A/N: I changed some aspects of chapter 7. Gwen does let Bridgette and LeShawna know about Essie and Izzy.
"Miss Brooke, I need to speak to you for a moment." The doctor's breaks the calm of the room. Gwen first looks to Izzy, who is curled up by the window, a large book in her lap. Everyday they have spent in the hospital the quieter she has gotten.
"I'll be right back Izzy, okay?" Her head perks up and she gives her mother a lopsided smile. Her eyes then turn to the doctor's, and her expression darkens instantly.
"Will you be able to save her?" The doctor regards her with a solemn expression, stepping forward as if to touch her and she shrinks down into her book.
"Don't stay anything. Just do it." She turns back to her book and is absorbed into the story.
"If you'll just step outside for a moment, it shouldn't take longer. Just some paperwork." The doctor opens the door for her and she steps outside a sense of foreboding growing n her breast.
"Please, sit down." She does and clutches the pink hairpin in her hand, her knuckles white and her breath shallow.
"We need to run to more blood tests and, with your permission, bone marrow tests. We've notice her red and white blood cells counts are low which we believe caused the anemia and eating problems…"
Vaguely, Gwen recognizes that the doctor is young, in his late twenties. He has a chiseled chin with a bad case of stubble and a worn, worldly look in his eyes.
"…Can be symptoms of leukemia but we aren't sure of anything…" The ice spreads farther up her spine, and her breaths comes in shallow, barely audible pants. Her hands shake as she signs form after form; the fragile pieces of paper seem to be never ending.
"These are the consent forms, if you'll just sign there at the bottom." His eyes soften slightly as he sees how badly the young woman's hands shake. Some of the ink smudges on her fingers as she scrawls her name at the bottom of the paper.
"Would you prefer me to run the blood tests while she's still sedated?" He sits down next to her and leans his head back against the wall. He's dealt with many cases, some good, most bad but never one that pulls at his heart as this one has does.
"Please…Essie…She's terrified of this…" Gwen gestures at the hospital rooms, the doctor's ad nurses milling around giving order. There is a tangible sense of hopelessness and fear; she doesn't ever remember being so frightened. The doctor nods his assent, his bottle black ink hair falling in front of his ice blue eyes. He takes the consent forms and the rest of the medical papers from Gwen's hand and turns his back.
"Wait, doctor, can I at least have your name" At the edge of her words is a small plea, a question.
"Branford. Doctor Branford."
Gwen bites her lip, her eyes watery and hands still shaking. She pulls out her iPhone and sees at least three missed calls from an unknown number. There is no call from Duncan. Not since last night.
Her fingers are tapping out his number on instinct; she needs to hear his voice, needs him to tell her everything is going to be okay. The call drops almost immediately, it only rings once. She doesn't leave a voicemail.
One thing is certain; she can't keep Izzy here with her at the hospital. For a moment, Gwen is lost. She's not sure whom to call but she remembers a brunette mom, one from the girls' school. A nice woman, one who talks too much but also woman who happened to fall in love with Izzy at first sight.
She dials her number and, within the hour Izzy is safely packed away in a house that smells like fresh baked chocolate cookies and apple pie instead of pastels paints and rock music. Gwen finds herself pacing in front of the vending machines; she's out of cash and doesn't want to leave Essie to go to the bank.
"Here" Doctor Branford slips a dollar into the machine and out pops a cinnamon bun, fat, sugary and just wants she needs. He grabs a chilled Starbucks coffee for himself and walks away, not giving her a chance to say thank you.
Her body collapses in the chair as she absentmindedly stuffs the sugary sweet into her mouth. The thought are roiling in her head, and every now and again she checks her phone to see if Duncan would call.
He hasn't, but a strange number is calling her again. Bridgette manages to find her sitting dejectedly, holding her phone in one hand and an empty wrapper in the other.
"There's a visitor for you and Essie, Gwen. Come on, pull it together." Bridgette puled her friend by the arm. She takes the wrapper from Gwen's right hand and the phone from the other, depositing the trash in the trash to their left.
"Get it together girl, Essie needs you." The sound of her daughters name manages to bring Gwen back to earth and she slowly runs a hand through her hair.
"I'm cutting my hair again. These long locks just aren't cutting it for me." It the first sentence she forces out, her voice sounds overly strained and Bridgette doesn't need to tell her about the bags under her eyes.
"I liked you better in shorter hair anyway chica." Gwen's eyes shoot up and met Alejandro's green ones. There is nothing but worry and pain and love in his eyes, no malice or ill will.
Just him.
"Alejandro…" She leans against the frame of the door, shaking her head back and forth slowly. She seems to deflate at the sight of him, and she takes a step backwards bumping into Bridgette who pushes her toward the Latin man.
"You aren't running away from this. You need him. I'll be outside if you need me." Bridgette's eyes meet Alejandro's and he nods gratefully at her. He'll repay her later, twenty times over. Gwen doesn't notice Bridgette leaving; her eyes are fixated on him.
He takes a step forward, no hesitation and when she doesn't flee, draws her into his arms. She presses her body against his, moving her hands up to clutch at his sweater and buries her face in his neck and she smells the soothing scent of tea tree oil and cinnamon.
"How I have missed you [sweet one]" He murmurs softly against her ear kissing her softly on her forehead.
"Leukemia…." The word catches in throat, and his body stiffens in shock. His arm wraps tighter around her waist, right on that curve where his hand fits perfectly. He other hand moves to bring her face to his, making them look eye to eye.
"Do they know for sure." Gwen doesn't know how he keeps his voice so low, so calm and controlled but she's glad he can be. It's all she needs.
"No but…" He cuts her off by placing a finger on her lips and she blushes, a pale pink color. They stand there for a minute; the only sound the beeping of the heart monitors and Essie's labored breathing.
A soft knock at the door at the door makes Gwen jerk away from him, and she rushes toward Brandford, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Branford shakes his head and smiles ruefully at her.
"Sorry Ms.… Mrs.…? Brooke. Essie has woken up enough for my assistant and I to run the bone marrow tests. We need a sterile environment, so we'll need you and…" He glances at Alejandro, an uncertain look in his eyes.
"Alejandro. This little ones father." He gestures at Essie before staring coolly back at Brandford. The doctors ice blue eyes flashed, and the certain look is replaced with a deep frown.
"There is no reference to any sort of father in her or her sisters medical history. In order cover everything we need to we'll need a copy of your medical history."
"It's done. But first, the bone marrow test. I understand it takes at least a day to get results, so take care of her first. You'll get everything you need from me, but take care of my daughter."
The men stood each other done, Alejandro having a good inch or so over the doctor.
"Please, I just want this over…" Essie's croaking voice made her the instant center of attention. Branford was first at her side, checking her temperature and heart rates.
"How are you feeling sweetheart?" The doctor's gentle tone of voice suitably shocked them both. Essie didn't even seem terrified of him, her green eyes glassy and unfocused as she tried to form the words to respond.
"I feel…sluggish…can I go home now…" Gwen and Alejandro both saw how the doctor managed to smile warmly at her.
"Just one more test and we should have you home soon. Your mom and dad are here, they been waiting for you." Brandford moves out of the way and Essie's gaze wanders over to her mother and Alejandro. Her eyes widen and she smiles warmly and tries to reach her arms out to them.
"Don't try and move. You'll have to hold still for this okay? I promise it won't hurt a bit. Your mother and father will be right outside that window."
"Daddy…" Alejandro steps forward and smooth's the hair off of her forehead and kisses her on the forehead.
"We'll be right here little one. Be brave." He takes Gwen by the hand but she slips out and squeezes her daughter's hand once, smiling comfortingly at her daughter.
Alejandro leads Gwen out to the outside pane of the window and they stand there, hand in hand until it's all over.
And this time, neither pulls away.