Thanks for all your nice comments. Sorry I'm slow, but the internet access here sucks. Enjoy Chapter 4. I know it's sad and angsty now and I won't reveal whether Jack survives, but right now I am telling you things will get better for Finn, Rachel, Ryan, Emma and Sarah in the end.

Chapter 4: Support

"I wish there was a way to make him feel better," Rachel said as she and Finn sat in their room. For the first time since the diagnosis, they were home for the night. Jack would start chemo the next day, which meant hair loss, weight gain and nausea.
Finn stood up. "I know what to do." He left the room without saying anything.
"What are you doing?" Rachel followed Finn to the bathroom to see him standing in front of a mirror, clippers in hand, trying to run them through his hair.
"Finn!" Rachel gasped. She loved his hair. She always had liked those soft, thick, brown locks. She loved running her hands through it and touching it and grabbing it. She just liked it, and she wasn't about to let him shave it off.
"It's so thick it's like shaving carpet," Finn said.
Rachel tried to grab the clippers. "No, Finn. No way are you shaving your head."
Finn ignored Rachel's comment. He continued shaving, letting several patches of his hair fall to the floor. "It's just hair, Rach. It'll grow back."
"If you must, at least let me help," Rachel said. "You missed a spot." She pointed to a place on Finn's head where a patch of hair seemed like a forest. Finn smiled, handed Rachel the clippers and let her finish the shaving. She didn't like seeing his hair go, but it was for a good cause and it would grow back. She continued shaving until his wavy brown locks lay lifeless on the bathroom floor.
"You're brave," Rachel said as she swept up the hair.
"It'll take some getting used to," Finn said, running a hand over his bald head. "But this was the right thing to do."
"I have an idea of what I can do," Rachel said.
"No Rachel. For a guy to do it is one thing, for a girl-"
"Relax, Finn. My hair's gotten long. I could probably cut off a foot to give to one of those charities that makes wigs and still be able to put it in a small ponytail."
Finn smiled. "I like that idea. Your hair looked really cute when it was short in college."
Rachel pulled her hair in a ponytail and handed him a ruler.
Finn put the ruler to Rachel's ponytail. "Eleven inches. How much do they require?"
Rachel handed Finn the scissors. "Ten. I'd like you to do the honors."
Finn gulped. "I don't know, Rach. I've never cut anyone's hair before."
"Just do it. Cut it above the rubber band."
Finn held Rachel's ponytail in one hand and snipped with the other. As he made the final snip, her hair was below her ears, but above her shoulders.
"I love it, Finn. It feels so light." Rachel smiled and ran her hands through her now short hair.
Finn laughed. "I've always preferred your hair short."
Rachel sadly began twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "I'm worried about him starting chemo."
"At least we know we won't be alone," Finn said, giving Rachel a hug. "My parents are going to be here."
"I'm glad," Rachel said quietly. "We just - we can't keep shutting everyone out."
"We should go to bed now," Finn said.
Rachel nodded. "We really should."
Finn put his arm around Rachel as they walked to their bedroom.
The next morning, Rachel drove the three older kids to school before going to the hospital with Jack. they were not allowed in the operating room. They sat in the waiting room in silence, holding hands, trying to watch whatever was on TV. They received a text message from Burt and Carole, telling them they'd arrived in Cleveland and would be picking the three older kids up from school. Ally was staying in Lima with a friend.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, your son has completed his IV. Would you like to see him?"
"Yes, please," Finn said quietly. He and Rachel went to the examination room and peeked in. Jack lay in the bed, looking conked out. "Is he okay?" Rachel asked the doctor.
"Chemotherapy is not an easy drug, Mrs. Hudson. He's pretty knocked out. We would like to keep him overnight."
"Okay," Finn said. "Can either of us spend the night here?"
"We'd rather not have parents spend the night," the doctor said. "Jack is vulnerable to germs right now. You two may see him briefly, but you must wear masks. We don't want him to catch anything."
"Thank you," Rachel whispered as she and Finn went into Jack's room. She adjusted her mask right before she squeezed Finn's hand tightly. Finn opened the door and they went in.
"Hey, baby," Rachel whispered as she sat by her son's bedside.
Jack opened his eyes. "Mommy?"
Rachel's heart broke when she heard how week her son sounded. "How are you?"
"It hurt," Jack whimpered. "I didn't like it."
Finn took his son's hand. "It's going to make you feel better."
"But I don't feel better, Daddy," Jack whined.
"It won't get you better right away," Finn said quietly. "It'll take time."
"Are Ryan and Sarah and Emma here?" Jack asked.
Rachel shook her head. "They're at home with Grandma Carole and Grandpa Burt."
Jack's face perked up. "I want to see Grandma and Grandpa, too!"
Rachel sighed. "Maybe you can see your brother and sisters and grandparents tomorrow, sweetie."
"When can I go home?" Jack asked.
Finn and Rachel looked at each other. "When the doctors say you're well enough," Finn said.
Finn and Rachel spent the next hour sitting quietly at Jack's bedside and talking with him before visiting hours were over. Plus, they did have three other kids at home to take care of.
"He shouldn't have to go through this, Rach," Finn said after driving in silence for a few minutes. "We're supposed to dream of our kids on their wedding days and when they have their own kids. I dream of Jack making it to his sixth birthday."
Rachel reached over and patted Finn's knee. "Finn..." She couldn't bring herself to continue this thought. She managed to stammer, "We'll get through this."
Finn gave Rachel a half smile. "I know we will. We're Finchel, aren't we?"
Rachel kissed Finn. "Finn Christopher Hudson, two breakups, four love triangles, an attack that nearly killed me, four kids, two college diplomas, three jobs and a move later, I'm forever yours, faithfully."
Finn kissed back, smiling at Rachel's quoting of their trademark duet, Journey's Faithfully. "And I'm forever yours, faithfully."
Finn and Rachel pulled into their driveway and went inside. Burt and Carole were sitting in the living room. There was no sign of any of the kids.
"Hi Mom, hi Dad," Finn said, hugging his mother and stepfather. "Where are the kids?"
"One of the neighbors invited them over to work on a puzzle with them," Burt said. "I think some time out of the house might do them some good. They'll be back in time for dinner."
Dinner had not even occurred to Rachel. "I forgot to make dinner."
Carole laughed. "Rachel, your son just had his first round of chemo. No way should you have to make dinner. I have lasagna in the oven."
"Thanks, Mom," Finn said.
"Of course. You know we love our grandchildren."
Rachel looked at the floor and thought out loud. "How is it that I've been a mom for ten years and still haven't mastered it?"
Finn put his arm around Rachel. "What do you mean? You're a great mom. You're a much better parent than I am."
"Nonsense. You're both fantastic parents," Carole said.
"I just have no idea how to deal with this," Rachel said, letting her thoughts roll out. "All at once, I have to get Jack to treatments, try to reassure him of things I'm not sure of, keep our house germ free, research treatment methods, sort out medical bills, and attempt to give the other kids a semi normal childhood. It's all so much. I can't do this."
"I feel the same way," Finn said. "And one of the things that I feel worst about is now it doesn't seem to be Jack, Sarah, Emma and Ryan. Now we seem to think of them as Jack and 'the other kids.'"
"You two have been placed on a very difficult road. I wouldn't know how to handle this either," Burt said. "This is one of the biggest challenges you can face as parents."
Rachel started crying. "I can't do this. It's so hard and I know it's just going to get harder. I can't even be strong for myself. How am I supposed to be strong for Ryan, Emma and Sarah?"
The two generations sat there quietly until the phone rang. "I'll get that," Burt said. He answered the phone. "Finn, it's for you."
Rachel listened to Finn's end of the conversation. "Hello? Oh, hey Sam... We're doing as okay as we can be. He had his first round of chemo today... Oh, I'm really worried about them. I think they're just traumatized. I feel bad that we haven't given them the attention they need... That would be great. I'm sure Ryan would really enjoy that. Maybe Rachel, Emma and Sarah could do something with Quinn and Maddie too. Okay, I'll see you Saturday."
Finn came back into the living room. "It was Sam. He has four tickets to a Browns game next Saturday and he'd like Ryan and me to join him and Adam."
"Ryan probably could use the time out of the house," Rachel said. "The only times he gets out of the house are for school and soccer."
"Yeah, I really don't want a repeat of the incident that happened the other day."
"I'm sorry about that, you two," Burt said.
Before Finn and Rachel could say anything else, they heard the doorbell ring. Rachel went to the door to see their three oldest children standing there.
"How was school?" Rachel asked, hugging her kids.
"Fine," Ryan said, throwing his bookbag on the floor.
"Hey Ryan, how'd you like to go to a Browns game with Uncle Sam and Adam next Saturday?" Finn asked.
Ryan smiled for the first time Rachel could remember since Jack got sick. "That would be awesome!"
One down, two to go, Rachel thought.
"Dinner's ready!" Carole called. "I made lasagna."
"Yay!" Sarah jumped up. "Your cooking is the best, Grandma."
Two kids had already smiled. This was a miracle.
"Can we see Jack tomorrow?" Sarah asked.
Rachel didn't want the kids to get upset again. "Yes. Now, any homework?"
The kids groaned. Yes, they had homework.
Finn, Burt and Ryan began talking about sports. Sarah and Carole started talking about the new toy Sarah wanted.
Rachel looked at Emma who was sitting there staring at her plate. "You okay, Em?" Rachel whispered.
Emma shook her head.
Rachel nudged Finn. "I'm going to take her outside for a little," she whispered.
Finn nodded. Rachel tapped Emma's shoulder and whispered, "How about you and I take a quick walk?"
Emma nodded, looking close to tears. "Okay."
Rachel took Emma's hand and lead her outside. "Want to talk?" Rachel asked as soon as they were outside.
"Nope," Emma whispered.
"I know you're upset, sweetie, but you can't shut everyone out. You need to talk."
"I'm really upset Mom. About lots of things."
"Well, what else?"
"I miss how things used to be, Mom. I miss the days when we were just a normal family and everything didn't revolve around one thing. I know this is a big deal, Mom, but I want things to be normal again."
Rachel sighed. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this."
"Do you think this will ever be over and things will ever be normal again?" Emma asked.
Rachel sat down and pulled Emma into her arms. "I don't know when, but I truly believe that one day, this be behind us for good."
Emma hugged Rachel. "I love you, Mommy."
Rachel kissed Emma and began stroking her daughter's shoulder length hair. "I love you too, sweetheart. And I love your dad and your brothers and your sister. I believe if we stick together, we can make it through anything."
Emma looked up at Rachel and smiled. "I feel better now, Mom. Can I go have dinner now?"
Rachel smiled back, feeling glad for having helped her daughter. "Of course."