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Wilson paced back and forth around the dreary hospital room. He had been in there for over twenty-four hours and was sick of sitting down in the uncomfortable plastic chair that came standard with his surroundings. Mary had been asleep for so long now it was ridiculous. She had woken up since she was rushed to the hospital two nights ago, but she when she was awake she was very groggy and out of it.

He walked around and around her bed, expecting her to just wake up and be fine. As he stared at her, though, with tubes running into her nose and an IV in her arm, he knew that that wasn't going to happen. Still, it was what he wanted so desperately.

Wilson sat back down in the chair, after having gotten his exercise for the moment, and picked up Mary's limp right hand. She stirred a little, rolling her head toward him and taking a few deep breaths. After that she was still once again. Tears formed in Wilson's eyes but he quickly blinked them away. He had to be strong for her, but he felt so helpless as she lay in front of him.

There was a knock on the door to the room and a nurse walked inside. "Any change?" she said as she smiled kindheartedly at Wilson. This nurse checked on Mary about three or four times during her shift yesterday, and this was now the second time today. She watched as Wilson shook his head in response to her question and walked closer to Mary. She checked her vital signs and then walked over to stand at Wilson's side. "You know," she said, "I could sit with her for a little it if you'd like. You shouldn't just keep sitting in here like this."

"No," he replied quickly and firmly. "I can't leave her. You wouldn't understand."

The nurse sighed and patted Wilson's shoulder. That was the same response he gave the last three times she had asked him if he wanted a break. Not only was Wilson distraught by himself, but he was distraught in front of strangers, too. It wasn't his fault, though. He had too much on his mind to worry about if everyone else thought he was nuts or not. The fact that they did did not faze him in the least.

Mary was so special to Wilson, and his love for her was all consuming. Seeing her lying passed out from exhaustion in a hospital room completely tore him apart inside. No one seemed to understand how much he cared for Mary, or the fact that he wasn't leaving that room until she was allowed to leave. It was as simple as that.

Twenty minutes passed before he had another visitor. Usually the person in the hospital had all of the visitors, but Wilson seemed to be much more popular than Mary was. This time, Billy and his mother entered the room. Wilson was so angry that he stayed still as they entered around him.

"What are you doing bringing him here? I don't want to scar him for life or something. Did you forget that he's eight, mom?" Wilson said heatedly to his mother.

"No, I didn't forget," she said resolutely. "He asked me to bring him here. I brought him because I figured we could sit with her and give you a break. Go home, Wilson. Get some sleep, eat something, and then you can come back in a few hours. She'll be fine until then."

Wilson was so irritated just at the sight of her. Countless people had offered to be with Mary so that he could get some time away, but it didn't anger him when they asked like it did when she asked. He still wasn't over what his mother did to his father. Besides, if she could do something that despicable to her own husband, she certainly couldn't be good company for Mary.

He didn't answer his mother. Billy came over and stood next to Wilson, staring intently at Mary and all of the tubes coming out of her body. Tears formed in his eyes, but, like his daddy, he quickly blinked them away. He had to be strong for himself.

"How is she?" Billy asked Wilson.

"I'm not really sure. Uncle George said that she just got too tired and did too much, and that she should be fine, but she's still sleeping. She's been awake, but only for a few seconds. She couldn't carry on a conversation or anything like that."

Billy nodded maturely. "Want me to sit with you Dad? You're waiting for Mary to wake up, right? I want to be here when she gets up, too."

What was left of Wilson's heart melted. Billy had been so good throughout all of this. He seemed to understand everything that was going on, although none of the adults could see how he would. It was a hard concept for them to grasp, and he was so little to all of them. He was always be "too young" in their eyes, regardless if he really was or not. Billy pulled up one of the chairs against the wall and sat in it.

"Well, I'm going to leave then. I know you don't want me here. I'll take Billy with me if you want."

Wilson looked up at his son, taking his eyes off of Mary for a moment. "No, he can stay." He quickly turned his attention back to his wife, though, as if he were entranced in some televised sporting event like men often get. He was afraid that if he took his eyes off of her, just for a moment, that something would happen to her. That was the last thing he wanted- for Mary to get any worse off than she already was.

He sat with Billy by his side for about three hours. Billy had started watching Mary intently, too, trying to see if he could visibly find the thing that was making her sick. He concluded, though, after about an hour of staring, that you couldn't see cancer- only its effects. Once he peeled his eyes off of her, though, he saw that Wilson was passed out. His head was leaning on his own shoulder, looking very uncomfortable.

Twenty minutes later, Wilson started to mumble things. It was obvious that he was dreaming. Wilson started leaning forward and eventually ended up sprawled out on the side of Mary's bed. He was exhausted. That was the position that he was in when George walked in about an hour later. He saw his brother, nephew, and sister-in-law and smiled. Even with the amount of problems that they had, they were still a happy family.

George shook Wilson's shoulders after he made sure that Mary was still all right. Wilson came to quickly, startled by George waking him up.

"Is she OK?" he asked immediately.

"Yes, she's fine. But I'm going to take Billy home. Then, when I get back, you're going to go home and sleep for a while. I'll be with her; she'll be fine," he told Wilson.

"I can sleep here. And I don't want to be at home when she wakes up. I don't want to leave her period."

"I don't think she's going to be waking up tonight. Probably more like tomorrow morning. I say you'll be safe if you're back before then," George explained cautiously. He didn't want Wilson getting angry with him because he was so tired and cranky.

"You don't get it. No one gets it. She hates being alone. And she's not unconscious George. Even if she isn't awake she'll know that I'm not here. I'm sure she will." Wilson tried to clarify it for George, but he knew that he would never fully understand the relationship that he and Mary shared. It just was not possible.

"But I'll be here. And we kind of look alike- maybe she'll think I'm you." He tried to joke, but he knew that Wilson wasn't quite in the mood for laughs yet. It was still too soon.

"If I say yes," he said with a sigh, "will everyone stop bugging me?" George nodded. "Then fine. But if she waked up before you get back then I'm not going anywhere."

***

George stopped his car in the driveway of his mother's condo. He went to open the door to get out, but Billy stopped him. "Uncle George," he said carefully, "could I ask you something?"

"Anything sport," George answered him with a smiled.

"What's cancer?"

George froze and his smile fell. How was he supposed to answer that? And, more importantly, how did Billy know that Mary had cancer? As far as he knew, no one had told him. They were trying there best to keep it from him, but obviously they had failed. George cleared his throat and then spoke. "Cancer is something that makes you very, very sick."

"Is it a disease?"

"Kind of, yeah. But don't worry. You can't catch it from anyone."

Billy laughed. "I know that. But what is it? I tried to find out myself, but everything on the computers at school used words that I didn't understand."

He tried to explain it in a way that he thought Billy would be able to comprehend. "Well, your whole body is made up of cells- everyone's is. There little tiny things, microscopic circles kind of. They make up your skin, your hair, your eyes, everything. Your cells don't stay alive forever, though, so they have to make more of themselves so your body has enough. It's good that they do that. But sometimes, peoples' bodies will keep making more cells, and making more cells, and making more cells, when they don't need any more. They can't stop." He paused for a moment. "That's cancer."

Billy looked slightly confused. "Cancer is when your body keeps making cells and can't stop?" he asked for elucidation.

"Yup."

"Can you fix it?"

Billy was more innocent than George had ever thought. "Yes, but it takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work."

"Can they die from it?"

George sighed. He didn't want to lie to Billy, especially in light of Mary's current condition. She certainly wasn't doing extraordinary or anything like that. "Yes."

George was thankful that Billy didn't ask if Mary was going to die from it. He had just gotten out of the car and walked toward his grandmother's house. He felt so bad for him. He was so young and had to deal with so many things- things and eight year old boy should never have to deal with. His father is only twenty-four, his mother died during labor, his father remarried after years of dating for practically his entire life, and now Mary had cancer. Come to think of it, Wilson had it hard, too. Teen father and on the verge of losing his second wife. It didn't get much worse than that.

***

The phone rang next to Wilson's bed the next morning and he quickly answered it. George was on the line. He had stayed with Mary overnight, so that Wilson could get some rest and clear his head. He hated to be away from Mary, but he was glad that he had some time to himself to think and sleep.

"I have good news. Mary's up, really up. She's asking for you. She wants you to come down here." George's voice was almost chipper, but there seemed to be something holding him back from being truly happy.

"How is she? Is she all right?"

"Just come down here. We can talk, you can talk to her."

"OK, I'll be right there. Thanks George." As Wilson hung up the phone, he realized that George was withholding information from him. That was just the catalyst Wilson needed to get dressed a little faster and get out of the house a lot sooner.

***

"Are you sure?" George asked her with tears in his eyes. He made no attempt to conceal them. "I'm sure I could-"

"No," Mary interjected. "It's OK.  I don't want to put anyone through this anymore. I just need to talk to him and then everything will be OK." He looked at her with doubt. "It will. You worry too much."

"Well shouldn't you be worrying, at least a little? About him…and about Billy."

"I can't," she replied sincerely. "Besides, I know they'll be all right. They're both strong. Stronger than me, apparently."

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A/N: I know, I know. You have permission to kill me- two cliffhanger things in a row. I know you're all probably confused now, but that's just the way I like it. Everything will make sense though. All in good time my friends. ;)

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Mary's not stronger than what? Who? Huh? Oh, just review already. It will help you out of your confused stupor.

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