"I can't take the wait anymore," Kenny said, breaking the silence. "How long can it take to look at some brain scans?"

"They probably just want to make sure of everything first," Max said distantly, as he absently took her hand in his. "You know doctors and all . . . they like to make you wait. Are you worried?"

"I'm trying not to think about it," he replied. "What if it was all for nothing?"

"Then we'll find another way," Max countered. "There are a lot of treatments available. Chemo and radiation aren't the only options."

Kenny ran his fingers over his bald scalp. "Yeah."

"I kind of like the bald look," Max added. "It has character."

"Yeah? So I didn't have any before?" Kenny replied, forcing his worries out of his mind. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Max cocked her head to one side. "Are you serious?"

"I think you'd look cute," he continued, forcing himself not to smile at her surprised expression. "C'mon Sweetheart. Why not?"

He reached up to run his fingers through her hair, as she replied. "Well, uh, I'll think about it."

"I'm teasing you," he replied, pulling her down closer to him. "You have incredible hair. I don't think I've ever seen this color before . . ."

"You're sweet," Max replied softly, as he pulled her down closer to him. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you."

"Whoa. What is going on in here?" Joey asked. "This is a hospital, not a hotel room."

"Oh, let them enjoy themselves," Jill interjected, as they broke reluctantly apart.

"How is everybody today?" Joey asked, looking at the young couple. "Any headaches, pain anywhere?"

"I think all the drugs you've been pumping into me have been doing something useful," Kenny replied, not releasing his grip on Max's hand. "They are . . . aren't they?"

"Okay," Jill added. "We do have some difficult news, but this isn't the end. The chemotherapy and radiation didn't reduce the tumor like we had hoped. There are other options, and we'd like to try."

"It did nothing," Kenny repeated flatly. "How could it do nothing?"

"It happens that way sometime," Joey added. "Every case is different, and we can try other things."

"Why bother?"

"Why bother?" Joey repeated. "Do you have a death wish? If you ignore this tumor, it won't go away. It'll kill you."

"The treatments are doing the same."

Max swallowed, at the despondent look in his eyes. "Hey. Kenny. There are other ways."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," he shot back, pulling back from her. "Stop being my damn cheerleader."

"We'd like to try a new treatment," Joey cut in, as Max tried to collect herself.

"Like what? What else can you possibly do to me?"

"There are experimental treatments," Jill added. "If you would just listen."

"Just go. All of you."

"Kenny," Max tried again, ignoring the way he was glaring at her. "You have to give them a chance."

"Didn't you hear me the first time?"

"Okay," Jill interjected. "We'll give you sometime to process this, and then we'll talk again."

Kenny watched them leave, before turning back to Max. "Go. I want to be alone."

"Don't do this," she practically whispered, her heart breaking at his shock and fear. "This isn't the end of the world."

"You're not that stupid. Just go," Kenny continued, vowing that he wouldn't cry in front of her. "I don't want you here! Get out, and stay out!"

Max swallowed back her tears, knowing he was mad at the situation and not her. "Okay. Wallow for a while . . . You know I'm here."

Kenny watched her go, before he let the tears fall.

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"Max! Hey, hold up," Joey called, jogging down the hallway.

"Not now. Please," Max begged, not wanting to cry.

"It's okay to cry," Joey said softly. "I know it's hard for you too."

"I'm so scared that I'm going to lose him," Max admitted, pushing her hair off of her face. "How bad is it? Please, I need to know."

"There are other options," Joey started. "Immunotherapy, novel chemotherapy agents, or even gliadel wafers. It's not over yet. You have to believe that."

"I want to."

"Joey, Max," Jimmy called, as he made his way down the hallway. "I thought I'd come by and see how things are going."

The two women exchanged a quick glance, as Joey sighed. "It could be better. The radiation and chemo didn't shrink the tumor as we hoped it would, and the patient is understandably upset."

"Shit," Jimmy replied, glancing over at Max, while trying to block his dream from his thoughts. "Max. He'll be okay. Kenny isn't one to roll over and give up."

Max shook her head. "I'm not so sure . . . you didn't hear him."

"Shit," Joey said, as her name was called over the intercom. "Shit. That's Kenny's room. Come on."

Oh god, Max's mind screamed, as she followed a running Joey down the hallway. Now what? Please Kenny, be okay. I need you.

"Don't look," Jimmy said softly, pulling her back slightly. "Max, you don't need to see this."

She stood there silently, watching as Kenny writhed on the bed in front of her. Why now? All of that treatment . . . it should have stopped this. Oh, Kenny.

"Don't watch," Jimmy repeated, pulling her back out into the hallway. "Max. Come on. Why don't we go sit down, and let them work on him?"

Max merely nodded, as she let Jimmy lead her back into the waiting room. How can this be happening?

"I don't know anything about cancer," Jimmy began. "But couldn't this be something as simple as a withdrawal from all of the drugs? There isn't any reason to panic yet."

"Yet," Max repeated softly, wrapping her arms around herself. "What if . . . He has to be okay."

Jimmy laid an awkward hand on her shoulder, trying to block out his dream from the other night. "He will be. He has a lot to live for."

Max nodded slightly, and tried to swallow back her fears. Oh Kenny, she thought, please come back to me.

"We have him stabilized," Jill said in way of greeting, as she noted her husband's hand on Max's shoulder. "He did have a seizure."

"How? I mean all of those drugs were supposed to stop it," Max practically whispered.

"The chemo and the radiation didn't affect the tumor, and it has grown slightly," Joey offered, knowing that news was devastating. "There are other options that we are going to explore. Kenny's parents are flying back up tomorrow to discuss them as well. What we are planning on doing is a mix of novel chemotherapy agents and Immunotherapy. The novel chemo agents block cancer cell growth by preventing blood vessel growth, The n the Immunotherapy uses monoclonal antibodies to elicit immune response from the brain tumor antibodies. Then the brain tumor antibodies latch onto the tumor antigen to identify and kill tumor cells."

"It has a high success rate," Jill added, still looking at Jimmy's hand laying on Max's shoulder. "He's sleeping right now Max, but you're welcome to sit with him."

"I'd like that," Max replied. "Thanks."

"I'm going down to the lab. I'll walk with you," Joey said. "It'll be okay."

"I always find you two together," Jill said quietly, as they left. "Why am I not surprised?"

"You're being ridiculous," Jimmy said. "Jill! She just watched Kenny have a seizure, and was upset! What would you have me do? Ignore her, as she falls apart?"

"Forget it."

"I won't forget it! You're accusing me of cheating on you! Even if I do think about Max that way it is because you've been acting like a shrew lately."

"Oh? So now you admit it?"

"No!" Jimmy practically shouted, trying to bury his dream. "Why are you doing this?"

"Never mind. I have to get back to work."

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"Max," Kenny mumbled, "Max, I love you. Someday you'll know how much."

"What is he talking about?" Carol asked. "He seems sort of confused."

"A seizure can scramble some wires," Joey explained, watching as Max turned red. "It'll clear up soon enough."

"It seems like he knows what he is talking about," Tom replied. "And he seems very definite about it."

"There are a lot worse things he could be saying," Max admitted.

"What are the chances that he'll he will another seizure?" Tom asked. "At least before the new treatments start?"

"We have him on anti-seizure medicines," Joey replied. "So it isn't likely."

"Thank you," Carol whispered, as he gaze turned back to her son. "We know that you are doing everything that you can."

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Max leaned up against her bathroom wall, and put her head between her legs. Please just let this be sympathy nausea she thought. I can't get sick now. I don't even know what I can be throwing up. It's not like I've been eating anything lately.

"Shit," she said aloud, as she lunged toward the toilet.

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Kenny stared up at the ceiling of his hospital room, and contemplated the future. It's not too bright. I'm going to die. I know it, and all of these drugs aren't going to do a damn thing. It's just not worth the effort. I can't do this. Not to Max, my parents, my friends. I can't put them all through this anymore. I have to go.

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Jill leaned back in her office chair, and stared out at the moonless night. I'm such a hypocrite, she thought, how can I keep treating Jimmy like this? I know he isn't interested in Max, not that way. She is young enough to be his daughter, and she is in love with Kenny. I can't keep doing this with him, especially since I'm the one having the affair.

444444444444444444

Jimmy sipped his beer, as he traced the outline of the wood on the counter top. What happened, he wondered, when did life fall apart? Jill, Kenny, Max . . . Why can't I stop thinking about her? This is ridiculous. I don't have feelings for Max.

"Jimmy? What are you doing here?"

"Just getting a drink," Jimmy replied, glancing over at Littleton. "It's been a long week."

"That it has," Jon agreed. "Have you been to the hospital lately?"

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah. He's doing better, and starting new treatments in a few days. Jill and Joey are hopeful that it'll work. Max is a wreck over it all, but trying to hide it."

"I'm sure she is. I stopped by earlier, but he was sleeping. How did this happen?"

"I wish I knew. Everything fell apart so quickly. For them, for everybody. Kenny keeps pushing her away, and she keeps going back for more."

"She loves him."

"You two went out a few times," Jimmy mused, surprised on how much Littleton's simple statement caused his stomach to cramp up. "Any regrets about that? It not working out and all?"

Littleton shrugged. "It was worth a shot, but . . . there are no regrets. We weren't meant to be, even then there was something going on between them. There always has been."

"I suppose there has," Jimmy agreed reluctantly. "What the hell is she going to do if . . ."

"You can't think that way," Littleton countered, "He's going to be fine."

Jimmy nodded. "Would you give it another shot if something happened?"

"What the hell are you talking about? No! How can you even ask me that? It's too morbid. No!"

"Jon."

"No! Enjoy your beer."

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Max pulled her legs up to her chest, and did her best to keep up her end of the conversation. Forcing herself to smile. "I know."

"I didn't think you'd come back," Kenny countered. "Max, I need you listen to me."

"Okay," Max replied. "Are you going to tell me to get out again?"

I don't care what she says, he thought, she is only 29. Her whole life in front of her. Max doesn't need to be tied down to some invalid, who is going to die. Maybe not now, but sometime soon. I have to let her go.

"I," he began. "Max, Sweetheart . . . I . . . You and me . . . it isn't going to work."

"Bullshit," she countered. "We've been over this before."

He gritted his teeth. "Yeah we have. I'm asking you as a favor me. I can't do this with you here. I need you to go, and let me handle this."

"You're serious?"

"I mean it."

"Look at me when you say that then."

He turned his head up to look at her. "I need you to leave and not come back. Ever. Now."

Max nodded slightly, as he ripped her heart out. Not trusting herself to speak, she turned on her heel and fled.

"Max!" Joey called out behind her. "Wait!"

"Not now. Please."

"It can't wait . . . Are you okay?"

"Fine. What?" Max asked.

"I got your blood tests back. You're pregnant."