Okay, going to try and get this done with ASAGDP so you all get it. Translation time, Nǐ yǒu mǎo shì? Means 'Are you okay?' and Diǎo means 'Fuck' and finally Dédào yī dòu means 'get a bucket'
Chapter 11:
"Ruby Summer Rose!" A shrilled white haired voice yelled once more, hoping to snap everyone out of their stupor. Yang pulled the offending hand from her mouth, turned around and punched the blonde haired boy in the jaw as she moved past the red head.
Yang walked into the bathroom as she spoke, "Nǐ yǒu mǎo shì?" Ruby just muttered a single word, "Diǎo..."
Before anyone could respond Ruby threw her head into the toilet and let out another torrent of vomit. Yang walked up to Ruby and began to rub her back. "Do either of you mind explaining this?"
"Dédào yī dòu" Ruby muttered into the porcelain bowl as she felt her throat get shorter and she threw up a little. She heard some shuffling but the rubbing on her back didn't stop. She figured it was Ren who she didn't see looking around.
She heard the an 'aha' sound come from a man she just knew was Ren. As she pulled her head up from the toilet and could see Cinder practically shivering in her spot. Cinder wrapped her arms around herself as Ruby grabbed the bucket and began to hug it to her chest. She could see everyone starting to walk into the bathroom to look at her. "Can we please not do this here...? Kinda feels ba-"
Ruby was cut off by throwing up into the plastic bucket she was given. "You are explaining yourself Ruby. What do you mean about 'Chemo was bad'? I want an answer before I strangle you and your sister." Weiss continued as Ruby waved her arm in front of her. "I'll explain... I just don't want to have to do it while hugging a toilet... or in this case a bucket in the bathroom. It isn't as much fun as it sounds. It is actually a whole lot worse... by a lot. I think the best way to describe it... it is abou-"
Ruby was again got sick. She began to shiver as she felt the acid falling from her mouth. She could see some hitting the floor by Weiss' feet. She could just barely make Weiss jumping out of the way. She felt terrible. Both physically and mentally. She just knew she disgusted.
Ruby looked up at Yang, asking with her eyes a simple question that Yang responded with Slowly picking her up as she nestled the bucket she had. "Where are you to going?" Weiss asked closely following Yang who had begun to walk down the stairs. "Living room... duh... it is much more comfortable than a bathroom floor... trust me on that." Ruby muttered, pulling her head out long enough to speak. She could hear an angry groan from the group as Yang rested Ruby on the couch.
Not even a full five seconds later she could see all her friends walking in and Jaune with a large bruise developing on the side of his face. She didn't even realise Yang left the room till she saw her entering again and tossed Jaune a blue ice pack. "Next time if you try something like that, I'm not going to stop. Same goes for you Pyrrha." Yang muttered rubbing her knuckles.
"Yang... so help me! I'm not in the mood. We are having a long talk after this. And maybe a re-evaluation of our relationship." Weiss scolded as she turned to Ruby who's vomiting had seemed to finally subsided. "Don't be mad at Yang for this... I made her promise to lie..."
"What type...?" Cinder spoke for the first time. Her voice was frail. She feared for Ruby. She had no other way to describe it. Gut wrenching fear.
Yang looked over to Ruby who still had her head in the bucket. She could hear some deep breathing coming from her. "What type Ruby? What type of cancer do you have? We haven't been going out long, but you owe me at least that!" Cinder yelled as Ruby pulled her head out of the bucket.
"Lung Cancer... a Pancoast Tumour... stage three." Ruby muttered she could see Cinder stop hugging herself. Cinder looked towards the door and stormed out. The only thought going through her mind was 'This is a sick, sick nightmare... Ruby does not have that... she can't... I refuse to believe that.'
Just as her hand reached for the front door she felt a hand grab her wrist. She followed the offending hand to see Ruby covering her mouth. She could see the look on her face. Almost as if she was blocking something from coming up by force.
Ruby gulped down the acid and bile that had built up I her mouth. "Don't go Cinder... not until I have time to explain." Ruby practically begged as she covered her mouth once more. "No Ruby! I just need time to think!"
"Then promise me you'll be at your house when I get done here! I need to explain things. And if you won't listen with others... I'll run the whole way to your house... I will wait there for you... I can't leave you in the dark now... you need to know." Ruby continued as cinder ripped her hand from Ruby's clutch as she turned back around and opened the door. "I can't promise that Ruby... you have no idea what kind of pain I'm in because of this."
Cinder walked out of the door and closed it. Ruby turned to the wall as she fought the urge to get sick she punched the wall. She felt her hand go through the wall followed by a loud yelp as she intentionally lost the will to fight back the vomit and began to get sick onto the floor. She pulled her hand from the wall and walked back into the living room.
She could see Blake sitting right next to the hole Ruby created. Dry wall having fallen onto her shoulder. She could see Pyrrha looking shocked next to the raven haired woman. She could see the look of shock. She wove her fingers through her hair and screamed, "Why can't this day just end!"
"Not to sound dumb... but the only phrase I understood there, was lung cancer... the rest doesn't make sense to me... like at all." Nora asked as Ren pulled her down into a sitting position and covered her mouth a little.
"It means I have a large tumour at the top of my right lung that can't be removed with surgery." Ruby muttered as she practically ran over to the bucket and stuck her head into it to get sick. "Yang... there is sick in the hallway..." Ruby muttered not taking her head from the bucket.
'God... I hope this is going to end soon for the day... as well as this day. This is officially the worst birthday.' Ruby thought as she rested her head on her forearms while her face was in the bucket. She felt a hand on her back softly rubbing it. She was furious that her friends found out this way, even angrier that Cinder had found out about her cancer that way specifically, even angrier that she may have ended her relationship before the first date even.
And worst of all she felt disgusted with herself that she had hurt Cinder. She had cut Cinder deep from simply hiding that one thing that she hid from nearly everyone. She knew Weiss was going to be angry. Hell she was confident that if it wasn't Yang rubbing her back it was probably Weiss. That was the only reason she wasn't angrier or even hurt by Weiss or the others finding out.
The only thing she feared was them treating her like a frail little girl. Something that would cause a few angry outburst she was positive. But something that would be moved past with relative ease in the grand scheme of things.
"How long have you known Ruby?" Ruby heard the distinctive voice of Blake ask right next to her ask as the rubbing stopped.
'Because I've been wrong about everything else today... it only stands to reason that I would be wrong about who the fuck is rubbing my back!' Ruby yelled internally as she pulled her head out of the bucket and looked around the room.
She noticed one thing. Two people were missing. Yang and Weiss. She hoped that Yang would tell Weiss. She did not want to have to answer that question three times in one day. Let alone her birthday.
"Four years this day next week... kinda can't forget that day... the day my world nearly shattered and I was dreading something like this." Ruby muttered leaning back, just resting her head against the base of the couch. She wasn't used to talking this much after she had chemotherapy. Nor was she used to throwing up as much food.
"To be clear... do you mean th-" Jaune began but was cut off by Ruby speaking up again. "Yes. Dreading you guys finding out. Kinda why a week after Weiss stopped me from killing myself." Ruby continued as she closed her eyes. The bright light of the noon sun was starting to sting them.
Blake froze her rubbing of Ruby's head. "You did what...?" Pyrrha asked for the group as Ruby opened her eyes. "Did... did you guys not hear about that? Huh... I guess I owe Yang an apology..." Ruby continued as she reached down and unbuttoned her sleeves and pulled them up, and flipped her arms over.
"You would be surprised how little it hurts after you finish the first line." Ruby joked as she closed her eyes once more as she tried to just rest. She needed to figure out what she was going to say to Cinder. "Why would you resort to something like that? Surely that is an over reaction to the news."
"Jaune... my insides feel like they are on fire right now. I just got done throwing up food I didn't even realise I ate. Can we please not talk about what is and isn't an over reaction? Because believe it or not... Chemo is so much worse than you think. The only reason I'm not passing out from pain right now, is because I need to figure out a way to explain this all to Cinder and try and repair how I just royally fucked up our relationship that isn't even a fucking month old." Ruby muttered as she moved her wrists up to her eyes and nearly bored them into them as her hands rubbed her forehead.
Blake began to massage Ruby's temples as they all debated what to ask next. No one knowing what was the right question to ask next. "Why did she react that way?" Nora asked as she finally stopped bouncing on Ren's lap to ask as Ren covered her mouth again and began to mutter something to her.
"Well, besides of course I met Salem... Cinder's mom at Chemo. Salem died of quite literally the same type of tumour I have. The only difference was, it was Stage two... so they removed it and then were using chemotherapy to get what remained. And she just found out the first person that was able to make her feel- her words not mine,- after what remained of Salem's cancer won the fight." Ruby explained, not caring at this point. They had already found out about her darkest secret.
They might as well get the answers they always wanted. She didn't even care. She was already debating if she should break it off with Cinder just in case her cancer wins. Of course that all depended on if Cinder wanted to continue dating her. Ruby let out a sigh as she looked down at the bucket. Her bile, acid and food having made an odd concoction going up a distance in the bucket.
Weiss reached back and brought her hand across the blonde's face. "I deserved that." Yang muttered as she craned her head back to facing the white haired woman as Weiss smacked her again. "And that." Yang continued glad a little that Weiss had decided to swap her hands.
She had always forgotten how hard Weiss could hit with her left hand. Her cheek already stung and she was positive that there would be a red hand print. Weiss smacked her again with her right hand. Yang spoke up once more, "Yeah, that too."
Just as Weiss was about to smack her for a fourth time Yang caught the hand. "Okay. I get it. You are pissed. So can we stop smacking me? And ask questions that I assume Rubes doesn't mind me answering." Yang asked as Weiss pulled her hand from Yang's loose grip. It wasn't enough to hurt, but it was enough to stop the hand from hitting her again.
"I have a few questions, like why I shouldn't break up with you for lying? How long she has had it because I'm assuming that it has been going on about as long as she has had CANCER! And finally WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD ME!?" Weiss yelled as she had truly begun to debate if she should smack Yang once more and leave.
She was furious. She felt betrayed. Her girlfriend lied. Her best friend lied. The group that was essentially her second family lied. She needed to know why. She needed answers.
"I lied because Ruby made me swear I wouldn't tell. But it wasn't even our entire family knew. Outside of our Nǎinai and Raven... no one else in our family knows. She made us all promise once she was diagnosed." Yang started as she began to walk away from the corner Weiss had backed her into. She was dreading this one moment. When Weiss found out.
"How. Long. Yang?" Weiss asked taking a step closer holding an accusatory finger out as she violently poked Yang's chest. "Four years next week exactly... a week later... well you know how she tried to respond to the news."
Weiss froze. She had no idea how to respond. The suicide note Ruby had left made sense to her now. But how could she respond to it. She took a step back as Yang grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. Even by the slightest of margins. "Why didn't she want us to know? I mean I've known her nearly fourteen years... I remember her inviting me to her fifth birthday... why... why wouldn't she tell me?" Weiss asked letting some tears fall.
Yang brushed them away with the back of her hand. "Don't cry Snowpea. From what she has told me, there was two reasons. She didn't want you, or anyone else to worry. Also she doesn't want anyone to treat her differently." Yang hushed quickly hugging Weiss tightly to her chest. She could feel Weiss hugging back.
She didn't want to move Weiss. Instead she just pushed her head in a little more into the embrace of the hug. She didn't want to say anything. She just wanted Weiss to work through the news. Through the information. She hoped it would be a healthy manner, but if she needed to she would let Weiss devolve into smacking her again. As long as she would work through it.
The room fell into silence as the duo just stood there in the kitchen. It wasn't uncomfortable for either of them. Simply because Weiss was trying to compose her thoughts, and Yang just wanted to be there for Weiss. "Why does she think she would be treated differently?" Weiss was the one who broke the silence. She felt like that was the important question right now. She could get the rest of the answers from Ruby herself.
"Weiss, when you stopped her from killing herself, you started to treat every time she ended up in hospital like it was another attempt. You already treat her like she was fragile. And be honest, when you get home, are you going to search every single document you can get your hands on about it?"
"I... well... I mean... well there was... shut up." Weiss pouted pushing away from Yang. "I... you don't get it Yang. Before Ruby, my life sucked. Hard to believe that an heiress to a dynasty would have a bad life... but it did. No one wanted to be near me because of my father. And I still remember Ruby crying and coming up to me to see if I could help. Broken English and all." Weiss continued as Yang smiled at the memory.
"I remember that day. Mom was panicking because she lost Ruby on one of the busiest streets in Hong Kong. Hell I still remember mom's reaction when she found you two eating ice cream on a bench." Yang smiled as Weiss looked at her. "Still no idea what is so bad about being European... still glad she trusted me enough to stop me."
Weiss' and Yang's moment was ruined by Ruby shouting at Yang. "You forget Snowpea, Hong Kong was a port. One every European country wanted. We just got fed up. So we don't like white people that much." Yang spoke leaning down to capture Weiss' lips. As she pulled back Yang smiled at the sight of Weiss' face. "Now, go into the living room. I need to clean up that vomit... otherwise, it will smell and eat into the wall and or floor."
Weiss smiled as she walked into the hallway when the smell hit her like a wall. She ignored it as she walked into the living room to see Ruby on the floor resting her head on the back of the couch. Her sleeves pulled up her arms.
Weiss walked over to sit down next to Blake. She could hear some grumbling coming from the other side of the wall causing her to look up at the hole in the wall. "Ruby, why did you punch a hole in the wall?" Weiss asked as she heard a groan from Ruby.
"Because I quite possibly not only destroyed my relationship with Cinder, I also most likely caused her to not trust anyone without thinking they'll get a rather annoying tumour in their lungs." Ruby muttered as she continued to ground the heel of her hands into her eyes. She felt a shiver rip through her body that always seemed to happen when her body wanted throw up but couldn't.
"Yeah... you are going to explain to mom and dad about this. Before Raven gets here. Bad enough they still think I'm the dangerous one." Yang spoke through the hole in the wall startling the rest of the group in the room. "Rubes you feeling alright? Because this is a lot more than normal." Yang asked not moving from the spot as Ruby dragged her hands down her face slowly.
"Physically, hell now. I'm exhausted, body hurts... and I'm confident Neo attempted to slip me something. Bitch is just jealous I still have hair. Mentally... well let's just say I'm feeling better physically by comparison." Ruby spoke as she opened her eyes to see the ceiling as she shivered again.
Yang smiled at what she saw through the hole that her sister had made. She could see Ruby standing up on wobbly legs. "Right... despite how fun this is... because I can't throw up anything else... I'm going to go and talk to Cinder... or wait at her house for her." Ruby muttered as she began to walk out to be blocked by Yang. "Ruby, you can barely walk. I refuse to let you out. Even if you got a lift to her place." Yang spoke as Ruby tried to push past.
The blonde picked up her sister and tossed her over her shoulder and walked into the living room to drop her onto the laps of the three women sitting on it. She could see Ruby trying to feebly to fight her way off of the couch. "You aren't leaving Ruby. You are having issues even getting up from the couch. You both need to take a few hours at least to think." Yang continued.
Ruby wasn't sure if she should fight it. She knew she had to. But she just felt so tired. She felt Pyrra's lap being just as comfortable as she remembered. But something felt different to her. She felt her chest tighten as she felt a soothing hand run its fingers through her hair. She needed to fight the urge to sleep. She needed to fight Yang, but she felt so comfortable.
"Sorry guys... is it okay if she sleeps on you? I'd put her in her bed but she has proven a few times she can easily get down and outside. Only difference, she can't fucking walk this time." Yang asked as Pyrrha looked down at Ruby's head. "I don't mind... I never realised how right you were with how light Ruby was. Also curious if this is a wig Ruby is wearing."
"No. It is the only side effect that doesn't kick me in the teeth... next chemo question I get asked, tired or not, I'm ripping your head off." Ruby spoke as she closed her eyes again. She knew Yang wasn't going to let her go, and unlike with her parents, Yang knew Ruby's tricks to escape the house. "I'll wake you up when Raven gets here." Yang spoke as she ruffled Ruby's hair knowing that the smaller brunette wouldn't fight back.
Cinder sat on the cold ground staring at the stone masonry. She needed to talk, and knew her dad wouldn't help that much. But she also knew how big this was for her.
It was the first time she had visited her mom's grave since her funeral.
Cinder pulled her legs up to her chest and was unsure how to begin. It had been two years. She decided to start like she would any conversation with her mom before the disease she was fighting won out.
"Hey mom..." Cinder began as she felt her phone vibrate but she just ignored it. "Sorry I haven't visited you in a long time..." Cinder continued finally getting annoyed at her phone so she pulled it out and left it on the grass next to her.
"Sorry that it took my new girlfriend dropping the bombshell on me to come and visit you... it is just I can't talk to dad about this. His reaction to me asking Neo out for her to reject me was 'eh not my fault you look a really feminine man.'... and worse part... she has the same tumour type and worse stage than you." Cinder muttered knowing her tears had begun to fall. She didn't even want to wipe them away.
The only feeling she had once she left Ruby's was anger... anger at being lied to... angry at herself that she let herself feel love again. But know that she was looking at her mother's grave. She was hoping that talking out loud would help her think, but it was proving harder and harder.
"How could I get over her if she ends up like you. I'm still not over you mom... and now the first person since you that makes me want to get out of bed to even look at... what if she doesn't make it. I mean they can't even operate. She has a worse chance than you did." As she cried, she felt a breeze hit her in the face. It wasn't the cold one that she would have expected. It was warm. She felt like it was her mom trying to tell her something.
She reached up and wiped the tears that were falling freely. For some unknown reason it felt good to just talk about it. But she was still lacking the answers she needed to know. Which was causing her to question it even more. "Sorry for coming here to just complain about my stupid problems mom... I... I... I just have no idea what to do. What would you do if you were in my position?" Cinder asked as she began to wipe the tears from her face as she waited for an answer that wouldn't come.
Author's Note:
Oddly enough, this is my favourite chapter to write thus far. Not much to say outside of that. But it is nearly four in the morning... so quick edit and upload.