Stay with me

Nat got up and got ready for school. Rosalina had come out of the hospital three days ago. Nat waited on her hand and foot carrying her books and walking her to class. It was driving Rosalina crazy but she didn't want to hurt him.

Nat wouldn't even let her carry her own lunch tray. Rosalina was loosing her mind but she let it go because his heart was in the right place. Alex came over to where Rosalina was sitting with Jesse and said "Hey Nat told me to tell you that rehearsal is canceled. He still wants to walk you home."

Rosalina said "Nat is smothering me! He wasn't this clingy before I got sick. I can't deal with this!"

Jesse said "Alex please go sit down. Thank you for telling us about rehearsal being canceled."

Alex walked back over to where Nat and the rest of the band were sitting. Nat said "she hates me David! I gave her everything and she threw it in my face. She won't even look at me."

David said "there other girls are out there Nat. She's not that hard to forget I'm sure you can find another girlfriend easy."

Alex snapped "Nat Rosalina just wants you to back off a little. She has cancer that doesn't mean her arms are broken! She wants to carry her books herself and take her own lunch tray up."

Nat said "so she doesn't hate me. I just need to relax and stop babying her she can take care of herself. I have to talk to her and fix this."

Nat got up and walked over to where Rosalina and Jesse were sitting. Rosalina looked at him with tired eyes. It looked like all the energy had been burned out of them and that frightened him. Jesse said "Nat go away please Rosalina doesn't need to be cared for."

Nat said "Rosie have you been getting any sleep? I love you please let us help you. The band is setting up a huge concert for you. The money will help pay for your treatment and then you'll be alright."

Rosalina said "I'll be able to play in it with you guys right? Nat I don't like that look that you're giving me right now."

Nat said "you can if you feel up to it. It's going to be televised again so people might ask questions if you look half dead. How would you feel about going public with this?"

Rosalina said "heck no! Absolutely not! I can't Nat it's bad enough having the rest of the band know."

Nat said "how about just you and me do an interview with the press? Dad says that not all reporters are jerks. Maybe we could find decent one who has morals. Dad said that the press found info on mom after she died and they only talked about her work as our manger."

Rosalina said "if you can find that reporter I'll talk. The rest of the guys aren't allowed to know that I'm doing this. If Alex finds out oh lord in heaven he'll go nuts."

Nat said "I handle my brother. He listens to me and will understand when I tell him to keep his mouth shut. Rosie you ok? Hey stay with me. Rosie don't go where I can't follow."

Nat snapped his fingers and gently shook her. Rosalina said "mom I'll see you soon. Please wait for me."

Nat said "its ok I know you miss your mom."

Jesse said "oh god she's delirious Nat help me! We have to shake her out of it before it gets worse."

Nat said "Rosie please be ok I can't loose you."

Rosalina picked up her head and said "Nat I can't open my eyes! This isn't funny take your hands off my eyes!"

Nat said "my hands aren't on your eyes. Maybe we should take you to the nurse."

Jesse said "Rosalina can you see anything? Nat and I can lead you to the nurse's office if you can't see."

Rosalina said "I'm scared Jesse. I can't see anything please help me. They said that the cancer was slowly affecting my vision. I thought that they were wrong."

Nat put his arm around Rosalina and held her close. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he was grateful that she couldn't see them. He was trying very hard to be strong but it wasn't getting any easier. Jesse took one of Rosalina's arms over her shoulder and Nat took the other one.

When they got her to the nurse Nat helped her sit in a chair. The nurse looked at Rosalina's eyes and frowned. Nat asked in a soft voice "is she going be ok? Why can't she open her eyes?"

The nurse said "this isn't something I can fix. She needs to see a doctor it looks like she's going blind."

Rosalina gasped and buried her face in Nat's shirt. The nurse asked "are you sure you can't open your eyes honey?"

Rosalina said "yes I can't see anything! Can you please just call my dad? I just want to go home."

The nurse said "I've already called your father. He's in the middle of a meeting but he said "that Mr. Wolf could take you home if he's not busy."

Nat said "that's my dad he can take her home. He doesn't do anything in the mornings."

Rosalina said "Nat thank you. I wish I could see your lips so I could kiss them."

Nat said "you don't have to see me. I'll be right here beside you just lean in and kiss me."

Jesse said "Nat call your dad. She needs to get to a doctor and have her eyes checked."

Nat called his father and said "dad could you pick Rosalina up? She can't open her eyes at all. Her father is in a meeting but asked if you would pick her up."

Mr. Wolf said "yeah I'll pick her up Nat just have her get her things together. I'll also take her to the hospital you're coming with me."

"Nat said "I don't want to leave Rosalina she's scared."

Mr. Wolf said "Nat that's why I'm taking you to. I knew you wouldn't want to leave her side."

Nat hung up and said "Rosie my dad's on his way. Just give me the combination to your locker and I'll get your stuff."

Rosalina sighed and said "I'm sorry Nat you shouldn't have to do this. I'm sorry that I said I didn't need your help. My combination is 16, 4, 12 thanks for getting my stuff."

Nat left the office and grabbed Rosalina's bag. He ran back and set his hand on her shoulder. Tears stung in his eyes but he refused to cry Jesse hugged him and said "it'll be ok Nat it'll be ok."

Nat looked at Rosalina and said "Rosie please don't leave us. The band needs you but more importantly I need you."

Rosalina said "I know Nat but sometimes we don't have a say. I don't want to leave you either but no one really knows what's going on. Cancer can be so unpredictable that no one can honestly tell me how much time I have."

Jesse said "Nat stop this Rosalina needs us. It's wrong to sit here arguing when she's in trouble."

Mr. Wolf came in to the office and said "Jesse I said Nat was coming with me. You both don't need to sit with her. You have five minutes to decide whose coming with me."

Nat said "Jesse I have to go with dad. You should stay with Alex trust me. He's going to need you."

Jesse said "Nat I care about Rosalina to. I can't believe you'd be so selfish!"

Mr. Wolf said "Nat I'll tell you what's going on when I get home. Jesse needs to be around Rosalina. I'm sorry Nat but you guys couldn't make the choice on your own so I made it for you."

Nat hugged Rosalina and then asked the nurse for a pass back to class. Mr. Wolf said "Rosalina do you think you can walk to the car or do you need me to lead?"

Rosalina said "I'm going to need help because I can't open my eyes."

Mr. Wolf and Jesse led Rosalina to the car and drove her to the hospital. The doctors took one look at the x-rays of her eyes and confirmed the worst. Rosalina was going blind and there was nothing they could do about it.

Nurse Jesse came into the room and said "Rosalina I know that this must be hard for you. The best we can do is just put special drops in your eyes which will allow you to see."

Mr. Wolf put a protective arm around Rosalina and asked "how long until she can't see anything?"

Nurse Jesse said "the drops will allow some of her sight to be preserved. However she will have to use these drops for the rest of her life."

Rosalina started to cry in between her sobs she said "I wish Nat was here he'd know just what to say right now."

Mr. Wolf said "I know what Nat would tell you. He'd tell you that you are being very brave."

Jesse said "Rosalina I'm here for you and I won't leave. Nat loves you very much and it's my fault he's not here. If I'd just listened to him everything would be ok. Oh my god I forgot about Alex! I was supposed to help him with a song tonight."

Mr. Wolf said "Rosalina you have to tell Nat. He won't take it from anyone but you. It's not something that you can keep a secret from the band either. Copper can get music printed in Braille."

Rosalina said "I'm so scared Mr. Wolf. I know this is going to sound stupid put but please stay with me."

Mr. Wolf said "we're going to stay right here. Jesse and I will never leave you."

Rosalina said "if I can't see I'll be a burden to Nat. The rest of the band already is telling him to dump me. If I can't see I'm afraid that- that he might actually do it!"

Mr. Wolf spoke firmly but gently and said "Nat is a bigger person than that Rosalina. He has his moments where things upset him more than others but he if he loves someone he never will walk away. I have faith in my son that when you tell him what's wrong he will be understanding and try to help whenever he can."

Rosalina buried her face in her hands and cried. Her life was changing so fast and there were no breaks. She needed Nat now more than ever Mr. Wolf used his cell phone and told Copper to pick Nat up from school and take him to the hospital.

When Nat got there he threw he arms around Rosalina and said "Rosie thank god you're ok I need to see your beautiful eyes."

Rosalina burst into tears and Nat rubbed her back. He didn't understand what was going on and that worried him. He took a deep breath and asked "Jesse is Rosalina ever going to be able to ever open her eyes again?"

Jesse said "Nat don't get upset. She'll be able to open her eyes but she won't be able to see with her whole eye anymore."

Nat said "what Rosie can't be going blind! The doctors must be wrong about this. I need to be able to look into her beautiful eyes. They give me the inspiration to write that's why I wrote the song beautiful eyes."

Jesse said "just promise me and her one thing that you won't leave her."

Nat said "Rosie I'm never going to leave you. You've been very brave to be going through this without your father here. I love you if the rest of the band thinks I'm going to break up with you they're nuts! I'm not letting go of your hand no matter how hard the storm gets. No storm can break through our love Rosie."