Chapter 6

Isaac walked into the door, and cursed under his breath. "I was sure that wasn't there thirty seconds ago." I laugh as he pushes it open and enters my room. My mom calls from the kitchen. "Do you want pasta?" I yell back that yes I want pasta and a few minutes later she comes in with a tray. "So I just got a call from the doctors, and they said that if you were feeling good that you could take a walk into the backyard!" I smile at her because I was feeling good, so soon enough I was hooked up to the oxygen tank and sitting next to Isaac where the swing set used to be. "I'm really happy to be out of that bed. The fresh air feels so good." I stretch out my arms for empathise. Isaac smiles. "I get it. I hate beds"
"Said the totally normal teenager." He laughs.
"Hazel, I don't have eyes in my head, and you spend your days attached to a huge machine pumping oxygen, tell me in what way could we ever be normal teens."
"Well, in a few years, we'll be upgraded to abnormal adults. At least you will." He doesn't say anything, probably because he knows I'm right.
"You know, I don't want to die, but the only thing keeping me from totally falling apart is the fact that maybe, just maybe, there is a heaven, or something like it, where you can be reunited with your lost loved ones. Where I could continue my infinity with Gus." He smiles.
"I hope that place does exist, and if it does I will be able to honestly say that I know you're in a better place, that you're with Gus."

After a while outside, my chest starts to hurt so I have to come back in and get reattached to Philip. Isaac and I are having fun making songs on Garage Band, when my mom comes in with Kate. Then I remember that support group is being held today. "Hey Kate!" I saw when she comes in. Over the weeks that Isaac and Kate have been dating have really come to like her.
She walks over and sits with Isaac, gently brushing her lips on his. "Hey." He smiles.
"Hi." I close my computer. "Ok, enough lovebirds. I'm really not a huge fan of PDA." They laugh then Kate turns towards me.
"So, how are things doing?"
"Great, I think. I got to spend some time outside today, which made me feel much better. But you know, I'm dying." She waves her hand in front of her face.
"Don't even think about that." She says as if it's the easiest thing ever. I'm about to say something back, when the rest of support group walks into my bedroom, followed by my mom. My dad comes in with a few chairs from the kitchen, and everyone settles in around me.
"Hello everyone! Thank you so much for coming today, you are always welcome here." My mom says to begin the meeting.
"Alright, let's start again with introductions, and then we'll move on to talking about our cancer stories." And so yet again, we went around the circle and when It got to me I had to say that I wasn't doing good, that I was dying, and everyone got really quiet. After we finished, Kate started us off with her story.
"Alright, well I was diagnosed when I was ten. For a couple of weeks, I was super tired and I was finding it hard to keep up with the others in gym, and in other sports like track and field, which I was very serious with. Eventually my coaches got mad, telling me I was slacking off, and honestly I didn't know what to tell them. Then one day at school, I collapsed, and I was rushed to the hospital where they told me I had cancer. After my first round of chemo, things were looking good. I wasn't as tired, or as nauseous and I generally just didn't feel as sick. But when they started me on my second round, things took a turn for the worst. I got really sick, because my liver wasn't working properly, and I wasn't been ridded of all my toxins, and then I started getting these awful rashes on my skin and I constantly had a fever. They told me I only had a couple of weeks, but then by miracle, I pulled through. They finished my chemo; I spent some time at home, then went back to school and graduated early. Since then I've had a couple of scares, but for now I'm okay."
Isaac slowly reaches his hand out, trying to find Kate's. She grasps it and I smile, remembering all the beautiful romantic moments I spent with Augustus. I push away the thought, and turn my attention back to support group.