Disclaimer: Dude, I own NOTHING related to the OC but rights to Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson, Peter and Kelly…I wish. (A girl can dream!)
A/N: Reviewers: love y'all lots.
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Kirsten sat up in her bed and looked over to Sandy's side. She didn't see him in the bed. She looked at the clock, 9:50! She slowly got out of the bed and pulled on a pair of slippers. She threw her hair in a bun and slowly made her way towards the staircase. She clutched the banister as she took each step one at a time. She looked towards the kitchen and first noticed Julie Cooper.
"Julie," she called hoarsely, finally reaching the last step and slowly moving herself towards the kitchen, "What are you doing here?" Julie turned around and saw Kirsten moving at a turtle's pace towards the kitchen.
"Oh Kirsten!" she smiled and took a step towards her best friend, "How are you doing?" Kirsten reached up and touched the bandage on her forehead and winced, she knew that there was still a long healing process for that cut.
"Better," she sighed, sitting down on a stool at the kitchen table.
"That's good to hear," Julie told her friend, placing a glass of water in front of her and a bunch of pills.
"So anyways, what are you doing here?" Kirsten asked again, swallowing the pills and grabbing a banana.
"Sandy wanted someone here with you, he had court. He said last time you were here alone things could have turned out really bad," she looked at Kirsten and gave her a half-smile.
"Yeah, I know," she looked at Julie with sad eyes and back down at her banana.
"So Sandy said he'd be home after court," she explained to Kirsten as she nodded. Kirsten buried her head in her arms, careful of her gash, and began to sob.
"Oh my God, are you crying?" Julie suddenly asked, turning around and looking at Kirsten. She saw her shoulders move up and down.
"Is it about Sandy?" Julie asked, sitting next to her friend and rubbing her back. She saw her friend's head shake from inside her arms.
"Are you in pain?" she asked. Again a head shake.
"What is it?" she asked irritably.
"Oh damnit," Kirsten muttered into her sleeve and looked up at Julie.
Julie didn't realize why she hadn't noticed it yet. Kirsten didn't look like Kirsten. She looked tired, sad, in pain, and in general very sick. Her face was tear-streaked as she sat up.
"People keep telling me to fight, but I still don't think I'll be able to make it until Seth and Ryan become seniors. I won't be at their weddings, graduations, first day of college, I won't meet their kids, I'll never be a grandma, I'll never know what it's like to have grey-hair. I don't want to put my family through the pain of losing me. As self-centered as that sounds I know they'll miss me. I don't want any pain in this household!" Kirsten watched as Julie held out her arms for a hug and she openly accepted them.
"Kiks, don't think that way," Julie released the hug, "You don't know that."
"Yeah, I do," she corrected her, "My doctor gives me two months tops."
"That's just a guesstimate, not necessarily the truth," Julie reminded her, "and the harder you push, the longer you have."
"As I said before, fighting isn't an option!" she looked at Julie and sighed.
"Why not?" Julie questioned.
"You don't understand how hard it is to fight!" she cried, burying her head in her arms again, "Easier said than done."
"Well whatevs Kiks, I have to go to the bathroom but just remember: I know you can fight, it takes willpower," Julie walked off as Kirsten began sobbing into her arms.
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Ryan and Seth rushed home from school with their girlfriends in tow.
"Mom?" Seth called as he walked in the front door. He saw Julie Cooper sitting on his couch watching bad daytime TV. She looked up as Seth walked in the room.
"Where's my mom?" he asked Julie.
"In her room," she answered, "Did I hear Marissa come in with you guys?" Seth nodded as he took off towards his mom's bedroom. He looked in and saw his mom asleep on top of the covers. She looked cold. Seth walked over and draped the covers over her shivering body. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she smiled as her son.
"Hey Seth," she smiled, taking his hand, "How was your day?"
"Fine," he shrugged, "Nothing exciting happened. No big Newport Beach scandals."
"That's good I guess," she slowly sat up, "Can you grab me a glass of water and get my pills? I was supposed to take them an hour ago."
"Sure," he smiled at his mom and kissed her on the forehead.
"How is she?" Ryan asked as Seth came back from the bedroom.
"You guys should go talk to her while she is in high-spirits," she suggested, "Even you girls." The three all stood up and followed Seth back into his parent's bedroom. Summer and Marissa stayed in the back while the two boys led them in the room.
"Oh hey guys!" Kirsten smiled cheerfully, still with the dull sound in her voice.
"Hi Mrs. Cohen!" Summer beamed, stepping into the room. Marissa gave Ryan a look and the two walked into the hall.
"Hey Summer, how was your day?" she asked, smiling back at the younger girl.
"It was alright, I had a chem test though," she sighed.
"Those are never fun," Kirsten joked.
"So how are you?" Summer asked nervously as if she was afraid to ask the question.
"Um," Kirsten searched for the right words, "OK."
Summer's looked begged for an explanation.
"I just, I'm scared," she admitted, patting the bed for Summer to go sit with her.
"I would be too," Summer told her, giving her a light hug.
"If I don't beat this, can you take care of Seth for me?" Kirsten asked quietly and out of the blue.
"Of course," Summer watched as one lone tear fell down Kirsten's face, "I'll do everything in my power to make sure he takes care of himself."
"Thanks sweetie," Kirsten smiled at her, "I mean, I'll try really hard to beat this thing, but I guess it's just that I'm getting a lot weaker by the day." Summer looked down at the ground and tried to fight the tear trying to come into her eye.
"Seriously Kirsten, I promise you'll be fine!" Kirsten looked at her and smiled.
"To ruin the dreary mood," Kirsten began, "I love your skirt, what brand is it?"
"Chloe," Summer answered, standing up, "Could I possibly have a peek around your wardrobe? I admire your outfits!"
"Go for it, fashion show, do whatever, just examine the stuff with me," Kirsten responded moving to the end of her bed right where the closet was.
"Gosh you have sooo many suits!" Summer cried, "And this one…god the step-monster was looking at this one last week, it cost $1,500! It's Dolce and Gabanna!" Kirsten blushed.
"You might enjoy the dresses more," Kirsten suggested, pointing to the right side of her closet. She was starting to feel better that day.
"Is this Julie Cooper's?" Summer asked, holding up a Diane von Furstenburg dress.
"Nope," Kirsten shrugged, "It doesn't look like me does it?"
After fifteen minutes of flipping through endless amounts of clothes Seth returned.
"Took you long enough," Kirsten joked, taking the pills out of his hand and swallowing them one at a time. Marissa, Ryan, and Seth all joined Kirsten and Summer on the bed.
"How are you today?" Ryan asked Kirsten as Seth and Summer munched on a bag of M&Ms.
"I'm better now that I have my boys and their girls with me," she grinned and put her arms around Ryan and Seth who had taken her either side.
"We got some movie selections," Marissa told Kirsten, holding out the DVDs, "The Valley is from Summer."
"Ohmygod!" Summer shrieked, "I love the Valley!"
"Let's watch it then," Kirsten smiled. "I love it too." Seth sighed dramatically as he popped the DVD into the slot and the group sat back and began to watch the show.
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Sandy quietly walked into his bedroom and saw five sleeping figures somehow positioned on the bed. Seth and Ryan were next to Kirsten and Marissa and Summer lay horizontally across the bed. The Valley was playing and Grady Bridges occupied the screen. Sandy reached over his son and kissed his wife on the forehead. Her two eyes fluttered open and she grinned at Sandy.
"Hey honey," he smiled back.
"Hey," she said weakly, waking up the boys who woke up the girls.
"How long have we been out for?" Summer yawned and asked.
"Like three hours," Ryan laughed, sitting up and jumping off the side of the bed.
"Let's get you downstairs," Sandy talked to Kirsten, "and get some food and meds in you and change your bandage."
"Sounds fun!" she joked sarcastically.
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A/N: Just a half-fluffy, half-angst-y chapter!