Disclaimer: Benjamin and Charlie are mine. The others are not.
Author: Catgurl83
Title: Shocking News
Feedback: Much appreciated and adored.
Rating: G
Author's notes: Thanks to Kimberly for beat reading this story for me!
Before we get on with the story, I have received some questions that I'd like to address.
Avriland7thheavenfan - I'm not sure how many more chapters there are going to be. I started on an outline but I've strayed from it a bit. :-) Let's just say that there will be at least four or five more chapters. I'll try not to let it go on for too much longer.
I'll try to put more Ruthie into the story but we all have favorite characters and I'm trying to give everyone a little bit of their favs.
Carrie9softball- I realize that I've strayed from the medical stuff with Ruthie and have been focusing on Benjamin. This is Benjamin's last chapter for now. We'll get back to Ruthie but I'm trying to show a realistic battle with leukemia and part of that is the family balancing their lives and the disease.
MariCareBear and Furor - you both get to find out how Ruthie is in this chapter.
On with the story!
***********
"I enjoyed meeting your family."
Mary smiled, "I think they liked getting to meet you too."
"They're an interesting group. I just wish that I'd been able to meet Ruthie."
"Next trip." She rolled her eyes. "But until then, she'll quiz us all about you. It'll be almost like she's already met you when you two finally meet."
He chuckled. Ruthie sounded interesting. "I can hardly wait."
They stepped into a small lounge. This lounge was mainly used for staff on break. There was a larger lounge for the pilots to use before flights and another for flight attendants.
The lounge was equipped with a small seating area, a small bank of pay phones for those who still did not have a cell phone, a TV mounted to the wall, a fridge, and a microwave.
"I'll let you know when I am coming back to California."
Mary nodded, already starting to miss him.
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers lightly. As Mary opened her lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss, his hand slipped behind her to cup gently her head, his fingers weaving through her long hair.
When Mary finally pulled back, she was breathless.
Benjamin ran his thumb over her bottom lip, "Love you."
"Love you too," Mary responded softly.
As Benjamin exited the lounge, on his way to check in, Mary ran her tongue lightly over her lips, still able to taste Benjamin there.
***********
"I miss school," Ruthie admitted quietly. She would never have thought that she would actually say that or even think it. She missed school, missed studying and tests, missed homework. She missed the grotesque lunches in the cafeteria. Most of all, she missed her friends, and missed normalcy.
It was more than not going to school, than missing it. She was worried. She had never been the best student. Oh, she was a good student, she got mostly A's but not straight A's. She'd always had trouble with math but especially since entering high school. It took her hours to do her algebra homework. Now that the new term was about to start, without her, what was going to happen? Would she fall behind? Ruin her GPA? Miss graduating with her friends?
"Mom and Dad haven't talked to you yet?" Lucy asked in surprise.
"Talked to me about what?" Ruthie wondered out loud. They came every day, usually more than once a day. Of course they talked to her, though it was mostly small talk, inconsequential subjects.
Lucy hesitated. Was there a reason that her parents had spoken to Ruthie about this yet? Or had they just not had a chance? Not that it mattered that much now, she didn't really have a choice. She had to tell her sister now. "The school has been in contact with Mom and Dad. They have a program that they use for sick students. You'll have a teacher assigned to you. He or she will come see you twice a week. They'll bring you your assigned schoolwork, help if you have questions, give you tests, that kind of thing. Once you are able to, you can re-enter school regularly without being behind."
"Oh. So, I'll still be a junior?"
"Yeah."
Ruthie let out a sigh, thank God.
The door opened and a nurse stepped in. She held a tray in her hands.
As the nurse set Ruthie's lunch tray on the table and then slid the table up to the bed so that Ruthie could eat, Lucy stood. "I'll try to stop by again later, Ruthie. If not, I'll see you tomorrow."
Ruthie smiled at her older sister. "Bye."
After Lucy and the nurse had gone, Ruthie glanced down at her tray. She was back to being able to eat regular food, thankfully. When she had been on a soft food diet, she had hated it. She picked up her spoon and poked at the entrée, which appeared to be macaroni and cheese. It felt like rubber. Hospital food was just disgusting.
Sipping her orange juice and wishing that it were soda, Ruthie perused her room. She had been here for so long that it really was starting to feel like 'her' room and not just a hospital room that she was using. When she had first been admitted, the room had been plain, boring. Over the summer, it had slowly changed. It seemed like every day more stuff ended up here without any of them actually planning it.
Across from the bed was a dresser. The top of the dresser was covered in cards. Some were sitting up so that she could see them; others were lying down in a stack waiting to be dealt with. Even more cards covered the wall behind the dresser. Almost everyone that she knew had sent a card. Many of her teachers had sent cards, as had her classmates. Her Aunt Julie had made a homemade card with her children. Sergeant Michael's had sent a card saying that everyone at the police station was keeping her in their prayers. Robbie had sent her a pretty card and a stuffed animal.
On the floor by the dresser was a stack of board games. Simon almost always played a board game with her when he came by. Volunteers would sometime come play a game with her. It helped alleviate some of her boredom but now, she was getting so good at the games that playing them was starting to lose its appeal.
In the dresser drawers were pajamas and jogging suit for when she had to walk around or go or tests. Her slippers were on the ground next to the dresser.
The stand next to the bed held various magazines that had been brought to her, a few books, her diary, a pad of paper that she used to play hangman, a CD player, and several of her favorite CDs.
A TV was mounted to the wall. It had cable and she could get close to a hundred channels.
Yet, with all of this stuff, she was still bored most of the time. It was all getting predictable. The games were getting to easy to win, no one could stump her at hangman anymore, she'd read the books several times each, magazines all had the same articles just written differently, and most of the stuff on TV was stupid with very few exceptions. She wrote in her diary a lot but after a while you ran out of things to write.
Oh how she wished that she could go horseback riding or play 'horse' with Mary. Taking Happy for a walk would be a nice change. She'd love to take the twins to the park.
The doctor said that she was showing improvement but it wasn't coming fast enough for Ruthie's tastes. She'd had enough of being sick, of being in the hospital. Her white blood count was returning to normal but very slowly. She really wished that the process were faster.
**************
Author's note: Next chapter, Mary and Lucy talk.
Author: Catgurl83
Title: Shocking News
Feedback: Much appreciated and adored.
Rating: G
Author's notes: Thanks to Kimberly for beat reading this story for me!
Before we get on with the story, I have received some questions that I'd like to address.
Avriland7thheavenfan - I'm not sure how many more chapters there are going to be. I started on an outline but I've strayed from it a bit. :-) Let's just say that there will be at least four or five more chapters. I'll try not to let it go on for too much longer.
I'll try to put more Ruthie into the story but we all have favorite characters and I'm trying to give everyone a little bit of their favs.
Carrie9softball- I realize that I've strayed from the medical stuff with Ruthie and have been focusing on Benjamin. This is Benjamin's last chapter for now. We'll get back to Ruthie but I'm trying to show a realistic battle with leukemia and part of that is the family balancing their lives and the disease.
MariCareBear and Furor - you both get to find out how Ruthie is in this chapter.
On with the story!
***********
"I enjoyed meeting your family."
Mary smiled, "I think they liked getting to meet you too."
"They're an interesting group. I just wish that I'd been able to meet Ruthie."
"Next trip." She rolled her eyes. "But until then, she'll quiz us all about you. It'll be almost like she's already met you when you two finally meet."
He chuckled. Ruthie sounded interesting. "I can hardly wait."
They stepped into a small lounge. This lounge was mainly used for staff on break. There was a larger lounge for the pilots to use before flights and another for flight attendants.
The lounge was equipped with a small seating area, a small bank of pay phones for those who still did not have a cell phone, a TV mounted to the wall, a fridge, and a microwave.
"I'll let you know when I am coming back to California."
Mary nodded, already starting to miss him.
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers lightly. As Mary opened her lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss, his hand slipped behind her to cup gently her head, his fingers weaving through her long hair.
When Mary finally pulled back, she was breathless.
Benjamin ran his thumb over her bottom lip, "Love you."
"Love you too," Mary responded softly.
As Benjamin exited the lounge, on his way to check in, Mary ran her tongue lightly over her lips, still able to taste Benjamin there.
***********
"I miss school," Ruthie admitted quietly. She would never have thought that she would actually say that or even think it. She missed school, missed studying and tests, missed homework. She missed the grotesque lunches in the cafeteria. Most of all, she missed her friends, and missed normalcy.
It was more than not going to school, than missing it. She was worried. She had never been the best student. Oh, she was a good student, she got mostly A's but not straight A's. She'd always had trouble with math but especially since entering high school. It took her hours to do her algebra homework. Now that the new term was about to start, without her, what was going to happen? Would she fall behind? Ruin her GPA? Miss graduating with her friends?
"Mom and Dad haven't talked to you yet?" Lucy asked in surprise.
"Talked to me about what?" Ruthie wondered out loud. They came every day, usually more than once a day. Of course they talked to her, though it was mostly small talk, inconsequential subjects.
Lucy hesitated. Was there a reason that her parents had spoken to Ruthie about this yet? Or had they just not had a chance? Not that it mattered that much now, she didn't really have a choice. She had to tell her sister now. "The school has been in contact with Mom and Dad. They have a program that they use for sick students. You'll have a teacher assigned to you. He or she will come see you twice a week. They'll bring you your assigned schoolwork, help if you have questions, give you tests, that kind of thing. Once you are able to, you can re-enter school regularly without being behind."
"Oh. So, I'll still be a junior?"
"Yeah."
Ruthie let out a sigh, thank God.
The door opened and a nurse stepped in. She held a tray in her hands.
As the nurse set Ruthie's lunch tray on the table and then slid the table up to the bed so that Ruthie could eat, Lucy stood. "I'll try to stop by again later, Ruthie. If not, I'll see you tomorrow."
Ruthie smiled at her older sister. "Bye."
After Lucy and the nurse had gone, Ruthie glanced down at her tray. She was back to being able to eat regular food, thankfully. When she had been on a soft food diet, she had hated it. She picked up her spoon and poked at the entrée, which appeared to be macaroni and cheese. It felt like rubber. Hospital food was just disgusting.
Sipping her orange juice and wishing that it were soda, Ruthie perused her room. She had been here for so long that it really was starting to feel like 'her' room and not just a hospital room that she was using. When she had first been admitted, the room had been plain, boring. Over the summer, it had slowly changed. It seemed like every day more stuff ended up here without any of them actually planning it.
Across from the bed was a dresser. The top of the dresser was covered in cards. Some were sitting up so that she could see them; others were lying down in a stack waiting to be dealt with. Even more cards covered the wall behind the dresser. Almost everyone that she knew had sent a card. Many of her teachers had sent cards, as had her classmates. Her Aunt Julie had made a homemade card with her children. Sergeant Michael's had sent a card saying that everyone at the police station was keeping her in their prayers. Robbie had sent her a pretty card and a stuffed animal.
On the floor by the dresser was a stack of board games. Simon almost always played a board game with her when he came by. Volunteers would sometime come play a game with her. It helped alleviate some of her boredom but now, she was getting so good at the games that playing them was starting to lose its appeal.
In the dresser drawers were pajamas and jogging suit for when she had to walk around or go or tests. Her slippers were on the ground next to the dresser.
The stand next to the bed held various magazines that had been brought to her, a few books, her diary, a pad of paper that she used to play hangman, a CD player, and several of her favorite CDs.
A TV was mounted to the wall. It had cable and she could get close to a hundred channels.
Yet, with all of this stuff, she was still bored most of the time. It was all getting predictable. The games were getting to easy to win, no one could stump her at hangman anymore, she'd read the books several times each, magazines all had the same articles just written differently, and most of the stuff on TV was stupid with very few exceptions. She wrote in her diary a lot but after a while you ran out of things to write.
Oh how she wished that she could go horseback riding or play 'horse' with Mary. Taking Happy for a walk would be a nice change. She'd love to take the twins to the park.
The doctor said that she was showing improvement but it wasn't coming fast enough for Ruthie's tastes. She'd had enough of being sick, of being in the hospital. Her white blood count was returning to normal but very slowly. She really wished that the process were faster.
**************
Author's note: Next chapter, Mary and Lucy talk.
