"I'm so glad you're here," Abby said, hugging her mother, as she arrived at the hospital.
"I couldn't think of being anywhere else today," Ashley said.
"Ashley," Traci said, entering the waiting area. She shared a hug with her sister, saying, "It's always so good to see you."
"You too," Ashley said, "I just wish it was under better circumstances."
"So do I," Traci said.
"How is Kyle doing?" Abby said, "Has there been any news?"
"We have not heard anything since he was taken in," Jack said.
"I wish we would hear something," Rachel said, "I keep thinking about Kyle, lying in there, so helpless."
"The doctors are taking good care of him," Traci said.
"It is better that they are in there working on him, than out here talking to us," Ashley said.
"I know," Rachel said, "I want to do something for him, but there is nothing I can do."
"You can be there for him when he wakes up," Billy said.
"Mom?" Kyle said, "Is it really…"
"Yes," Diane smiled, "It's me. I'm here."
"How…" Kyle said, "Am I dead? Is this heaven?"
"No, it's not heaven," Diane said.
"But I died, right?" Kyle said, "Or at least I'm dying. That must be why you're here."
"In reality you are still alive," Diane said.
"Then what's going on?" Kyle said.
"I know you must have a lot of questions" Diane said, "I'm here to help you."
"I can't believe you are here," Kyle said, "I have missed you so much."
Taking Kyle's hands in hers, Diane said, "I've always been with you."
Tears slipping down his cheeks, Kyle said, "Tell me you're really here, this isn't a dream."
"I am right here," Diane said, hugging her son. Kyle had yearned to feel his mother's arms around him again. Overwhelmed by her tenderness, Kyle cried on her shoulder.
"Heart rate and blood pressure are still falling," a nurse reported.
"Come on Kyle," Dr. Hastings said, as his team tried to improve the weakness of Kyle's condition, "Don't you give up on me."
"Is there anything I can do?" Ashley said, "Get some coffees or something?"
"No, thanks," Jack said.
Rachel shook her head, others declined as well.
"How are you doing?" Abby said, touching Jack's shoulder.
"I'm alright," Jack said, "This waiting is hard though."
"I know," Abby said, "Maybe I could go ask if we could get an update."
"They will let us know if there is anything to tell," Jack said.
Abby sighed. Her worried eyes, drifting across the sitting area, took an angry expression as she realized who else was there. "Seriously?" Abby said, walking towards Summer. "What do you think you are doing here?"
"I'm concerned for Kyle," Summer said, "Just like everyone else."
"His family is here," Abby said, "You don't need to be."
"I care about him," Summer said, "This is all I could think about."
"Yes, we know how other women's men are always on your mind," Abby said.
"You would think for once you could have some compassion," Summer said.
"You could have some class," Abby said.
"Please, don't fight," Rachel said, from her seat, "Not today."
Walking over to them, Tessa said, "Perhaps we could be civilized, for Kyle's sake."
"For Kyle," Abby agreed, stepping away.
Sitting next to Rachel, Billy said, "You're pretty quiet. I know this waiting is agonizing."
"I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach," Rachel said, "Something's not right."
"It's your nerves," Billy said, "Try not to worry so much. Kyle is strong, he will come through this."
Rachel nodded. "I hope…" she started, spotting something that made her stop.
"No," Rachel said, standing up. Pointing at Lola, as she marched towards her, Rachel snarled, "No, you don't. What are you doing here?"
Sitting on the blanket, next to Kyle, Diane said, "You are staring."
"I can't help it," Kyle said, "I never thought I would see you again."
"It's wonderful to see you," Diane said, "Look how handsome you grew up to be. You remind me of your father."
"I'm on that operating table right now, aren't I?" Kyle said.
"Yes," Diane said.
"I wonder how it's going," Kyle said.
"Not so well," Diane said.
"What do you mean?" Kyle said.
"It's my guess, that's why I'm here with you Kyle," Diane said, "You are struggling."
"I was afraid something like this would happen," Kyle said, "Something would go wrong."
"Things could improve for you," Diane said.
"You said you were here to help me," Kyle said, "Am I supposed to go with you?"
"Not necessarily," Diane said, "You can do what you want to do. You have a decision to make."
"Which is?" Kyle said.
"You can choose to stay with me," Diane said, "We would be together forever. Or you can choose to fight to get back to your life."
"How do I choose between being with you and not being with you," Kyle said.
"There are other factors to consider," Diane said, "You have a family who love you. Friends who love you and I understand a fiancé who loves you very much."
"You know about Rachel?" Kyle said.
"I've seen her with you," Diane said, "She's a lovely girl. I know she makes you very happy."
"Yes, she does," Kyle said.
"I think you two could have a wonderful life together," Diane said.
"You approve?" Kyle said.
"I do," Diane smiled.
"Do you know everything about my life since you've been gone?" Kyle said, "I'm not so proud of some things I've done."
"I have observed some not so good behaviour," Diane said, "However, I believe you have learned from it. Not to make the same mistakes, be a better person. I am very proud of the young man you have become. I have always believed that you are destined for greatness."
"Things are not so great right now," Kyle said, "I don't want to leave Rachel and Dad and everyone else. It scares me, the thought of never seeing them again."
"If you choose to stay, you will eventually see them again," Diane said.
"But they would be so sad," Kyle said, "On the other hand, maybe I shouldn't go back. What if they can't remove the tumor or the cancer gets worse. I could just end up prolonging their misery while they watch me suffer and slip away."
"Kyle, do remember the summer vacation, when you were seven and you fell off your bike?" Diane said.
"The time I skinned my chin, elbow and my knees?" Kyle said, "I remember it well. You took me inside and cleaned me up. You gave me superhero band aids and a kiss better."
"You were very brave about the whole thing," Diane said, "I had thought you might cry, but you didn't shed one single tear. I was so proud of the way you handled it all. At such a young age you had this inner strength to draw on to deal with the tough times. You still have that strength and can use it to pull through this situation."
"I don't know if I can," Kyle said.
"You are running out of time," Diane said, standing up.
Getting to his feet Kyle said, "What do you mean by that?"
"You have to make your decision," Diane said, "Stay or go."
"I understand you want me to fight back," Kyle said, "But I don't want you to leave me again. I want to be with you. Mom, I love you."
"Honey, I love you too," Diane said, "There is no wrong answer for this. If you choose to stay it will be forever, there is no going back. But if you want to live your life, I will always be watching over you. I will always be right here." She put her hand over his heart. "One day we will be together again." Diane held her hand out to Kyle and said, "What do you choose? Stay or go back?"
Diane smiled at Kyle, as he reached out for her hand.
"Get out of here," Rachel ordered, glaring at Lola.
"I had to come," Lola said, "I am concerned for Kyle."
"You don't have a right to be here or even speak his name, after what you pulled the other day," Rachel said.
"I only want Kyle to know that I am still here for him," Lola said, "He could use all the love and support we can give him."
"He has that with us," Rachel said, "What you call love is more like obsession."
"Don't be ridiculous," Lola said, "I am not obsessed, I care about his well being."
"So, that's why you came by the house and took advantage of his illness, to try to sway him to break up with me and take you back," Rachel said.
"You did what?" Summer said, inserting herself into the standoff.
"This does not concern you," Lola said.
"If you took advantage of someone I care about, especially when he's sick, it concerns me," Summer said.
"Lola is only here, because of her concern for Kyle," Abby said, "Just like the rest of us."
"I came home and found her forcing herself on my fiancé," Rachel said.
"You misunderstood what you saw," Lola said.
"You were kissing him!" Rachel hollered, "Not much was left to the imagination." Summer sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I love him just like you do," Lola said.
"No, you don't," Rachel said, "You don't have the right to say that. You don't love him like I do, you don't have the closeness with him that I do, you're not afraid of losing him like I am. He's not your everything, like he is to me."
"The only reason I don't have those things with Kyle, is because you took him away," Lola said.
"Wow, you are losing it," Summer said, "You may not approve of his choice, and Rachel and I may not be friends, but at least I know Kyle is with someone he truly loves."
Turning away from Lola, Rachel said, "Someone get her away from me. She's violating her restraining order anyway."
"Lets you and I go for a walk," Abby said, guiding Lola away.
Rachel sighed as she momentarily closed her eyes. Looking at Summer, she said, "Thank you for saying that."
"Thanks for taking such good care of him," Summer said.
"I love him," Rachel said.
"I know," Summer said. Strolling away, Summer sat down with a sigh. "Me too," she said to herself.
"Jack…" Traci said, gesturing to the approach of the doctor.
"Dr. Hastings," Jack said, causing Rachel to turn sharply, "Is the surgery over? How is my son?"
"Jack, could I speak with you privately," Dr. Hastings said.
"Is something wrong?" Rachel said.
"Please…" Dr. Hastings said, guiding Jack away.
"Something is wrong," Rachel said, hugging herself.
"We can't assume the worst," Ashley said.
"Could simply be an update," Billy said.
"Doctor how is Kyle?" Jack said, "Please tell me he is okay."
"Kyle, had an episode," Dr. Hastings said, "He went into distress, his heart rate, breathing and blood pressure fell dangerously low. However, we were able to stabilize him."
"Are you telling me, you almost lost him?" Jack said, alarmed.
"His vitals are much better now," Dr. Hastings said.
"Does this mean you've finished the surgery?" Jack said.
"That depends on you," Dr. Hastings said.
"I don't understand," Jack said.
"As Kyle's next of kin, I need you to tell me how you would like to proceed," Dr. Hastings said, "We were able to remove 50% of the tumor so far. We could continue with the surgery, remove as much of the remaining tumor as we can. Although, I am concerned Kyle could have another episode. Nothing is for certain, he could come through the rest of the procedure just fine."
"But you don't think his chances are good if he goes into distress again?" Jack said, "You're saying I could still lose him?"
"Even if we are able to stabilize him a second time, the stress of multiple episodes like this could have long term effects on his overall health," Dr. Hastings said.
"Such as?" Jack said.
"It could lead to heart damage, physical or mental impairment," Dr. Hastings said, "As an option, we can stop the surgery and Kyle should wake up without experiencing any further distress. The tumor will still be there and we can schedule radiation therapy for Kyle to try and shrink the remainder."
"Could that form of treatment cure him?" Jack said.
"It's possible," Dr. Hastings said, "But I need to caution you. The tumor could continue to grow and it is more likely to spread. In that scenario the survival rate would be minimum one year."
"A year?" Jack said.
"Two if he's lucky," Dr. Hastings said.
"He wouldn't even see his 30th birthday," Jack sighed.
"Jack, I know this is a lot to consider, but time is of the essence," Dr. Hastings said, "Would you like me to continue with the surgery or cancel the remainder?"
Ashley spotted Abby as she returned to the waiting area alone. "What happened to Lola?" Ashley said.
"We agreed it was best if she left," Abby said, "I promised to let her know when we had some news."
"Jack was called away by Dr. Hastings," Ashley said, "Something is up."
Summer was lost in her thoughts about Kyle, recalling the last time she had seen him. She had been able to tell Kyle was enjoying the company of his friends, but she had also seen the worry and a level of sadness in his eyes. Summer made a promise to herself, from now on she would be as good a friend as she could to Kyle. She would support him through his recovery, yet not interfere in his relationship with Rachel. Summer had felt it would be very hard to see Kyle marry someone else, but the thought of him not being part of her life at all, would be a worse outcome.
"Hey." Summer jumped as someone touched her shoulder.
"Fen," Summer said, giving him a quick hug, "I didn't know you were coming."
"Neither did I," Fen said, "Have you heard anything?"
"The doctor just came out," Summer said, "He wanted to talk to Jack alone. I'm scared what that means."
"Looks like we are about to find out," Fen said, gesturing to Jack's return.
"Is Kyle okay?" Rachel anxiously said.
"Kyle is fine," Jack said.
"He made it through the surgery," Rachel said, relief starting to rush in.
"I want to explain what the doctor told me," Jack said. Knowing Rachel would be most affected by his news, Jack stepped closer to her before continuing, "During the surgery, Kyle had an episode. His vitals dropped relatively low for several minutes, but the doctors were able to revive him."
"Revive him?" Rachel said, "You mean he almost died?"
"He didn't," Jack said, "The doctors have removed 50% of the tumor so far."
"That's good news," Ashley said, "What else did he say?"
"He wanted me to make a decision," Jack said, "To continue with the surgery, knowing Kyle could potentially have another episode."
"What happens if he does?" Abby said.
"Of course they would try to stabilize him, but there is no guarantee they would be successful," Jack said, his voice wavering, "There is also concern the incidents could cause long-term impairment."
"What was the other part of the decision?" Billy said.
"The option to cancel the surgery," Jack said, "In that case the tumor remains and Kyle has a course of radiation therapy as treatment. There is a very real possibility the cancer would spread and the doctor was not hopeful about Kyle's survival rate."
"How long?" Rachel said.
"It was difficult to speculate," Jack said.
"How long?" Rachel repeated.
"One year," Jack said, "Maybe two." Summer gasped as she grabbed onto Fen.
"Jack, what did you decide?" Traci said.
"I told Dr. Hastings to continue with the surgery," Jack said.
"You did what?" Rachel said.
"I felt this was the best option," Jack said.
"What if Kyle goes into distress again?" Rachel said, her voice rising, "What if they can't bring him back next time?"
"I was trying to determine the best course of action, that would lead to less suffering for Kyle," Jack said.
"The other option, Kyle would have woken up," Rachel's agitation was rising, "We could have told him we love him, we could have helped him through everything. The other therapy could have cured him!"
"Kyle knows we love him," Ashley said, "Jack did what he thought was best."
"This way we could still lose him!" Rachel was screaming by now.
"Rachel…" Billy said, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"No!" Rachel said, rejecting Billy's comfort as she flinched away. As Rachel stepped away she began to sob. Tessa went to Rachel's side to try and console her. Tessa put her arms around Rachel, who accepted her friend's offer of comfort. "I know," Tessa soothed, "It's okay."
Standing in the entrance way of the waiting area, Mariah watched as Tessa held Rachel in her arms. As Mariah stepped closer, she observed Tessa rubbing Rachel's back, saying, "It's okay. I'm here."
The hospital waiting room was mostly silent, as Kyle's loved ones awaited news of his progress. Noticing Mariah and Fen had arrived, Rachel hugged each and thanked them for coming. People would intermittingly get up to stretch their legs, while Traci and Abby retrieved coffee for everyone.
Ashley stayed by Jack's side, a constant support for her brother. Noticing Jack smile and slightly shake his head, she said, "What is it?"
"Look at everyone here," Jack said, "It warms my heart to know Kyle has so many who love him."
"He's an exceptional young man," Ashley said, "Of course he has an exceptional father." Jack smiled.
Summer had become restless, walking back and forth in the waiting room.
"Do you have to do that?" Abby said frustrated.
"What?" Summer said.
"Your pacing, it's very distracting," Abby said.
"Excuse me for being nervous," Summer said.
"Would you two please…" Rachel said, rubbing her forehead.
Fen came up behind Rachel and touched her shoulder. Turning around Rachel snapped, "What?" Realizing it was Fen she said, "Sorry, I'm on edge."
"I get that," Fen said, "This isn't a complaint, but is the surgery supposed to take this long?"
"Dr. Hastings said it could be a number of hours," Rachel said, "If you want to go, I'm sure Summer can fill you in later."
"No, I want to stay," Fen said. Rachel nodded. Fen's eyes drifted across the room when something caught his eye. Curious to confirm what he saw, Fen walked around the corner of the waiting room. "I thought that was you," Fen said.
"Oh, Fen," Lola said.
"Don't you want to come and sit with the rest of us?" Fen said.
"No thanks, I've already been booted out once," Lola said. Noticing the question in Fen's eyes, Lola continued, "Rachel has a restraining order against me."
"She what?" Fen said, "Why?"
"It's a long story I would rather not get into," Lola said, "Needless to say Rachel and I do not get along. Please don't tell anyone I'm here, I don't want to cause any trouble."
"No problem," Fen said.
"I'm so worried about Kyle," Lola said, "I want to know he's okay."
"Well, there was a little blip in his vitals," Fen said, "Everyone was upset about that, but he's more stable now. So, we wait."
""I'm going to stay out of sight," Lola said, "Would you do me a favor and let me know when you hear something?"
"Sure thing," Fen said. Looking across the hall Fen said, "Actually, there's the doctor right now." Fen rushed back to the waiting room.
"Oh, Kyle…" Lola sighed, closing her eyes.
"Dr. Hastings," Jack said, "How is he?"
"Could you and Rachel please come this way?" Dr. Hastings said.
Watching Jack and Rachel following the doctor, people left in the waiting room fell silent, anticipating the doctor's report.
"This has to be good news, right?" Abby fretted.
"Let's hope so," Ashley said.
"They're coming back," Traci said.
Everyone watched as Rachel, slowly walked back into the waiting room, tears on her face.
"Please, no…" Mariah said, prompting Tessa to put an arm around her.
Noticing the disbelief in Rachel's eyes, Billy walked over to her and placing his hands on her shoulder, he said, "Rachel, it's going to be alright."
"He's okay," Rachel softly said.
"What?" Billy said, not sure he had heard her right.
The excitement in Rachel's voice rising, she smiled through her tears and said, "Kyle is okay. He made it through the surgery."
Exclamations of joy filled the waiting room. Billy hugged Rachel, Abby sharing an embrace with her mother.
Noticing Summer was crying, Fen said, "It's okay, he made it."
Summer nodded, "I'm so relieved." Fen took her in his arms.
"He's okay!" Mariah shouted in relief, leaning against Tessa.
After Traci shared a hug with Rachel, she said, "Wait a second. Was the surgery a success? What happened with the tumor?"
Jack appeared around the corner, " It's gone," he said. A huge smile crossed his face as Jack said, "They got it. All of it."
More jubilation filled the room, as more hugs were shared. Smiling, Ashley spread her arms apart as she approached her brother. She wrapped her arms around Jack, in relief. Rachel hugged Billy again, closing her eyes with a smile.
As Summer held onto Fen, he noticed Lola standing off to the side. Lola assumed the excitement in the next room was good news. She met Fen's eyes, who smiled as he gave her a thumbs up.
Lola breathed a sigh of relief. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Thank you, thank you."
"I want to understand," Abby said, "What about the cancer, is that gone too?"
"The doctors did several tests and screening today," Jack said, "We don't have the results of those yet. But this is the best outcome we could have hoped for at this stage." Jack became emotional as he said, "I couldn't be more thankful my son is alive." Jack and Rachel shared an embrace.
Stepping away from the others, Jack was startled by an image that caught his eye. He knew it was not possible, however Jack could clearly see Diane standing down the hallway. Diane smiled at Jack, just as an orderly passed by with a cart, she disappeared from view.
Jack smiled and whispered, "Thank you for watching over our son."
"Jack?" Ashley said, walking over and glancing in the direction Jack was staring, "You okay?"
Focusing on his sister, Jack smiled "Never better."
Jack and Ashley put an arm around each other and joined in the celebration of Kyle's good prognosis.