The radiation treatment had started to make Casey's hair fall out in what seemed like clumps. She was becoming disgusted with herself, despite the efforts of her loved ones. Derek had been avoiding her, and Casey's heart would fall to her stomach when her suspicions of it being him that was in her room would well up in her mind. Finally they were left alone, as Derek was trying to make some lunch.
Casey cleared her throat, "Why have you been dodging me?" He didn't answer. "Was it because you feel bad about taking advantage of me the other night?" Derek looked up at her, genuinely confused. "I haven't been near your room for the last week." Casey sunk back in to her chair, dumbfounded. "Why haven't you been hanging out with me then?" Derek pressed his lips into a line.
"Because it's like living with my mother all over again!!!" His cheeks had turned red from his hollering. "You mother had cancer? Why didn't you tell us?" "I didn't want to live through it again, now with that damn radiation and chemo making your hair and skin act up I couldn't take it." "You could've just said no to helping me then." He looked at her, knowing full well that he had hurt her feelings.
He reached out, taking her hand into his. "I didn't mean it like that, I just didn't want to see the change again. Seeing you hooked up to those machines, I saw my mom there." "Can I ask what she had?" "She had cervical cancer," he swallowed back his tears, "Midway through treatment she just gave up. The fire in her eyes left, and her body stopped fighting. That's why I drive everyone around me, including myself crazy. I wouldn't be able to live if someone else left me, especially you."
Casey thought about it, and found he was right. The way he teased her, and drove her up the wall was the thing that kept her going. Those heated way that they argued made her want to fight for her life just to prove that he was wrong. She wanted to hug him then, to thank him, as weird as it sounded. "Don't worry about losing me," she said, giving his hand a tight squeeze. Derek smiled, then furrowed his eyebrows together. "Someone was in your room?" She blushed, taking her hand away. "I don't think we should talk about it." "No, come on tell me."
Casey's voice trembled a bit. "I was in a daze last night from the meds I thought I was dreaming. But the marks on me prove different." She showed him the markings though the bruising had somewhat subsided. Derek's lips went back into a line. "We need to figure out who did this." She put her face into her hands. "I'm so stupid." He went around to her, and hugged her close. "You're not stupid, you're the smartest girl I have ever known. You were just under the influence." She breathed in his scent, and yet again he was right when he once said that a man's scent is better than any cologne.
Her thoughts then wondered to Troy Allen, and started to go insane. Wondering how hard it was going to be to go about the entire discussion all over again.