The next day, Gabby and Piper were up early. Gabby wasn't due for another chemo treatment until that afternoon, so the two girls were playing cards while Gabby's father, Gil, sat in his chair, reading one of his bug books.

That was when Dr. Maloy came in. Dr. Maloy was taking care of both Gabby and Piper's cases, and sat down with the two girls, calling Gil over.

Dr. Maloy went right into what he needed to say, without preamble. "Tomorrow Gabby, you're going to have surgery. Piper's will be the day after." Both girls' eyes went wide. Surgery? They didn't know they had to have surgery! "While Piper hasn't started IV chemo yet, she will soon. Gabby, I'm particularly worried about yours because I understand that during medications, they've had to flush out your IV line quite a few times."

Gabby shrugged sheepishly. "They said the line kept getting clogged up."

"Well, a catheter will need flushing, too, but I also understand that you've already had three IV lines put in," Dr. Maloy stated, flipping through Gabby's chart. Gabby nodded meekly, staring down at her right hand, which was now bruised, her left hand, also blotchy and bruised, and her right arm, which now held an IV line in place, but was also becoming blotchy and bruised.

"A catheter will give us instant access to your medicine line, so you won't have to be poked and prodded all the time," Dr. Maloy explained. "Also, even if you don't achieve remission but are well enough to go home, an IV can be taken out and inserted much easier by your parents, if need be."

Gabby nodded, looking sideways at her father, who was taking it all in. Her father was a doctor, but not this kind of doctor. She knew, however, that he knew how to take care of IV lines and such, because he had studied it in school...even if it'd been decades before, she didn't suspect this was the type of thing a person would forget.

The doctor allowed everything to sink in, but it was Piper who soon spoke up. "What about me? My parents aren't here. Will I get to go home, as well?"

Dr. Maloy's face fell, and took on the qualities of a sullen mask. "You will have the surgery, but with where your family's living now, it wouldn't be feasible for you to go home until you achieve remission. As it is, there's no hospital in your county that specializes in treating cancer in children, and I have qualms about sending you home even after you achieve remission, because you'll still have to come here for clinic visits, and it's a long drive from your home town."

Piper looked ready to cry, but held everything back. "So...how can I be released?"

Dr. Maloy looked in thought, his face scrunched up for a moment. "The only way I could release you on a clear conscience is if your family moves here, if you have relatives here, or if you had a temporary placement into another home, almost like a foster family that would take over your care for the time being."

Piper's face fell as she realized she'd be stuck in the hospital, for God knows how long!

Dr. Maloy left, promising to be back later with also giving instructions to Gabby and the nurses for Gabby not to have anything by mouth after 9:00pm that night. Piper felt depressed, so she asked to be left alone while Gabby's father left and her mother came in. Gabby just had to figure out what she could do to cheer her new best friend up. She had to try something!

After chemo treatment, Gabby slept. When she awoke, her mother was there. Gabby wondered how long she slept. She didn't want to sleep the whole time her mother was here, because then her mother would have to leave again.

"Hi mom," Gabby said weakly. Sara put down the book she was reading, smiling at Gabby. "I was wondering when sleeping beauty was going to wake."

"I-I just had to sleep a bit," Gabby replied. She tried to find the clock in the room, but when she did, she couldn't focus on it. "What time is it?"

Sara looked at her watch. "Almost seven. Your father should be getting in soon."

Gabby's eyes were wide. Her mother had been working the swing shift for a while, now, and was always at work at 4:00. Sara, seeing her daughter's face, smiled. "I told Ecklie off."

"You did?" Gabby asked in surprise. She didn't know about her mother and Ecklie's history, but as long as Gabby had been around, her mother never got angry or cross at him. She did behind his back, however, but he didn't need to know that.

"Yep," Sara said, smiling. "I told him my daughter was more important than any job, and now she needs me more than ever. I gave in for a little while, but finally went up to him and told him that if he couldn't give me a leave, that I was going to quit."

"Did you quit?" Gabby asked, worried. She didn't want her mother to lose a job she loved just over her.

"No sweetie," Sara said, touching her daughter's chin, tickling her. "He gave me a paid sick leave, for all the time that I haven't taken off. He told me when you felt better, I could return, and he wouldn't bother me until then."

Gabby smiled, throwing her arms around her mother. She was so happy...at least now one of her parents could be with her, full time.

As Sara pulled back, she instinctively touched her daughter's hair. When she did, a huge hunk of it fell out into Sara's hand. Gabby felt embarrassed but felt even worse as she saw the look of sadness and fear on her mother's face. Gabby quickly swallowed her fear. "I-It's okay, mommy. It's only hair...it does grow back."

Sara hugged her daughter, again, holding her tightly, as if letting her go would make this nightmare even more real than it already was.

Sara was no stylist, that much was for sure. When Gabby's hair started falling out, she called Catherine. Catherine was just milling around at home, having the night off when she came in, knowing the situation by Sara's tone of voice. After filtering through Gabby's hair, however, she found it a loss cause to try and save any. Every time she touched and lock of hair, it fell right out. She stood back, examining the work that needed to be done, and settled on something that would help for the time being, yet maybe make Gabby fell a little less self-conscious.

Catherine opened a bag that contained hats and scarves galore. Catherine offered her opinion of the more frilly type, girly ones, but Gabby opted for a scarf that was green and had ladybugs and butterflies on it and two hats, one red and one purple. Catherine nodded in understanding as she sat next to the young girl.

"Tell you what," Catherine said, rubbing Gabby's shoulder. "If you do okay for your surgery tomorrow, then when you wake up I promise that you'll have a big surprise waiting for you."

"Really?" Gabby asked, wondering what it could be. She hoped it didn't involve anything girly, though.

"I promise."

Later that night, Gabby couldn't sleep. Her mother was nowhere to be found, at the moment, and her father had gone home to bring some stuff to the hospital for himself and Gabby's mommy. Gabby got out of bed and tiptoed to Piper's side. She was sound asleep. Gabby knew that her surgery would come early enough, but felt she just had to do something first before she could go to sleep in peace. She went to the desk, turned on the lamp and began furiously writing a note. When she was done she placed it in an envelope, put her mother and father's name on it, and placed it in her bedside drawer. She laid back down and in no time, she fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Gabby was taken to surgery. Sara waited for Gil to come back, so they could go and check to see how she was doing. They gave her some medicine and rolled her away on a gurney, leaving hers now jumbled and empty. Sara sighed. Waiting could be so tedious...waiting for news about her little girl was out-and-out murderous to her.

She fiddled around, trying to clean anything up to keep her busy, when she found a note in Gabby's bedside drawer addressed to her and Gil, in Gabby's distinctive cursive writing. Intrigued she opened it, promising herself to show it to Gil when he got there, and read. It said:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I couldn't sleep. I kept worrying about the surgery. I'm sure I'll be okay, but I've never been one for hospitals. Anyways, if I'm not okay, there's something I have to tell you all first before I go in.

First off, I love you two more than life itself. If I do die today, it's with the feeling and knowledge that I had the best, most intelligent, capable and loving parents that God could give me (Mom, I know you have issues with God, but since my diagnosis, I've realized that he has to be real...I don't know how I know, but he just is).

Piper has also become the best and most loyal friend ever, and has been rather depressed that she can't be released from the hospital. If I live or if something happens, either way, I want to see if you two can take care of her until she is well enough to return to her home. Dr. Maloy can explain more, but it seemed to me almost like a foster family, which I know you know all about, mom. Please see if you two can help her out. I'd hate to see her stuck here, if she doesn't need to be.

I hope my surgery goes well. I'm sure it will. But if it doesn't, please help Piper and please know that I love you both with all my heart and that, no matter what, I'll always be with you.

Forever and always, your daughter,

Gabby

Sara sunk into a chair, tears streaming down her face. She didn't cry often, but she was crying now. For Gabby, for Piper, for all the children who had cancer, and for herself and Gil, that they may know their daughter for as long as they shall live.

And she did something that morning that she hadn't done since she was five-years-old. She bowed her head, and, clutching her daughter's letter, she prayed silently to God, that her daughter would live to see another day.