Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.
Disclaimer 2: I would like to clarify something. Not once in this story have I claimed, or pretended, or anything else that I am any kind of a medical expert. My medical knowledge is limited to what I learned from ER, House, and my father. If the facts aren't completely accurate, I apologize and once again stress the fact that I really am not 100 sure what is supposed to happen. I ask that, for literary purposes, you overlook any mistakes or discrepancies in the procedures. Thank you.
A/N: Surprise! This is the last chapter! Took me by surprise as much as it took you guys, but I was getting tired of this story and felt it was dragging on too long. But there is an alternate ending, for those who wish to read it.
Random Moment of the Chapter: Hi!
Enjoy!
"I want to sign a DNR."
The room was deathly quiet before Troy's father burst out in anger.
"No!" he cried, clearly upset by Troy's request. Gabriella had paled considerably and was shaking slightly as she clung to Troy's hand. Kellie had stood up and backed away slightly. Dr. Michaels put up a hand to quiet Troy's father before turning back to the teen.
"Troy, I really don't think that's necessary. You interrupted my sentence, I didn't finish what I meant to say."
"But-"
"Troy, the chance of a complication is extremely small. The procedure is minimally invasive at worst. In fact, it's more dangerous for the donor than the recipient. However, the risks come from possible rejection of the transplant, or a reaction to one of the drugs used."
"Oh," Troy said, looking at the covers on the bed. Jack was still fuming, but Kellie had stepped back toward the bed.
"Do you still want to sign that DNR?"
Troy shook his head slightly, and Dr. Michaels nodded.
"I'll be back tomorrow to prep you for the procedure, make sure you get your rest tonight."
Troy nodded, and the doctor left, leaving Jack, Kellie, and Gabriella to deal with Troy's latest announcement.
The second the door had shut behind Dr. Michaels, Jack exploded.
"What the hell was that?" he shouted, staring down Troy. "A DNR? Troy, what the hell is your problem?"
Kellie put a hand on Jack's arm.
"Sweetie, calm down." She turned to Troy, not taking her hand away. "Troy, sweetie, what in the world could have made you that desperate?"
Troy shrugged half-heartedly. "I don't know, I just-if it's my time to die, it's my time to die. I don't want to be kept alive on machines or in the ICU. I don't want to prolong my death."
"Troy, you're not dying," Gabriella said weakly, clutching even tighter to her hand, the pressure exerted by her fingers turning his white.
"Gabi, I am dying. Slowly, but I'm still dying. I seem to be the only person who's accepted that fact."
Silence greeted this last statement as each of the others tried to digest what Troy had said. Jack was the first to recover his composure.
"Troy, just a few months ago you were set on beating this," he said, his struggle with his anger evident on his face. "What happened? Why are you suddenly resigned to your-" he paused, shaking his head, "-this fate. You're not dying."
"Dad, I haven't felt this sick in my life. Sometimes I wish it would end. Sometimes I wish I could survive. Most of the time it's the first."
"But, Troy-" Jack began, but Troy cut him off.
"Dad, I didn't sign the DNR. Can we just leave the subject behind?"
Jack made to open his mouth in protest, but Kellie stopped him.
"You know what, I 'm going to go get us all some coffee. Do you guys want coffee? Jack, come with me," she said quickly, trying to keep the peace between her husband and son.
"Can I have some tea?" Troy asked, clearly glad for the change in subject.
Kellie nodded, and started to dig in her purse for money.
"Gabriella? Coffee?"
"Um, no thanks," Gabriella said, looking oddly from Troy to his parents.
"Alright. We'll be back," Kellie said, pulling a twenty from her wallet. "Let's go, Jack."
Putting her hand firmly on Jack's shoulder, she pushed him from the room in front of her, leaving Troy and Gabriella alone.
Gabriella sat with her head in her hands the next day, watching Jack pace in front of her. Kellie was sitting next to her, glancing at her watch every few minutes. It was one o'clock, and they were waiting for news on Troy's procedure.
"Jack, I think you've worn the carpet thin," Kellie said nervously, her voice cracking slightly. The last hour had been pure torture as they waited to hear of the success of the procedure.
Jack paused for a moment to look at her, before resuming his pacing. Just as he was about to turn and walk the other way, Dr. Michaels walked into the waiting room. He was holding a chart in his hands, and he was dressed in scrubs.
Jack stopped pacing and looked up at the doctor, his face expectant. Kellie and Gabriella stood up, walking to stand behind Jack.
"The procedure went perfectly," the doctor said, a smile on his face. "Nothing went wrong, and within a few days we'll know if it was successful or not."
"Thank you," Kellie said, taking the doctor's hand and shaking it enthusiastically. "Thank you so much."
Gabriella was smiling broadly as tears of relief streamed down her face. Jack had sighed with relief as he put a hand over his face.
"I'll be in touch," Dr. Michaels said, leaving the three standing in the waiting room.
Troy and Gabriella walked hand in hand into the restaurant, laughing happily.
"I can't believe we're graduating next week!" Gabriella said as they walked from Troy's car across the parking lot.
"And I can't believe you dragged me out here when I have to study for the finals I missed," he complained, but it was clear he was kidding. Gabriella stuck her tongue out at him, and he ruffled her hair. They reached the building. and Troy held the door open for her, bowing slightly in mocking. She smacked him playfully on the arm, walking into the pizza parlor in front of him.
Troy let the door close behind them and jogged to catch up to Gabriella, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her neck.
"I love you," he whispered, smiling as she leaned into his embrace.
"I love you, too," she replied, tilting her head back to kiss him. "And, I have a surprise for you."
Troy looked up, and was surprised to see all of his friends sitting at a table, balloons and streamers decorating the walls behind it.
"What-?"
"Surprise!" they shouted, clapping loudly. Chad, Jason, and Zeke all stood up, handing Troy a gift bag.
"What is all this?"
"We're celebrating your remission!" Chad said, slapping Troy on the back.
"We figured that this last year has been hell for you, so we wanted to celebrate," Jason added, forcing the bag into Troy's hand.
"We all pitched in," Gabriella said, leading Troy to the table. He looked around at his friends, choking on his emotion. Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, Jason, Zeke, Chad, Taylor, and the rest of the basketball team and drama club had all shown up.
"You guys, I don't know what to say," Troy said, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment as he fought against the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.
"A simple thank you would be sufficient," Taylor laughed, standing up to hug Troy. "We're so glad you're okay."
Troy smiled awkwardly as Sharpay practically launched herself into his arms.
"You had us so worried, especially in January," she told him, disentangling herself from him.
Troy nodded, wiping furiously at his eyes.
"Alright, enough of this touchy-feely crap," Chad said, wrapping an arm around Taylor. "Let's eat!"
The group murmured in agreement, and they all turned to the pizzas that were on the table.
"So, are you all done with chemo?" Taylor asked once they had all gotten slices.
Troy finished chewing, swallowing the bite of pizza before answering.
"Last week. I won't need any more unless I relapse, but right now we're focusing on the fact that I survived."
"Amen to that," Chad put in, tipping his pizza toward Troy in a mock salute.
Troy laughed, reaching over to grab Gabriella's hand.
"I never would have made it through if it weren't for Gabi, though," he said, smiling broadly at her. She blushed, but leaned in to kiss him, interlocking her fingers with his.
"What about college?"
"You know what, I haven't decided. My dad thinks I should call Duke back, but I think I'm going ot take a year off, get my form back. Maybe then I'll think about college. Right now, I'm just glad to be alive, with all of you."
He smiled at all of his friends, and they smiled back. For the first time in awhile, Troy felt truly happy.
FIN
A/N: OMG, I believe that's the end. Wow. I didn't expect to end it there, but it seemed perfect. I was actually going for a much sadder end, but the story started to drag on and it just didn't seem plausible anymore. However, there is an alternate ending. It is posted under chapter 20. Bring tissues if you intend to read it.
Chapter 21 is the trailer for my next story, "Keep the Faith." It will be sad and angsty and pretty much nothing like what I've done so far.
Well, guys, it's been fun. Another story finished. I never would have made it without you guys. I love all my reviewers, you guys are the glue that kept this story together. It had its ups and downs (quite a few downs) but you all stuck with me. I may post an epilogue later in time to explain a few other things (like the huge time gap between the tranplant and the remission party), or maybe a short sequel. But I like to leave things up to your imagination. So, we'll see how that turns out. Anyway, please review, and don't forget to read "Keep the Faith."
Oh, and one more thing…Go vote for "This is How a Heart Breaks" in the HSM Fanfiction Awards on the forums! Yay!
Love,
jetsfanforlyfe