Author: Catgurl83

Title: Shocking News

Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be.

Feedback: Appreciated.

Rating: G

Author's notes: Two chapters added at one time. I thought that that would be a nice surprise for you all. :-)

As always, thanks to Kimberly for her help.

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David's POV

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Ruthie will be going into surgery any minute. Everyone has been taking turns going into to see her. That is, everyone who is allowed to. Sam and I still can't see her. Mom, Dad, Mary, Lucy, and Matt have been in to see her though. Simon is with her now.

I'm scared. This whole summer has been scary. For most of the summer, I thought that Ruthie was going to die. No one ever said that to me but I knew. I knew how serious her illness was and still is. I thought that they all absolutely knew that she was going to die but didn't want to tell Sam and I. Sam thought that too.

After the transplant, people were still really worried. Only Mom, Dad, Matt, Mary, Lucy, and Simon could see her. They had to wear masks and gloves and gowns. Simon told me. That scared me even more. But then, she started to get better.

Now she has to have surgery.

I've never had surgery but it is a scary thought. She must be really scared.

I hate that I think this, but I'm glad that it isn't me. I sound so mean when I think that. I'd never say it but I can't help but think it even though I don't want to.

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Ruthie's POV

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Simon just left. He was here for about ten minutes. We talked for almost that whole time but not about anything important. Neither of us could talk about important things, about the surgery. It is so much easier to talk about happy stuff.

Before Simon, Matt, Mary, Lucy and my parents each took turns coming in. Most of them stayed for about ten or fifteen minutes. I was glad for the final chance to see each of them, to tell each of them that I love them, just in case. I know that I'm going to be okay, but what if I'm not? There is always a chance, right?

Anyway, I'm glad that that is over with. As much as I love my family and love spending time with them, I'm ready for some time alone. Time to just lay here and wait for the nurses to come to get me. Time to calm down, think, pray.

Time to be scared without worrying anyone. To cry if I want to. Before my bone marrow transplant, I didn't get that time. My mom was with me up until the nurses made her leave and then almost immediately, the procedure started.

I don't remember much about my bone marrow transplant. It was done right in my hospital room. A bunch of doctors and nurses came in. Some stuff was given to me through my IV and I started drifting. I was technically awake throughout the transplant but not really. It was kind of like that last stage of wakefulness before you fall asleep or your first waking moments.

I don't really know what my spleen being removed is going to be like but I do know that I'll be taken to an operating room for it. It is an actual surgery. There will be a scar but my doctor says that it shouldn't be too bad.

On impulse, I grab my diary from the stand next to my bed. The nurses will be here at any time but I want to make an entry real quick. I wrote for hours last night because I couldn't sleep and yet I feel like I should write right now too.

Within minutes, I have a full page, then two.

The door opens and I carefully close the diary and gently place it on the stand. Glancing over at the door, I am conscious of the tears falling down my face. They make a warm, salty track from my eyes down to my lips and I hope that the nurse can't see them in the dark room.

"How you doing?" she asks cheerfully.

Why are these people always so cheerful? They come to take you for painful things and tell you a joke. They smile as they take your blood. They speak in an upbeat tone when they come to get you for surgery. Sometimes it helps. But other times it is just irritating. This is one of those times.

I refuse to answer her question opting instead to ask, "Is it time?"

She steps closer and I know that she needs to check my vitals. With a sigh, I cooperate while she takes my blood pressure. My blood pressure has stayed consistent through all of this, or at least most of it yet they still have to check it all the time. It gets annoying and redundant after a while.

"It's pretty close to time," she says as she takes the cuff from my arm.

After a few more minutes, the door opens again and another nurse comes in. It is time, I know.

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Simon's POV

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When I left Ruthie's room, I went directly to the waiting room. The room was full. Not just of my family but members of some other family were there too. I could tell that they were waiting during a surgery of some sort too. You can just sort of tell. It is like, you can identify them because you are going through the same thing.

All of the seats were full, plus a bunch of people were leaning against the walls. I just couldn't take that. I needed privacy.

I've been wandering the halls for nearly forty-five minutes now. This is one place where you can do that without getting strange looks. Hospital staff members are used to this. People get lost here all the time and have to find there way back to the main lobby to figure out where they are going. Others, like me, do this on purpose as a way to find themselves. As a way to think, to ponder life and what is going on.

After today, it'll be the beginning of the end. Ruthie will be on the road to recovery if all goes well. I know that I should be happy, yet I can't be for some reason. Not after this summer. It is like something can always go wrong.

We had no idea that Ruthie was sick but apparently, she had had this awful disease inside of her for months, maybe years. Who is to say that that won't happen again, to her or to someone else whom I care about?

I come upon a room and stop walking. My eyes are transfixed to the sign above the door. In brown letters the sign proclaims that this is the hospital chapel. I've never been here before. Not in the last several months, not when Dad was being treated for any of his heart attacks or was having surgery, not when Mom had the twins. Not ever.

Something compels me to reach out, to turn the knob. I pull the door open to reveal a small room.

It is dark in here, I realize as I step inside. There are no windows and the lights are off. It takes my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the lack of light but they eventually do.

There are several rows of very small pews on each side of a small aisle. Each pew would probably only hold two or three people.

Along the wall is a long table which holds candles.

There are various sculptures and paintings but I ignore them. They are here for people of other religions. They mean nothing to me.

I slowly walk toward a front pew and sink into it.

My eyes automatically drop shut and my hands clasp together. I pray earnestly, begging God for his help. For Ruthie and for the rest of us.

A sense of peace settles over me as I sit here.

Finally, I stand up almost reluctantly. My eyes fall to my watch and then widen. I've been here for almost an hour. I had no idea that I had been here this long.

I step out of the chapel, still at peace. Everything is going to be fine.

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Matt's POV

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Simon just slipped back into the room. I have no idea where he went but he was gone for almost two hours. He quietly slid into a vacant seat and is staring out the window but he seems different. Less intense.

My father sits as he has since he came back from his visit with Ruthie, with his chin resting on his folded hands. His eyes are sometimes closed and sometimes open but I know that he is in a constant state of prayerfulness though he isn't actually praying the whole time.

Mary pretends to flip through a magazine though I know that she isn't really retaining anything that she is reading.

Sam and David are building something with Lego's. The other family that is occupying this room has a little girl about the twin's age. She is playing quietly alongside the boys.

Grandma Ruth is talking quietly with Mom. I can't hear what they are saying but both have soft smiles on their faces. I get the feeling that they are sharing stories of Ruthie as a small child, possibly of all of us as children.

Kevin wasn't able to switch his shift at work on such short notice. Lucy is reading a book.

The Colonel is watching the clock. His impatience is showing.

Each of Charlie's hands are clutching one of Sarah's fingers as the two very slowly walk the center of the room. A smile tugs at my lips as I watch them.

"Reverend and Mrs. Camden?"

Heads all around the room snap up. Ruthie's doctor is standing just inside the room.

As my parents stand and approach the doctor, Sarah, with Charlie in her arms, slips into the chair next to mine. I accept the baby who is reaching for me, my eyes focused on the doctor.

After what seems like several minutes but is probably several seconds instead, he gives my parents a small smile. "Ruthie is out of surgery. She is in post op and will be for a few hours."

"When can we see her?" my mom asks.

"When she starts to awaken, a nurse will come for you."

"Thank you," my parents say in unison, though most of us are thinking it.

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Annie's POV

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I follow the young nurse down a long corridor. I've never seen this nurse here before which kind of surprises me. I've been here during all different hours, pretty much every day for the last three months. I know most of the nurses on this unit by name. Maybe she is new.

She leads me into a very small room and gives me a smile before slipping out, closing the door softly as she goes.

I sit in the one chair in the room which is right beside the bed. Ruthie lays in the bed almost perfectly still. Her skin is so very pale but I've seen it paler, quite recently in fact. An IV pierces her hand and a light colored fluid drips through it.

I sit here watching my little girl for a long time. I'm staring down at her, watching her breath, thanking God for the opportunity to do so. There were several times in the last few months when I was afraid that I'd never do this again. When I was terrified that she was going to be taken from us. Now I know that that probably isn't going to happen.

She starts to become restless. Small sounds come from her mouth and she tries to take her IV out.

"Shh," I sooth, running my hand through her very short brow locks. "You're going to be fine."

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Author's notes: You finally get to find out what the surprise is in the next chapter.