Just a quick note: the main reason Victoria is staying is because of the emotional stress, plus she wanted to be there for her friends, besides Steven thinks she's in for something more serious, but anyways, yea.... story-

Later that afternoon, in the recovery room, Victoria has a book about cancer on her bed and is reading another one about the throat. Chris is curled up in a ball no top of his sheets, staring at the corner. Brian is watching TV, a late afternoon talk show is on as Dr. Tom comes in with his nurse, Danielle. He comes to Brian first.

"Hey doc, how's the arm?" He asks as Dr. Tom examines it.

To Danielle, "Had to insert a steel plate, he's got four screw bolts in there. Was originally to be seven."

"Unbelievable."

"The bone snapped in two. He was only able to prolong the operation up until now because he was taking calcium pills, wore a soft cast temporarily, and has a high tolerance for pain."

"Yea, that's just the business, doc." Brian smirks, Danielle smiles back.

"Moving on." Dr. Tom leads Danielle to Victoria's bed. "Simple abortion."

"I see."

"You're looking well, Victoria."

"Yes." She has a second thought. "Well, not too well..."

"Oh?"

"I still don't know if or how I'll tell my boyfriend about this."

"Eventually." Dr. Tom puts a hand on her shoulder. He and Danielle move on again. "Next." They start to move to Chris, "Why don't you go for a while, I'll meet you downstairs."

"Alright." Danielle nods and leaves the room, joining the male nurse down the hall.

Dr. Tom goes over to Chris, still looking decimated and traumatized. He's wearing the hospital gown over his cloths, his hair is shaggy and his face is sleep deprived, he's just a mess, "How are you Chris?"

A simple, absent minded reply, "How am I, doctor?" He looks over his shoulder, "Sit down, make yourself comfortable."

Dr. Tom sits down, "Thanks." He thinks for a moment. "Chris..."

"Uh oh."

"The lymph nodes weren't exactly as we hoped for."

"I'm sorry they disappointed you. So what do you want to do now, clean them up for me?" He waits for a reply, then turns around to be sitting down next to the doctor. "Is the art of conversation dead, look, just say it alright? Say it!"

"They're clean of cancer," Dr. Tom begins and Chris's angered expression changes, his eyebrows lift as his fist loosens. Dr. Tom continues, "but they do suffer the effects of the tonsillitis virus."

"Well, what does that mean? Am I gonna be ok?"

"Yes, eventually. You still have a long recovery and are now more so prolonged to suffer from throat infections more often...."

"But, no cancer?"

"No cancer." Dr. Tom looks Chris in the eyes, the sparkle of life seemed to have slowly returned to them. "No tonsils either."

Chris smirks as he clears his throat and rubs his sore neck, "So what now?"

"Now, you recover."

Chris coughs hard, "Ouch."

"Hurts?"

"As Stone Cold would say, oh hell yea." He starts to laugh but a cry utters out.

Dr. Tom smiles and rubs Chris's neck where his swollen tonsils used to be, "Here, let me have a look." Chris opens his mouth to allow Dr. Tom to do a check up exam. "Well things seem to be progressing slowly, but they're progressing. The white dots are minimizing." He lets Chris close his mouth. "Just give it some time. I'll come back to check up on you guys later." He stands up. "Want some ice cream?"

Chris smirks, "As much as that sounds tempting, I'll have to pass."

"Alright." Dr. Tom smiles and leaves. Chris sighs and lays down on his bed, a new outlook on things.

That night, Victoria can't concentrate on her reading, she didn't have it. Chris still looks a mess though, eating junk food and crumpling the wrappers and throwing them on the floor. Brian is watching a late night talk show. Finally Victoria can't stand it anymore, she goes over to Chris.

"My god, Chris. You can't just lie there, eating junk after junk like that."

Brian yells at the TV, "Stupid pet tricks, I don't wanna see that, I wanna watch something good!"

"Brian, please." Victoria tries to maintain the sanity of the room.

"TV knows I don't like stupid shows, I wanna see some action, like Cops, or the news!"

"Nurse!" The male nurse enters at Victoria's call.

"What's up?"

She points to Brian, "If you please."

He gives Brian a dose of morphine and pats his shoulder, "Alright kid, chill."

"Yo nurse." Chris's voice is still raspy and tired. "Something for the pain?"

"Hold on."

"And no needles!"

"I know." The nurse rolls his eyes and grabs two pills with a glass of water.

Chris takes them and chokes, "Nurse, goddamit!" He yells but yelps at the sore sting. "I'm supposed to be comfortable in this expensive hotel, I'm not..."

"You see this?" The impatient nurse taps his tag. "It says RN, I'm not your maid! Got it." He leaves. Chris sighs and grips his neck tightly.

"Shut up Chris, please!" Victoria calms down. She goes over to Chris and hands him her coffee. He looks at her and eventually takes it, the hot liquid soothing his scarred throat. "There now."

Chris gives a wry shrug, "Thanks."

Victoria goes back to her own bed and Danielle enters, "Hey, how are you?"

"I'm fine, how about you?"

"Can't complain." She motions to the moping Chris.

"Hey, come in." Chris smirks. "Have a candy bar, the only thing of mine they haven't taken."

"Don't eat so much sugar."

"You know, maybe I'll do some new material at my next concert." Chris thinks aloud.

Victoria looks up, "You shouldn't practice yet, your throat's still in the recovery stage."

Chris begins to sing, "King of the night time world." He breaks into a hard coughing fit which, as if the sining didn't hurt enough, was only making the pain worse.

Brian, finally attention on them instead of the TV, "See, we told you, the doctor said..."

Chris caught his breath, "I know what the doctor said, and I don't care!"

"You don't need to talk to loud."

"Sorry." Chris grimaces, and really is because of his voice. "But it's my life, and not anyone else's. Nobody can tell me what to do."

"What?"

Victoria sighs, "Frankly you baffle me."

"Frankly, going on without this wouldn't have been so bad. I'm gonna die someday anyway, we all are, some just sooner than others. But isn't it worse, not living while you're alive?"

"You go." Brian cheers, still a little doped up.

"You're doing alright Chris, whatever you decide." Danielle hugs him, he accepts it.