"Stanford University?" Naomi read off the pamphlet and stared at Emily while she packed up the room."Where's that?" She turned the papers over looking at the new trials that were offered. "California, it's a School of Medicine. Long flight there, but if this is what you want to do, Naoms?" Emily looked cautiously, just so she didn't make this her decision. Of course she wanted her to try, but the ache of false hope lingered over their shoulders again. "The doctors said I could be apart of a testing process that starts this year? 10-100 people? Always been invested in science," Naomi giggled tiredly. Emily shut the suitcase and sighed, making her way over to the familiar hospital bed.
"What did your mum say about all of this?" Emily kissed Naomi's warm cheek and turned on her side to listen. "Surprised, upset. The usual appearance of a mum that saw her daughter in a terminal cancer unit?"Emily rolled her eyes. "Will you be serious for once?" Naomi turned on her own side and pursed her lips."She was concerned and scared, I told her not to be because I'm doing this for her. And me. Mostly you."Emily smiled, brushing her hand across her cheek. "Do this for you, not for me. Okay? I'm with any decision you make." The door opened and Emily swiftly glanced around her shoulder at a boy entering the room. Dark shorter hair, bags under his eyes, and a purple jumper?
"Oh, oh, fuck… sorry, Naomi, I-I didn't know…" Naomi sat up and adjusted her hat. "Dom, calm your tits, get over here. This is Emily, Emily this is Dominic," Naomi cleared her throat and reached for her water. Dominic stood anxiously with a few boxes in his hands and a card. "Nice to finally meet you," he reached his hand out but pulled back once the boxes started to slip from his hands. "Shit, let me, let me uh put these down."He turned awkwardly until he found a small spot on the empty dresser. He rubbed his hands and the girls sat up more politely instead of having their intimate conversation. "I was, well, I am Naomi's mate, was Effy's. I just came from her trial hearing. What we expected," he nodded and the girls sighed. "Couldn't stay out of trouble now could she?" Emily spoke up and rolled her eyes. She was still bitter about the whole situation, but she had to let it go sooner or later.
"So why are you here Dom? And what's in the boxes?" He nodded and turned to grab the card to hand to Naomi. He stepped away with his hands grasping each other. "Card? For me? Oh you shouldn't have,"Naomi joked and Emily helped her get the flap open. "From me and Effy, she actually spotted some cash for this and told me what you liked. Since I heard you were going off to the States, we thought you'd need a few things." Naomi stared at the check in her hands. "Dom, this check is over two-thousand pounds…" He nodded stuttering. "All Effy, for travel expenses she said. And a sorry, which is in here." Dominic handed her the thin box and yet again, Emily helped her open it quietly. "A fucking computer?" Emily whispered seeing the brand new MacBook Pro sitting on her lap. "And these," Dominic took the liberty to open the last box, which was more square than the first one. "Box sets of your favorite shows. Friends, uh, not sure what the rest are since they're buried under. But I got you a few DVD's, nice ones. Thought you would like since Effy said you were into old fashion films. Classics all in here." He handed the box to Naomi and she smiled appalled at the effort that Effy could even manage from a courthouse. More for Dominic being here.
"I wanted to see you off before you went, my, uh, email is in that card too. Keep me updated will you?"Naomi nodded quietly, tucking her lips and reaching her arms out for a hug. He scurried over awkwardly and grasped his hands around her shoulders, not too tightly. "Thank you, Dom." She whispered and he shook his head. "No need to thank me, it's what you're supposed to do right?" He smiled at the two girls while Emily stood to walk Dominic out. "I'll grab you some more water okay?" She stated to Naomi and waved for Dominic to follow. "Hope it all works out," he turned around and followed Emily out the sterile room.
"I didn't mean to barge in like that, I-I was so used to her being alone in there an-" Emily waved her hands to make him stop speaking. God, did he ever stop stuttering? "It's okay, don't worry about it. I wanted to say cheers, for this. For being there for her when no one else was. I'll keep you updated." He smiled, a sense of relief. "Where are you off to then?" He asked with his head down, trying not to be too intrusive. He was just a friend, looking to see if this would work out. "Stanford, California. The university there is doing new trial testing on cancer. She'll be 1 in 100 to get the tests." Emily's voice sounded worried and Dominic caught on."Hey, hey, it'll be all right? She's strong. Funny, but strong. Good luck, the both of you." Dominic hugged Emily, feeling like he was too much of a stranger to do so the first time.
Emily traveled back toward the hospital room, smiling at Naomi fiddling with her new laptop that she obviously didn't know how to use. She entered quietly, knowing that the door slammed too loud far too often. "Stupid thing, needs to charge," Naomi closed the box and crossed her arms. The check came to her mind and so did the price of all this. "Ems… how are we affording this?" Naomi's eyes filled with worry, but Emily had it covered. "Well, before Effy gave us this," she lifted the check and inspected it for any type of felicity, "I sold a few things." Emily spoke apprehensively. She didn't want Naomi to know how she was affording these tickets and pieces of treatment. Sure it was a trial, human testing, and genuinely free; but the girls were now moving to Stanford and that meant room and board, food, and a whole new life out there. "Sell? What the hell did you sell? Don't tell me it was something important, I won't have it." Naomi glared. Stubborn Naomi Campbell, almost Emily's favorite side of her.
"My camera equipment, some photographs I shot, and my internship actually funded me to come back no charge. They understood and paid me, even if it was not paid. Some severance too." Naomi pushed Emily's hand away from hers. "What the fuck?! Why would you sell all that stuff? Why?! I didn't ask you to!" Of course she would throw a fit. Emily dropped everything, literally everything, to see Naomi make it through this. She sometimes thought it would be easier to not take this option. Wait to die. Emily crossed her arms. "I don't care about all those things, Naomi, they're just things!" Emily dropped her hands next to her sides. Her girlfriend still held a strong pout on her lips. Reluctantly, she agreed to let Emily take a seat on the bed. She grabbed Naomi's hand again, feeling her try to struggle to take it away, but she wouldn't allow it. "I'm doing this because I want to an-" She stopped and noticed Naomi's tears near the corners of her eyes.
"Naomi, please," she sniffed and adjusted her hat. "Emily, I didn't want you to do this. I didn't want you to come away from your life for me. None of this was worth it, none of it," Naomi sniffed, hunching over until her head touched the pillow in the opposite direction. "I said I wouldn't hurt you and now what? Look at you? Look at me?" Naomi's hand dragged across her wet cheek.
Emily stood and walked around the bed as quickly as possible. "You didn't hurt me, Naomi!" She couldn't risk her denying the treatment now. She couldn't. "Yes, I was mad, really mad you didn't tell me, but it's not worth it. I'm here now. Here for you. You're not alone in this, Naomi, so you can't keep trying to push me away." Emily slipped her hand into Naomi's, weaving around the tubes until their fingers laced together properly. "You're not getting rid of me and I'm not getting rid of you." Her fingers squeezed lightly. "We made it through the internship, we'll make it through this, yeah?" Emily's voice grew raspy. She was just as emotional about this situation as Naomi, just not feeling the illness. At any moment, the treatment could go south; now or later. They didn't have much time left and Emily realized that. Naomi realized too much too soon.
"We're Naomi and Emily," Naomi whispered. "And we can do anything," Emily finished.