Chapter 16

Grace

Why won't my heart stop beating? Grace wondered. She had been in the shower for at least five minutes, letting the hot water run down her body. It had somewhat of a calming effect, but still her heart rate hadn't slowed. Is it possible...is it possibly possible that I'm actually in love with Shun?

No. No way. That just can't happen.

But the more she tried to convince herself otherwise, the truer it seemed.

Grace turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself after she'd finished drying off. Just as she was finishing dressing, she felt a sharp pain in her head and let out a loud moan.

"Grace?" came a tired-sounding voice. Grace tried to speak, but all she could do was moan and rub her temple. "Grace? Are you dressed? Can I come in?"

Grace reluctantly removed her hand from her head and slipped on her shirt. "Yes," she squeaked feebly. What's wrong with my head?

The door cracked open. "So I can come in."

"Yes," Grace said quietly. The door opened the rest of the way and Shun poked his head in.

"Everything alright in here?"

Grace nodded slightly. Then the pain returned and she moaned and shook her head as much as she dared. "Just...just a headache. I get these all the time."

But this pain was different from Grace's usual headaches, and she knew it. This pain was more severe and fleeting; there one second, back the next. Shun emerged fully into the room.

"You don't look so good," he commented, touching the back of his hand to Grace's forehead. "Doesn't feel like a fever."

"It's not," Grace insisted, her voice shaking. "Its...just a...headache..." Suddenly, she collapsed forward, dizzy. Shun caught her quickly.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Grace, that's more then a headache...!"

"Just a dizzy spell," Grace explained. "I get those all the time too." She heaved and threw a hand over her mouth. Dashing to the toilet, Grace flung the seat up and vomited.

Shun rushed to her side. "Grace!" he yelled. "You're sick. We need to get you to the nurse, now!"

"My back was hurting yesterday," Grace lied. "So this is probably just my...woman...stuff." But she knew it was much worse. "I'll sleep on it, and we'll see what happens." She heaved into the toilet again. Shun knelt by her and patted her back gently.

"I won't leave your side until you're asleep. Understand?"

"But Shun, it's...it's 10:00 PM. You need to sleep too..."

"Understand?" Shun repeated, focusing his orange-brown eyes on Grace's duller brown ones.

Grace felt herself blush. Why...? "I...OK. Thank you."

When Grace at last awoke after a long night of trips to the bathroom, Shun keeping to his word and staying by her side, she found him curled up on the floor beside her bed, clutching her hand gently. Grace blushed and quickly pulled her hand away. Shun blinked his eyes open and sat up, yawning.

"How are you feeling?" he asked groggily.

"I'm a...wait, what?" Grace asked, dumbfounded. She knew Shun had spoken, but his words were a mystery.

"How are you feeling?" Shun asked again, louder.

Grace nodded, only understanding a tiny bit of the words spoken.

"Does that mean you're OK?"

"What?"

"Are...you...OK?"

"I...I can't understand you..." Grace leapt out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. Shun followed close behind her.

When Grace had finished vomiting, she began to cry and threw herself at Shun. Shun wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

"I'm scared," Grace wailed. "I don't know what's going on!"

Shun gently took one of her hands. "It's alright. I'll take you to the nurse, and if something is wrong, I'll go with you to the hospital. Does that sound good?"

Grace struggled to pick up every word, but she managed to understand enough to make out what Shun had said. "You're...you're the best friend ever."

"I know. Now come over here...this way, Grace..."

Shun lead Grace to the nurse, arm around her shoulder for support. Grace hurried in, explained her situation, and waited for the nurse to finish researching diseases or conditions with side-effects like the ones Grace had experienced. When she finally returned, her eyes were bleak and her news even bleaker:

"You may have a brain tumor."

Grace's breath caught in her throat. How? She felt tears spring to her eyes, but she was too shocked to cry. She remembered her conversation with Jo only last night.

Now get some rest and we'll talk in the morning.

Unless I develop a brain tumor overnight.

Shun's arm tightened around Grace's shoulder. "You may be emotionally fragile, but you're physically strong. You'll be alright. I promise."

Grace nodded slowly. "P-please call Jo and tell her...tell her I'll be at the hospital."

(Author's Note: Random brain tumors. Is that possible? I'm still proud of this book even if I didn't put much research into it. Oh well.)