Cancer
A guest asked for a oneshot of Snowing finding out that Snow has cancer. So trigger warning in place.
Snow felt like she'd just been hit by a tidal wave. Her whole face drained of any little colour that it had. Her brain went to mush. There was a ringing in her ears. Her mouth felt dry as ash. She was aware of Charming's fingers linking with hers, but she couldn't really feel it. Her whole body had gone numb. Charming felt much the same way as Snow, but one of them had to be strong right now. One of them had to be able to get the information they needed.
"Is this…well is it…" Charming struggled to be able to get the right words out. "Permanent?" Whale knew what Charming was trying to say. He wanted to know if this disease was going to kill his wife.
"Snow's form of cancer is aggressive, but it is not incurable. Providing we start treatment immediately." Whale explained to them. "It will involve intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy." Whale explained. Snow was hardly able to take any of this in. There were so many thoughts zooming around her head, and she couldn't seem to catch any of them. Whale tried to look Snow in the eye, but she was lost.
"You can fight this, Snow." He assured her. "This isn't the end."
"My hair." Snow croaked. Whale grimaced. These kind of conversations were the worst part of his job.
"Yes, I'm afraid you will lose it." He explained. "But the treatment could save your life." Charming squeezed Snow's hand. He had no idea what she was thinking, how to comfort her. How did you comfort someone who had just been told they had a disease that kills more than one and a half thousand Americans every day?
"The children." Snow added, trying to stop the world from spinning. "Charming, you…"
"We're going to be fine, Snow." He told her firmly, gathering Snow into the safety of his arms. "All of us. You included. Whale's going to look after you. He's going to make sure you get the treatment that you need to fight this, and I'll take care of everything else. You just need to focus on beating this, because you will beat it Snow. I know you will." Finally, Snow felt herself begin to cry. Charming did too. Whale allowed the couple to have some privacy while they let out their emotion. This was going to be a wrong, painful road for the couple. There could be no denying that. The only saving grace being that there could be an end to it. That was all that would keep them going over the long, gruelling months ahead.
