Chapter 4:
Sorry I took so long, guys...
...I got kind of busy.
I'm back, though!
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Nurse Holden stepped into the room to give Vinnie his chemo. Vinnie insisted to his mom that he could go alone, but Mrs. Delpino wanted to stay. So, he sat on the bed, waiting patiently and quietly, swinging his legs on the side.
"Hello, Vinnie, how are you?" asked Nurse Holden as she entered the room.
"Umm, okay, actually. Not bad," answered Vinnie.
"That's good. I want you to meet someone, Vinnie. My daughter will be working here as a candy striper. I thought it would be nice if you two meet. Pluse, she insisted on helping me with my rounds a little bit. After getting Dr. Canfield's permission, all I need is yours.," said the rosy cheeked woman. Vinnie's jaw just dropped. I thought candy stripers don't work with cancer patients...
"Sure. How 'bout that Vincent? A nice, pretty girl to talk to. When will we see her?" asked Mrs. Delpino.
"In a few minutes," said the kind nurse, and soon after that being said there was a knock at the door. Vinnie looked toward the floor, trying to hide his face, hoping Margot wouldn't notice him.
"Here she is," said Nurse Holden. Margot walked in, in a pink uniform, that Vinnie didn't notice because he was too busy studying his shoe laces. "Honey, lift that handsome head of yours, and meet my daughter."
Vinnie slowly lifted his head. Margot's face went from an angel-like smile, to one of shock.
"Vinnie? You're the cancer patient my mom talked so much about? You?"
"Oh, you two know each other?" asked Nurse Holden.
"Mom, this is the Vinnie I was telling you about. The one I met at the beach," explained Margot. So she did tell her about me. "Vinnie, why didn't you tell me?"
"Yeah, tell a complete strangah I have cancer. Dat's exactly somethin' I would do," said Vinnie, bitterly.
"Vincent! Your tone!" Mrs. Delpino scolded.
"It's alright, Mrs. Delpino," said Margot. Vinnie jumped up from the bed. He had enough. He dashed out of the room as fast as he could. He could hear his mom yell, "Vincent Delpino, get back here!"
He ran past Raymond (Z-man), the orderly, almost knocking him over. He sped past Nurse Spalding, and Doogie, who were walking together, as well as Dr. Caufield. Doogie gave a brief confused glance to Curly, then ran to Vinnie.
Vinnie kept running till he was in a courtyard, and sat down on a stone bench there. I was in front of a tomb. A sanctuary. A place of honor to God. They had one inside, and one in the courtyard, if he remembered correctly.
Doogie eventually lost track of Vinnie, and almost gave up...until he saw him through a window, looking out into the courtyard. He was sitting on a stone bench, head in hands. He knew he wasn't crying, but he also knew that Vinnie was frustrated and needed a friend.
"What's up, Vin?"
"Margot saw me," Vinnie mumbled through his hands.
"Here?"
"Yeah. Her mom brought her in. She knows Doog. It was so important dat she didn't know. I felt so normal yesterday, when I was with her. I felt healthy, almost. Now dat she knows, she's gonna act all cahefull around me. I don't like dat. Even you do it, Doog. I mean, you almost didn't let me go swimmin' de oddah day...its annoying. I hate it," replied Vinnie. "I-don't-wanna be sick. I can't go anywheah alone foah five minutes. This is messed up. I don't deserve dis, Doog. I deserve a lot of t'ings, but I know I don't deserve dis crap. I can't run five steps without completely going out of breath."
"I'm sorry, Vin," replied Doogie.
"Foah, what? You didn't give me dis...I ain't blamin' anybody...I'm not even blamin' God...I just wish I could..."
"Could what?"
"Be well again."
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A few weeks later Vinnie was back in the hopital. People would stop by to visit him, but he was too tired for visitors. People would come, but wouldn't stay. Margot came a few times, when her shifts were over. Wanda came by that evening. Even Janine came every once in a while. Vinnie felt bad when she came, because she always looked so scared.
Doogie walked out of Vinnie's room and met Wanda just outside the doorway. She was holding flowers and some chocolates.
"How is he?" she asked. She took note of how Doogie looked. His hair was messed up, his eyes red-rimmed from weariness.
"Tired," he started. He wasn't going to tell Wanda the absolute truth, but then he changed his mind. "He's more than tired. The chemo is taking its toll on him. I'm only concerned that the chemo itself might be killing him. I'm going to try to see if I could give him a bone marrow transplant, but that could be complicated. At this stage, it could even kill him during the transplant."
This news brought tears to Wanda's eyes.
"He's usually so hyper and vivacious. When I saw him the other day, I was so...shocked."
Silence.
"Janine misses him," she says.
"He was supposed to be in college, now. He was supposed to be in the middle of the year. What a Christmas he'll have," replied Doogie. Wanda stared at her feet, considering this an awkward situation.
"Do you want to see him?"
"Can I?"
"Just don't cry," Doogie ordered as he led Wanda in Vinnie's room. "Want me to stay with you?"
"No," she said. She stared at Vinnie who was sleeping. She did not look back to see Doogie leave and shuddered when she heard the door close. She didn't know why. She sat down in the chair next to Vinnie's bedside. She touched his fragile hand and brushed her fingers along his own.
"Hey Vinnie."
No response
"College is fun. We've been drawing a lot."
No response.
"I'm home for the weekend."
Still no response.
"Oh, Vinnie...please don't leave us. You have to fight! We still need you here," Wanda sobbed. She lowered her head to her hand that remained holding his. Tears streamed down her face, into their grasp, onto the soft hospital blanket. Suddenly, she felt him squeeze her hand. She looked up at the pale, sick face.
"I don't intend on leavin'," he said, his voice filled with fatigue. "I'm fightin', Wanda. I ain't gonna let it beat me. I'm toughah den dat."
"I know," said Wanda. The silence following was awkward. Vinnie looked around the room, as if searching for something to talk about.
Then he looked back at Wanda. He looked at her straight in the eyes.
"How's Janine?" he asked.
"She's fine. She's worried, though...and scared. I think she still loves you, Vinnie," explained Wanda.
"'Course she does. I'm an irresistible fellow," Vinnie joked. Then, his face was somber again. "If I get bettah, the doc says I could go back to school for a few days at a time. Maybe once a week."
Wanda, not knowing what to say, bowed her head, and nodded. She didn't want to look into the hope-filled eyes of her friend.
"He's lyin' isn't he?" he asked, seriously.
"What?"
"He don't think I'm gettin' outta here, does he?"
No answer.
"Well, I'll tell you dis, Wanda, I am gettin' out. I may not get out, soon, but I will."
"I know you will, Vinnie," said Wanda. "You'll get better."
Vinnie smiled.
"Urgh! I'm so tired," grunted Vinnie, laying a hand over his eyes.
"I'll leave so you can get some rest," she said, removing her hand from his...
...but he was quick, and grasped it again.
"Stay," he said. "My parents will be coming in a half an hour. My ma can't seem to leave me alone. She was here for hours this morning, and all day yesterday when they brought me in."
"I'll stay, Vin," she said. He nodded and smiled. He closed his eyes, growing ever so weary.
"Knock, knock," he said, eyes still closed.
"Who's there?"
"Banana."
She smiled, knowing where this joke was going. She still played along.
"Banana, who?"
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Banana."
"Banana, who?"
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Banana."
"Banana, who?"
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Banana."
"Vinnie!"
Vinnie just opened his left eye to look at her expression, smiled, then closed it again. She sighed, "Banana, who?"
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Banana!"
"VINNIE!"
They both laughed.
"Banana who?"
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Orange."
"Orange who?"
"Orange you glad I didn't say banana?" he said. She laughed, nodding.
"Yes!..oh, I have one. There was this 'haunted' hotel. Well, this one guy stayed for the night, and suddenly he hears, 'If the log rolls over, we're all gonna die.' He gets scared, so he jumps out the window and dies. Then there's a second guy, and he hears the sound, too. If the log rolls over, we're all gonna die. He jumps out the window, too. Then a third guy comes in, and he hears the same thing. If the log rolls over, we're all gonna die. Well, he was smart enough to know that the sound was coming from the bathroom, so he goes in. He looks around, and finally looks in the toilet and sees a bunch of ants inside. They're all on a log of crap saying, if the log rolls over, we're all gonna die."
"That's disgusting!" he laughed.
"Of course it is! My little sister told me," she said, laughing with him.
"Little kids tell the best jokes," he replied, opening his eyes. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Margot in the doorway. Wanda noticed his expression and turned around.
"Hi, I'm Wanda. You must be Margot," Wanda greeted.
"Yes, I am. Nice to meet you Wanda," said Margot, shaking her hand. Wanda turned to Vinnie and kissed him on the cheek.
"I have to go, Vinnie. I'll call you later, or something."
"Thanks, Wanda," he said. At her confused look, he added, "Foah da laughs."
"Anytime, Vin," she replied. She smiled at Margot, then turned and let herself out.
"She seems nice," Margot stated. Vinnie nodded. "I have to change your bed sheets."
"Have fun?" joked Vinnie. She smiled and helped him onto the wheelchair, next to the bed. "Raymond, will take you for a walk if you want."
"You mean, Z-man?" he said in mock excitement. Raymond had just walked in, then.
"You can take the midget for a walk. It takes a man to change his stinky bed sheets," said Raymond.
"Thanks," said Vinnie, sarcastically. He was seated uncomfortably in the wheelchair. His head lolled to one side. He was too tired to hold it up straight. She helped him put on his denim jacket. He was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. She wheeled him out of the room, through the halls, into the beautiful courtyard. The courtyard had been re-done. The ground was of cobble stone. There were flowers surrounding it in the summer, and in the fall, such as this, it was surrounded by colorful fallen leaves. There was a path that lead from the courtyard, into a sort of "forest sanctuary". In this forest, there were cameras hidden in the trees so doctors,nurses, and orderlies knew where a patient was at all times.
The forest was a nice thing to travel through. It lead to a small clearing, that the doctors, themselves, helped create last year. The clearing was a small grassland. The forest and clearing wasn't big at all, since this was LA, and it's a city...but it was nice, and quiet. This was the path on which they were traveling. Vinnie could hardly keep his eyes open. His chemo was making him tired. He was losing his appetite, and his weight.
It wasn't long until they got to the clearing. It only took five minutes. Margot sat down on the stone that was often used as a seat. There were several large stones in the clearing. They were aligned so that they were in a semi circle. A cool breeze collected and blew through the trees and across their faces.
"I thought you would like it here," said Margot, after a while.
"I do. I do like it heah," replied Vinnie, looking around. "Its like...its beautiful. Its like...uh..."
"A place from a painting, my mom says. She says, its as if an artist drew it," Margot finished.
"Artist," repeated Vinnie. "I was supposed to be one."
"You like to paint?"
"No. Film. I was supposed to be in film school. I was gonna be a filmakah," explained Vinnie. Margot smiled and touched his shoulder.
"You can still be one."
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I'll update soon...as possible.
I hope you liked it!