Chapter Two: Strangely Sympathetic

I passed out again and woke up again in the hospital. The nurse was giving me an injection. "Ouch!" I gasped.

"Sorry, dear," the nurse said apologetically. "I hate giving shots, but it has to be done, you know?"

Before I could say anything, she stood up, saying, "Your parents are outside. I'll send them in."

The moment Mom got past the nurse, she was all over me. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I should never have let you go out by yourself…"

"Mom, I'm fine!" I wailed, afraid that she would take away my freedom. I would be lost if I had to be cooped up inside for the rest of my short life.

She sensed my panic and stood back, examining me critically. "You sure you feel all right?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes," I was practically begging. "I'm positive."

Maybe I was being pathetic. But I couldn't help it. The thought of staying inside all summer could've killed me right there and then.

000000000

Mom insisted that I stay in bed for the rest of the day when we got home. This time it was her turn to beg me. "Please, Bailey, just this one day. To get your strength back."

In truth, I would have stayed home anyway. I wasn't about to tell Mom, because she would freak, but I was still kind of dizzy. So I just sighed and rolled my eyes like it was such a hassle and flopped on my bed.

I changed into my pajamas to be comfortable and slid under the covers. I turned then to my needlework, losing all sense of time and how the hours slipped by.

I was jerked out of my reverie by someone ringing the doorbell. I heard Mom opening the door and someone coming inside.

I set aside the needlework and strained my ears to hear what they were saying. The most I could hear was the low rumble of their voices as they talked downstairs, but nothing I could understand.

Then I heard somebody thumping up the stairs. I quickly lay back in bed as they entered. It was the girl from Wallman's. What was her name? I had seen it on her tag…oh yeah. Tibby.

It turned out she had come to return my wallet. I didn't really think she had taken my money, but I had a devil in me. I was looking for a fight.

"I think I had more than four dollars."

"I think you didn't."

"Cause you took it."

"Are you joking?" Tibby exploded. "Do you seriously think I would come all the way over here to return your pathetic little wallet?"

We exchanged a few more insults. I guess Mom must have heard us yelling downstairs, because she sent Tibby down to get my medicine.

When Tibby came back, I was still ready to fight. But Tibby didn't seem to want to. She looked…sad. Strangely sympathetic.

That's when it clicked. Mom had told her I had leukemia. She felt sorry for me. She wasn't going to treat me normally anymore.

It was always the same old story. Bailey's this, Bailey's that…oh, but Bailey has leukemia.

"She told you, didn't she," I stated. I was mad. Mad at Mom, mad to Tibby, mad at everything.

Tibby denied it, and I told her to get out. If there's one thing I can't stand, its liars.

When Tibby was gone, I threw my needlework at the wall. I buried my face in my pillow and went to sleep almost immediately. I was exhausted.

My last thoughts before I went to sleep were, I wish I could go back and start over. Have a normal life, without cancer.

But then I thought, but if I didn't have cancer, I wouldn't be me. I wouldn't be Bailey. I wouldn't be the kind of person who wants to care about other people.

Would I?

And then I was out. Fast asleep.

000000000

Good? Not good? Please review and tell me.