Chapter 5

I yawned as I pulled on an oversized Panic! t-shirt and purple knee socks. My hair was styled in a messy bun, and I was nearly ready for a bed. A ding sounded from my laptop and I stepped over to it. I accepted the chat request and sat cross-legged in front of the computer. "Hey Drew."

"Hey Luce! How are you?"

"Extremely tired, but in awe. This place is beautiful. You should've seen the sunset."

"I wish I could've."

I smiled sadly at my brother. "I wish you were here."

"Oh believe me. I wish I could be there, too. Treatment is torture."

I frowned. "I know you hate hospitals, but they're just trying to help you. You need to let them help you."

Drew sighed. "I know. It's just so uncomfortable. I'd much rather be exploring all of England with you."

I laughed. "Not all of England. Just London. But I promise you that as soon as you get the all-clear, we're going to Scotland together. Okay?"

He cocked a brow at me. "You really think I'll make it that long."

"Oh shush, you! Don't talk so negatively. We're going to Scotland, okay?"

"Alright then," he responded. "If you say so."

I smiled. "Okay, so how's school?"

"I made an A on my first science test."

"Whoo! Go Drew! Web cam five!" I stuck my hand up by the screen and he looked at me strangely.

"Uh..."

"Oh, just high five me!"

Confused, he did so, and I grinned.

"Have you gotten dorkier? Who've you been hanging out with?"

"Dan a lot, lately. I'm not too close with Phil though. It's really hard for me to talk to him for some reason."

"Dan and Phil!"

I gasped. "Oh my gosh! I haven't told you yet! You know those two British boys I watch on Youtube?"

"Oh yeah! Danisnotonfire and...Amazing...Phil...you met them?!"

I nodded. "They live right across the hall from me."

"So unfair!"

An idea popped into my mind. "Wanna meet them? I know how much you love them."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Sure!"

"Okay, hold on a sec." I picked up my laptop and made my way across the hall, knocking on the door.

A sleepy Dan answered the door. "Hey Lucy. What's up?"

"Can I come in?"

"Uh, sure."

I stepped inside the apartment and sat down at the kitchen table, setting the laptop down. I motioned for Dan o step in front of the computer. "Dan, this is Drew, my little brother. Drew, Dan."

"Hey man." Dan waved lethargically at my brother.

"...my sister didn't wake you up, did she?"

"Nah. Just a long day, that's all."

"It's nice to finally meet you. Lucy's like obsessed with your videos, and she shows them to me all the time." I blushed at this. "You're very inspirational."

"Why, thank you." Dan smiled sincerely at Drew. "You're wise beyond your years, aren't you?"

Drew nodded.

"I know how that can be. It's a gift to have, but kids can be mean, yeah?"

Drew looked down sadly. "These tubes don't help much either.."

"Hey." Drew looked up. "Don't let anything hold you back. Not jerks, not a breathing machine, not even a sickness. You can overcome anything. Don't let anyone tell you you can't, okay?"

Drew smiled. "Thank you."

Phil walked in, asking, "Dan, are we out of cereal? Oh. Who's this."

"This is Drew, Lucy's little brother."

Phil waved animatedly. "Hi Drew! It's nice to meet you!"

"You too!" I hadn't Drew smile this big since the night we stargazed out at the beach two summers ago.

"Sickness trying to kick your butt?"

"Yeah...but I'm not letting it get me down."

Phil smiled. "That's the attitude to have. You can overcome anything. Actually, I..." Phil stopped, looking at us. "Would it be okay if I talked to him alone. I looked to Dan and he shrugged his shoulders. "Sure." Phil took a seat at the table, and Dan and I made our way into his room. I took a seat on his bed, and he sat down on the floor.

It was silent for a good five minutes before Dan spoke up. "What does he have?"

"NSCLC. Non-small cell lung cancer. They diagnosed him with it when he was five and a half."

"How'd it happen?"

"Back then, my mother was still working in an office from 8 to 8 every week day. I had school, then gymnastics every day, and I never got home before 7. My dad had been out of the country on business, and he wasn't due back for two months, so my mom decided she'd have to find a babysitter for Drew after school. She ended up calling Mrs. Frailey, and she agreed to watch Drew during the week. Mrs. Frailey had a very old house, and so her ceilings were made of asbestos." I paused, taking a shaky breath. "One week day, a Wednesday, my mom picked Drew up, and during the entire ride home, he kept repeating, "I an ouchie, I an ouchie." We just figured he'd fallen and scraped up his knee or something. But as soon we stepped out of the car, Drew started coughing. And coughing. And coughing. He couldn't stop, and he ended up coughing up blood. My mother raced him to the hospital, and they ran tests for hours. They finally diagnosed him with NSCLC, said he'd inhaled asbestos." I turned to Dan. His eyes were wide, and he looked like he was going to be sick.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy."

"It's okay. He's not going to die. He's going to beat this. So don't worry." I stood up, exiting his room, eyes blurry from the tears threatening to spill. I kept my head down as I head towards the front door. I ran into a solid, and when I looked up, I saw Phil.

"Hey Lucy." He smiled, then that smile faded into a frown. "Are you okay?"

I tried to hold them back, but the hot tears spilled down my cheeks. Phil looked alarmed and pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight. I allowed myself to let the tears out, whimpering into his chest. He rubbed my back, whispering, "It's okay. It's gonna be okay." I was extremely embarrassed, but I couldn't stop the sobs, so I just stood there and stained his shirt with my tears.

After what seemed like two million years, he scooped me up into his arms, carrying me to an unknown place. As he laid me down, I felt the warmth of my bed. "Get some rest," he whispered. "It helps. It always does." I heard a thump on the night stand, and the light flickered off. My door shut with a click, and I drifted off tearily.

A/N: Awh. Phil is too sweet. (: Even when he's not always necessarily welcomed by Lucy. That's a good guy right there. :D Let me know whatcha thought!