternoon.
"Lucy?"
Startled, Lucy dropped her catalog. "Matt? How's Ruthie?" she asked as she picked up the catalog.
Matt shrugged, "No real change." He turned so that his next question was addressed to Mary as well as Lucy. "Do one of you want to go see her for a few minutes?"
Mary and Lucy exchanged a glance. Silently trying to decide who would go first. After a moment, Mary nodded and Lucy stood. "I'll be back soon."
***********
Simon carefully inserted his key into the doorknob. After unlocking the door, he gently and slowly, opened the door and stepped into his family's kitchen. He quietly closed the door behind him and then made his way across the room.
He crept up the stairs, not wanting to awaken his parents who were supposed to be sleeping upstairs. He practically tiptoed to his bedroom and inched his door open. The last thing he wanted was to have to talk to his parents.
In his bedroom, he sank down onto his bed. At least she had made it through the night, he thought with a deep sigh. But by no means was she out of the woods. Her body could still reject the transplanted marrow or she could get an infection.
He knew that right now Matt, Mary, and Lucy were taking turns visiting Ruthie. If he had stayed at the hospital, he too could have seen Ruthie. He had wanted to. He really had but he hadn't been able to. He just couldn't. He couldn't see Ruthie like that. He didn't want the memories if she. if she died.
He knew that everyone was worried about him but he couldn't help the way that he felt. He also knew that they would feel better if he'd just talk to them about this but he couldn't do that either.
Picking up his phone, he dialed in a familiar phone number. The phone rang three times before someone answered, "Hello?"
"Hi," Simon replied. "Can you meet me in about a half hour?"
"Same place as usual?" The voice asked without hesitation.
"Yeah," Simon said before hanging up.
*********
"She looks awful," Mary said as she stepped into the waiting room after her visit with Ruthie.
"She does," Lucy agreed.
"Should she look that bad?" Mary asked, glancing at Matt.
Matt nodded. "I know that she looks pretty bad but it is normal for a patient to look like that after a transplant. Remember, the doctors basically introduced a foreign organism into her body. Her body has to decide whether or not it is going to attack."
"Her body has to decide if the marrow is good or bad," Mary said slowly and Matt nodded.
"If her body decides that the marrow is bad, will she be able to survive it?" Lucy wanted to know. She had been wondering that for a while but hadn't wanted to ask in her parent's hearing. They had too much stress as it was. She didn't need to add to their concerns.
Matt sighed, "It isn't that easy. Even if Ruthie's body rejects Charlie's bone marrow, the doctor's will try to save her life. There are several things that they can try. It may or may not work. It just depends. But hopefully it won't come to that."
Both women nodded. They were all hoping and praying that it didn't come to that.
************
Simon stepped into the his father's church and slowly made his way up the long aisle. At the front, he sank down onto the first pew.
He knew that he wasn't the only one in the family that came here when they were confused or upset. Lucy came here frequently, he knew. So did his father. Since they had been back in GlenOak, Matt and Sarah had come here to pray several times. And Ruthie loved to come here. He just hoped that Ruthie got to come here again.
"Simon?" A voice broke into his thoughts.
He looked up and then gestured for the individual to sit down. "Thanks for coming. I just really needed to talk."
A smile, "any time."
**********
Author's Note: Who do you think that Simon is talking to? You'll find out in the next chapter but in the mean time let me know what you think. Also in the next chapter, more about Mary's boyfriend.
Author: Catgurl83
Disclaimer: The character's aren't mine and never will be. I am making no money off of this story and am not worth suing.
Feedback: Is greatly appreciated. My e-mail address is catgurl83@yahoo.com
Rating: PG just to be safe.
Author's notes: It has been brought to my attention that some of you had problems leaving reviews for the last chapter. That was most likely due to the removal of the author's notes chapters. If so, you may have the same troubles with this chapter. I can be reached at the e-mail address above.
I hope to post several chapters in the next few weeks as the semester ends this week and the new one does not start for almost a month, so keep your eyes peeled for updates.
I carefully researched leukemia for this story but there are still likely mistakes as I am not a doctor.
Thanks to Kimberly for beta reading this chapter! Your help is always appreciated!
***********
Matt slipped his arms into the paper gown. He put a mask on and then pulled his gloves on before stepping into Ruthie's room. This was the first time that he had seen his sister since her bone marrow transplant the day before. Besides his parents, he was the first member of the family to see Ruthie.
Stepping up close to her bed, he studied his youngest sister. Ruthie looked as bad as his mother had told him that she did. She was so pale and gaunt looking lying in that hospital bed unmoving.
She had regained consciousness for brief periods several times but had been out of it each time. That would probably last for a few more days at least. That was a good thing, Matt knew. For the first several days after a bone marrow transplant, the patient's blood had to be drawn at least once a day so that the doctors could monitor the white blood cell levels.
He stayed for a few more minutes before exiting the room and throwing the gown, mask, and gloves away. He made his way down the now familiar hospital corridor that led to the waiting room that his family used.
Stepping inside, he stood just inside the room, undetected by the room's other occupants. This afternoon, there were far fewer people here than there was the day before and for which Matt was very grateful. Just a few hours before Sarah, Mary, Lucy, and himself had talked his parents into going home to rest for a few hours after they had each seen Ruthie once more. Matt was very concerned about the effects of all of this on his parents' health, particularly his father's. Both Eric and Annie had slept very little in the last few days. In fact, their sleep had been disrupted since Ruthie's diagnosis. They were under a tremendous amount of stress. Neither of them was eating particularly well. The last thing that any of them needed was Eric having another heart attack.
The Colonel and Ruth had stopped by that morning with the twins before taking the boys to a nearby park to play.
Lucy sat in a hospital chair near the window looking through the college catalog, trying to choose her classes for the upcoming semester. Kevin was at work.
Mary was watching some television program on the small TV mounted to the wall in the corner.
Simon was not there but Matt had no idea where his brother had gone. At the thought of Simon, Matt sighed. He was concerned about the younger man. Simon was taking this harder than any of the rest of them, his parents included. Worse, Simon didn't seem to know how to handle his thoughts and emotions on this matter. He was obviously very worried about Ruthie but was unable or unwilling to express his worry and as a result, that worry was eating him alive.
He had tried to talk to Simon several times, as had their parents, Lucy, and even Kevin. Simon refused to talk to any of them. Matt just hoped that Simon found someone that he was willing to talk to. He desperately needed to confide in someone.
Sarah had taken the baby to her parent's house for a few hours. They'd be back later in the afternoon.
"Lucy?"
Startled, Lucy dropped her catalog. "Matt? How's Ruthie?" she asked as she picked up the catalog.
Matt shrugged, "No real change." He turned so that his next question was addressed to Mary as well as Lucy. "Do one of you want to go see her for a few minutes?"
Mary and Lucy exchanged a glance. Silently trying to decide who would go first. After a moment, Mary nodded and Lucy stood. "I'll be back soon."
***********
Simon carefully inserted his key into the doorknob. After unlocking the door, he gently and slowly, opened the door and stepped into his family's kitchen. He quietly closed the door behind him and then made his way across the room.
He crept up the stairs, not wanting to awaken his parents who were supposed to be sleeping upstairs. He practically tiptoed to his bedroom and inched his door open. The last thing he wanted was to have to talk to his parents.
In his bedroom, he sank down onto his bed. At least she had made it through the night, he thought with a deep sigh. But by no means was she out of the woods. Her body could still reject the transplanted marrow or she could get an infection.
He knew that right now Matt, Mary, and Lucy were taking turns visiting Ruthie. If he had stayed at the hospital, he too could have seen Ruthie. He had wanted to. He really had but he hadn't been able to. He just couldn't. He couldn't see Ruthie like that. He didn't want the memories if she. if she died.
He knew that everyone was worried about him but he couldn't help the way that he felt. He also knew that they would feel better if he'd just talk to them about this but he couldn't do that either.
Picking up his phone, he dialed in a familiar phone number. The phone rang three times before someone answered, "Hello?"
"Hi," Simon replied. "Can you meet me in about a half hour?"
"Same place as usual?" The voice asked without hesitation.
"Yeah," Simon said before hanging up.
*********
"She looks awful," Mary said as she stepped into the waiting room after her visit with Ruthie.
"She does," Lucy agreed.
"Should she look that bad?" Mary asked, glancing at Matt.
Matt nodded. "I know that she looks pretty bad but it is normal for a patient to look like that after a transplant. Remember, the doctors basically introduced a foreign organism into her body. Her body has to decide whether or not it is going to attack."
"Her body has to decide if the marrow is good or bad," Mary said slowly and Matt nodded.
"If her body decides that the marrow is bad, will she be able to survive it?" Lucy wanted to know. She had been wondering that for a while but hadn't wanted to ask in her parent's hearing. They had too much stress as it was. She didn't need to add to their concerns.
Matt sighed, "It isn't that easy. Even if Ruthie's body rejects Charlie's bone marrow, the doctor's will try to save her life. There are several things that they can try. It may or may not work. It just depends. But hopefully it won't come to that."
Both women nodded. They were all hoping and praying that it didn't come to that.
************
Simon stepped into the his father's church and slowly made his way up the long aisle. At the front, he sank down onto the first pew.
He knew that he wasn't the only one in the family that came here when they were confused or upset. Lucy came here frequently, he knew. So did his father. Since they had been back in GlenOak, Matt and Sarah had come here to pray several times. And Ruthie loved to come here. He just hoped that Ruthie got to come here again.
"Simon?" A voice broke into his thoughts.
He looked up and then gestured for the individual to sit down. "Thanks for coming. I just really needed to talk."
A smile, "any time."
**********
Author's Note: Who do you think that Simon is talking to? You'll find out in the next chapter but in the mean time let me know what you think. Also in the next chapter, more about Mary's boyfriend.
