Day 115.
Derek couldn't believe that he and Casey had spent almost four months at the hospital and that she was already done with her third round of chemo. Her hair was beginning to grow back again once more, and she had also slightly begun to put on some weight. Doctor Welsh had officially stated he was definitely surprised at how good Casey was reacting to the treatments, and was currently waiting very expectantly for the results of her latest bone marrow biopsy.
That day, Casey and Lizzie were taking a walk around the hospital garden. Despite the weather being relatively warm already, Casey was still wearing a sweat shirt because she'd just get cold so easily. The two of them sat on a bench beneath a pine tree, as the sun was quietly setting behind the wooded hills outside the hospital.
"You know, I really love your Beatles cap, it's so cool!"
"Thanks, Liz. It was a present from Derek, he gave it to me when he took me to that Paul McCartney concert. I like it very much too."
Lizzie smiled. "You know Case, I've never seen anyone being more in love than he is with you." She paused for a second, looking down in shame. "When you guys first got together, I remember secretly being so jealous of you two having that kind of star-crossed beautiful romance. When I was younger I actually thought people were taking pleasure in me living in your shadow. Come on, Case, let's be honest here, you've always been the prettier, funnier, smarter one of us, and I could still keep listing you tons of good qualities you possess that I don't…"
"Aw, Lizzie, come on, you know…"
"No, no, don't worry, that's not the point. I came to terms with that a long time ago, and I'm actually ok with who I am right now. You know, it's just that I'm graduating in a little more than a month, and last night I was thinking that this is kind of the time when people finally start to really define their lives… they turn 18, they fall in love for real and they go off to college, living on their own and stuff. Just showing the world how good they are. And so I was just… I'm scared, Case. You see, that's the difference between you and me. I'm scared about simply moving to a college dorm and I'm whining like a baby about it while I've never seen you complain about how scared you may be because of… you know … this."
"Liz…" Casey gently began to stroke her little sister's hair. Lizzie had got even more beautiful to her eyes over the last few months, probably because she looked ever so lively. "I'm no super hero, honey. That's the thing. I was scared. Still am actually, and will constantly be until the very moment I leave this hospital for good. It's just that…"
"Yeah, but Case, yours is a major problem for you to be worried for. As for me, instead, it's so selfish that I'm even just telling you about my stupid fears when you're fighting for your life!"
"Liz, no fear is stupid. Being scared means you're smart enough to understand how life is never an easy game at all, you know. It's ok to be afraid sometimes, even if it's just because of little things or small changes. It just… you know, fear has kind of become my evil companion ever since I got here, and I can honestly say it some sort of helps compelling you to keep going. I know moving to college seems like a huge step you might not be ready for right now, but I swear to you, everything always works out just fine in the long run. You will show the world how great you are. Everybody has potential. And…"
"No, Case…" Lizzie suddenly spoke up, her gaze locking with her sister's as she took her hands into hers "I'll never be half as great as you are. Heck, if I were in your shoes right now I couldn't care less about making sure my sister adjusted to college life when I myself would be fighting cancer! You're always so…"
"In fact…" Casey sternly interrupted her "I don't actually give a thing about you going off to college. But I do care about helping you out in any possible way I can. Because I love you. And I know that love can help even without actually being able to really fix things up and get rid of your fears. Derek is just living proof to that. He's not killing a single white cell in my body but he's still helping me way much more than any other treatment. I'm still scared, trust me… I'm so scared. But I know that no matter what, every road I'll take will always lead back to him. And that means everything will always end up being ok for me."
Lizzie kept staring deeply at her, tears threatening to spill over. "I wish I could find that kind of love… It must be so beautiful."
"But you already got it, Liz. Our family loves you so much. They'd be doing the same for you as Derek did for me if you were in my situation. Liz, love is mostly everywhere, you just have to… Oh gosh, Derek's right. Spending too much time in this hospital really makes you sound like a pathetic chick flick after a while!"
They both stifled out a little laugh. The sun had finally disappeared from the horizon and it was really getting dark. A soft, warm breeze was blowing across their faces as the sweet scent from the pine tree washed over them. Casey could feel herself getting tired as she sat there, and would've wanted to just lie back down on her bed again, but she was determined to get through this conversation with her sister. "Speaking of chick flicks" She hinted "What's his name?"
Lizzie visibly blushed, giving her a puzzled look. "What?"
"The guy you've been daydreaming about, lately. Don't tell me you thought I hadn't noticed." She smiled subtly.
Lizzie laughed as she let out a sigh, finally giving in. "Ricky. He's one of my friends' brother. We've been going out for a couple of dates so far. He's just… I really hope he could be the one, Case. Like, my own Derek."
Casey smiled, pulling her into a weak hug as she could feel her strength dying out. As she pulled back, she she reached behind her neck to unlock her necklace, only to place it into her sister's hands.
"Case, what are you…"
"Sh… I want you to keep this."
"I can't! It's the one Derek gave you to always remember him by…"
"No Liz, unfortunately, it's just an object." She simply smiled as she grazed the other girl's cheek. "As much as I love it, I'm totally aware of the fact that I'll never need a silver chain to remind myself of what I feel for him, just as much as me giving this to you will never be enough to express you how much I love you. I'm only giving you this as a symbol of hope. Of all the hopes I have for you. See? The pendant is shaped as a sun. And the sun will always rise again, you'll see. Anytime you'll be scared, just think of this, think of how all the hopes and all the love I have for you are way much more bigger than anything. And plus you'll always have your big sister out there to look out for you..." she grinned as she pulled Lizzie back into another hug, burying her face into her neck as she tried to hide the tears that were forming into her eyes.
When the two of them finally got back into the hospital and headed up to her room, they saw Derek running from the doorway towards them, only to lift Casey's small form up from the ground, swaying her around as his smirk grew even wider. "Babe! You did it! Your white count is finally low enough! Case, you're in remission!"
"What… oh my God…" she burst into tears as she simply began feeling too overwhelmed, vaguely registering his lips crushing onto hers.
Day 151.
"Come on everyone, get a move or we're gonna be late for the ceremony!" George yelled as he checked his watch. It was Lizzie and Edwin's graduation and the family was getting ready for it. Lizzie was rehearsing her valedictorian speech in her room and Nora was helping Marti to pick out the right outfit.
Derek was pacing back and forth in his old room, still fidgeting nervously with the small, velvet box in his hands. "Ed, leaving alone the fact that I'll also be looking so dumb wearing this stupid tux when I ask her, how in the world am I ever not going to make it sound as if I was only proposing to her just because she beat cancer? It's all gonna look so freaking pathetic…"
Edwin was sitting on his brother's bed, chuckling. "Der, I think you've already made it quite clear that you've always loved the girl that very much anyway. And the only thing pathetic here is that you're rehearsing your proposal with me, bro! We should really get a grip here. And plus, I'd really like to actually make it in time for my graduation ceremony, and I'll never be able to do that unless your girlfriend gets out of the DAMN BATHROOM!" the young dark haired boy sighed out in frustration, shouting the last part.
Derek and Casey had gone back to live with the rest of the family again ever since she had definitely left the hospital a month prior. They were waiting for August to come so that they could move to Kingston once more and start going back to college, although she would've still had to go back to the hospital for her routine checks quite often. Casey had decided that the two of them would both be sleeping in Derek's old room, and they had been doing so ever since.
"Case…" he whispered in the darkness, wrapping his arms around her waist as they were lying on his old bed. He let one of his hands wander around the sharp edge of her hip bone as he tried to pull up her nightshirt. She silently moaned as she felt his lips trail small pecks on her earlobe. "Oh, Derek…"
"Sh, it's alright. Doctor Welsh said it's ok."
"Oh my gosh! Don't tell me you really asked him about this!" she hissed, as he promptly silenced her with a swift kiss, hoping nobody had woken up at the sound of her voice.
"Of course." He smirked, proud of himself. "He just told me not to be too rough." He leaned over her once more to let his lips graze the soft skin on her neck. "Case, you have no idea of how much I've been waiting for this moment…"
"Derek, wait…" she trailed him off, despite finding herself enjoying the moment "I know you're gonna say that you just don't care, but… Derek, I don't think I can. Sorry. But I really feel disgusted with myself. My hair is still shorter than a GI soldier's, and I'm just so freaking skinny… Come on Der, I still got IV ports and creepy dark veins all over my body…"
He let out a deep breath as he brought her closer, his lips pressing onto her forehead. "I thought I had already said that I only ever made love to you, not to your body, actually. And plus… weren't you the one who had been telling me about how great moments can make a day? Let's make a day right now Case. Who cares if you're not exactly that much sexy yet according to normal standards… You still look gorgeous to me. And I don't know about you, but I think even just getting the chance to just be lying here together at home is kind of enough to make this a great moment."
She smiled as she pulled him into a full-blown, passionate kiss. "Let's make this day then, Derek…"
Casey was standing in front of the mirror, trying to apply her mascara. As she was done, she began to slowly take a look at herself. Her hair was almost an inch long now, and the dark circles around her eyes had slowly started to fade, her skin looking less pale as she was wearing a short silky red dress.
She smiled satisfyingly at her reflection in the mirror. There had been days where she would honestly fear she was never going to make it to see Lizzie's graduation. And yet there she was. Her bright blue eyes shining just like they used to as she saw how she was starting to get her curves back.
Spring was coming to an end. She turned to the bathroom window, only to see a warm breeze was sifting through the leaves of the trees in the backyard. The sunlight was blinding as she blinked a couple of times. Her thoughts suddenly faded in her mind and she felt her whole body become ever so light, as she contemplated the wonderful sight that was right before her eyes.
"I'm just so glad I'm still here, Derek. I would've hated having to leave this beautiful world all so soon." She simply smiled as she got down on her knees to have a look at the purple foxgloves her mother had been growing in a pot on the front porch.
"Casey? You done in there? Come on, Casey, it's late… gosh, getting to use the bathroom used be so much easier when it was only us younger kids…"
"Just one moment, Ed" she breathed out, surprised at how feeble her voice had sounded to her ears.
She slowly turned over, glancing down as she saw her dress was stained all over the place. "What…" she trembled as she looked up in a swift motion, causing some more blood to sputter on the mirror as she tilted her head upwards.
"No… no, please… no… Derek…" she tried to reach for the doorknob as she passed out on the floor.
A.N. And that was the end of chapter 8, guys, hope you liked it.
Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH to those who still keep reading and reviewing this story. I've said this once and I'm gonna say it again: you're the best guys ^_^
I know this is kind of a cliff hanger but don't worry, chpt 9 will be posted sooner than you think.
Keep reviewing and you'll make my day 3
