I've said it before and I'll say it again – you guys rock. Seriously, I love reading your reviews, they make my day!
Regarding the last chapter and the story in general, quite a few of you commented on the medical content of the last chapter especially. There are a couple of things I have put a lot of research into but for the most part this is being written from personal experience. So it's a combination of my own knowledge and bits of research that helped me to write it. I hope I didn't bore you with the medical speak, I just thought quite a lot of it was important to the story. If I get to wordy just tell me to move it along!
Clare, I'm sorry about your friend. If you ever wanna talk to someone else who can understand cancer and the impact it has...my details are in my profile, or just PM me :)
Aaaaanyway, here is chapter 7. Once again, it's split. So expect another chapter quite soon. HUUUUGE thanks to Madi (MadiWillow) for allowing me to drive her insane...I mean bombard her with questions...I mean...utilise her brilliant expertise whilst writing this chapter!
And that's the end of my huge long rambling A/N. Moving on. Here is the chapter.
Charli xox
Chapter 7
Gabriella was sleeping, her cheeks tearstained as Troy re-entered the hospital room. Maria looked up when the door opened, and as he made his way towards the bed she reached for his hand and held it tight.
"Troy...are you alright honey?" she asked.
Troy smiled weakly as he squeezed her hand. "I think I'm the one who should be asking you that question."
"Hey, this has been a big shock for you too. I know how much you care about Gabriella. She's going to need both of us in the coming days, weeks and months...and I need to know that you know it's ok to show it if you feel scared and upset."
Troy nodded, his eyes slowly filling with tears as he turned his attention to the sleeping girl beside them. "I'm petrified, Maria. I'm scared for Gabi – of what she is going to have to go through. I'm scared of how sick she's going to become and whether or not I will be able to help her enough. I'm scared for you – watching your only child go through something this huge. And I'm scared for me. It seems so selfish but I'm scared of her not being around...I can't lose her...I can't..."
Tears were pouring down both their faces as Maria stood up and embraced the heartbroken young man. The moment was interrupted by a soft knock and the door opening.
"Mom," Troy breathed and before Lucille Bolton could say a word her son was in her arms, his tears wetting her shirt.
"Maria, I'm so, so sorry," Lucille told the woman in front of her reaching out an arm and embracing her as well.
"Troy?" three faces, damp with tears, turned their heads.
"I'm here baby," Troy said softly, taking Gabriella's hand. "My Mom's here too."
Gabriella smiled softly, her eyes closed. "Hey Mom," she said and Lucille smiled at the joke the two shared.
"Hi sweetheart. How you doing?" Lucille mentally kicked herself at her choice of question.
Gabriella opened her eyes and reached for her boyfriend's mother's hand. "I'm ok. Thank you for coming."
Lucille leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Hey, how could I not? Jack sends his love too, he said you will be his first port of call when he gets home from the Phys Ed Conference on the weekend."
Gabriella nodded closing her eyes for a moment before turning her head towards Troy and opening them again. "Come lie with me," she whispered, and he immediately climbed beside her onto the bed, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
The two older women talked in hush tones as Gabriella and Troy lay in silence, just happy to be there with each other. After a few moments, Maria nodded at something Lucille said and moved the stand next to the bed.
"Gabi...sweetheart, I know you probably don't want to think about this right now, but...we need to let your friends and the school know what's going on. It's too late to ring principal Matsui now – I'll take care of that in the morning – but do you want me to let any of your friends know?"
Gabriella looked at Troy. They both knew that this news was going to affect a huge amount of people. She hated how much this was going to hurt them. Troy rubbed her back soothingly, he could tell what she was thinking without her saying a word.
After a little while, Gabriella made her decision. "Do you think you could ring Mrs McKessie?" she asked. "Tell her and see how she wants to tell Taylor. We'll take things from there."
Maria nodded and picked up the phone. This was going to be hard.
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
Jayda McKessie hung up the phone with a shaking hand. Hearing footsteps approaching the kitchen she hurriedly wiped her eyes and drew a deep breath, looking up as her youngest daughter entered the room, her boyfriend close behind. The two were laughing at some private joke, and Jayda's heart shattered at the news she had to break to them.
"Who was that on the phone?" Taylor asked casually. "Mom?" she questioned when her mother didn't reply.
"Oh honey," Jayda said tearfully, pulling Taylor into a hug.
"Mom...Mom, you're scaring me," Taylor said, her voice laced with fear and uncertainty.
"Mrs McK – are you alright?" Chad asked, his usual jokester attitude replaced by one of concern.
Jayda placed a hand on both of their backs and guided them over to the table. "Have a seat guys, I need to talk to you."
Taylor's eyes showed how frightened she was of what her mother was going to say. She gripped Chad's hand as they took a seat at the table. Jayda took a shaky breath, trying to come up with the gentlest way to break this news to them.
"Mom?" Taylor pushed, "Will you just tell us what is going on – please!"
Jayda's eyes filled with tears as she began to speak. "Tay...Chad – that was Maria Montez on the phone..."
"Gabster's Mom?" Chad asked, baffled. "What was she ringing for?"
"Chad, just let her speak," Taylor snapped, panic rising within her at the mention of her best friend's name.
"Gabriella is in the hospital," Jayda chose her words carefully, adjusting her tone of voice as she gauged their reactions.
"Man, that must be one nasty virus she picked up!" Chad exclaimed. "Geez, you scared me for a minute, Mrs McK – I thought you were gonna tell us that someone had died or something!"
Jayda McKessie let out a small sob and Taylor slapped Chad sharply on the arm. "She's not finished talking, you idiot! Mom...what's wrong with Gabi?" she asked, almost terrified of the answer.
"She had some tests run today at the doctor's, and this afternoon they called her back to the hospital for some more tests because they wanted to take a closer look at a couple of things they found in her blood samples..."
"No..." Taylor breathed. She somehow knew what was coming, but didn't want to believe it could be true.
"I'm so sorry honey," Jayda whispered, stroking her daughter's cheek gently before looking up at both of the teenagers in front of her. "Gabriella has cancer..."
"No..." Taylor repeated, the word coming out as a low moan as she buried her face in her hands, her body being overtaken by gut-wrenching sobs.
Chad sat there, stunned. "Not Gabriella...she can't...Not Gabi..." In a daze he stood up, pushing the chair back and stumbling over to the window, clutching the sill for support.
"Shh baby – you've got to be strong for Gabriella," Jayda soothed as she embraced her daughter.
"Why Mom? Why her?" Taylor cried into her mother's shoulder. "Why Gabi – she's young, she's smart, she's got the world at her feet! She has so many people who love her and she...how can she be so sick, Mom? How? It's not fair!"
"Oh honey, I'm afraid cancer doesn't differentiate. It is a cruel, insidious disease...but all of those things you just mentioned about Gabriella will work in her favour – she's young, she's strong, she has a wonderful support network... She can beat this."
On the other side of the room, Chad stared through the cool glass of the window. A young couple and their small child ambled along the sidewalk outside the house, laughing and chatting happily as they enjoyed the subtle crispness of the evening air.
Anger bubbled up inside him as he watched the small family pass. Gabriella was sick. The girl he thought of as a little sister was sick and could die. 'How dare they be laughing?' he thought to himself. 'How can anyone possibly be happy?'
"NO!" he screamed, turning away from the window so fast he knocked off a small decorative pot plant that had been balancing there. It hit the floor with a satisfying smash
Taylor cried harder watching her boyfriend crack. Her mother rocked her back and forth as Chad's knees went weak and he crumpled to the floor, sobbing on his hands and knees in a pile of dirt and broken pottery.
Silently, she moved away from her mother and knelt down next to Chad, pulling him into her arms and resting her forehead against his cheek.
"It can't be true, Tay," he whimpered. "Not our Gabi - it can't be true!"
More queues for more hugs for more people! Thanks for reading this chapter! Please review!!!
Charli xox
