Angela and Hodgins sat wrapped around Michael in the hospital bed awaiting the results of his tests. While he slept, they whispered about the worst-case scenario and how to handle it. Angela was going to quit her job at the Jeffersonian if that's what it came down to, and to make extra money she would scrape together time to paint. They would move into a two bedroom apartment, one room for the kids and one for her and Jack. They would move closer to the Jeffersonian so Jack could walk to work and save money on commute. They worked through all of the problems that could arise.
Dr. Freedman then came in with a grim expression on her face. She didn't have to say anything; they knew what was coming next.
"Jack, Angela, I have some unfortunate news about Michael. He has…"
Angela cut her off, "Please don't say it out loud. If you don't say it, it's not real. Just give us a few minutes. Please."
"Jack looked at what was left his wife. A few weeks ago, they had it all; now all that remained was a shattered skeleton of what they used to be. "Ange," Jack soothed, "Whether she says it now, or in five minutes, it's real. This is happening, and there is nothing we can do to avoid it. Now, all we can do is fight."
"He's right, Angela," Dr. Freedman said, "We need to talk about the treatment plan. Childhood Leukemia, when caught early like this, is successfully treated 95% of the time. Michael has a very strong chance of being just fine in a few months, but we need to start treatment now."
Angela closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath and then released it. She nodded her head and reopened her eyes, "Okay. Let's talk. What can we do to make my baby better?"