Chapter 15! Hot and fresh! Enjoy!

Warnings: None...I don't think.

I just finished a chapter that happens later in the story. I know I will def. change the genre when I posted. Fair warning!

Enjoy!

Nurse Me

Chapter 15

Make A Wish: Part 4

"Wow! I've always wanted to drive down the strip at night!" Heidi and Diesel had their faces pressed against the window of the limo, watching the brightly lit resorts go by, and neon light shows flash before them, "Heidi look at the fucking side of that hotel, it's like they putting on a show or something!"

"It's the French circus show that Papi, Stephanie, Lula and Uncle Tank are going to," Heidi looked at the twisting turning people on the side of building, "Meh…I don't think it's that exciting."

"You know what is exciting," Brittany said, crawling up behind Heidi and Diesel, "Is acting like we have no sense, popping our heads out the window of the limo and screaming like we have really have no sense!"

"If you are going to do that," Lester said, holding up masks, "These on, okay?"

"Tsk, the only requirement, easy," Brittany slid her mask on and then was opening the sunroof of the limo open and popping her out of it, "WOOOO, YES, I LOVE IT!"

"She's gone bananas," Heidi smiled to Diesel, but she grabbed her masked and popped her head out of the window as well to scream and shout with Brittany.

"When in Rome…" Diesel muttered, taking his mask as well and joining the girls.

"Shut the fuck up!" Someone shouted back to the hollering kids, "Act like you got some sense!"

"FUCK YOU! I GOT CANCER!" Brittany shouted back, flicking the person off, "Yeah that's right…you filter feeder, you better scuttle away."

"I'm so glad Papi and Nurse Jackie took their own rides, we would get the shit scolded out of us!" Diesel turned away from Brittany and Heidi, letting the wind whip over his face. It was cold but refreshing, "Hey now, when are we going to gamble?!"

"Tomorrow, after both your radiation," Brittany looked at Heidi and Diesel, clapping her hands, "Hey! We gotta learn how to play black and poker, okay? Can't let Diesel lose all his cash in one sitting because he's a noob!"

"It shouldn't be that hard to learn how to play those card games, Brittany, give the man some slack," Heidi sighed to Brittany but the older girl shook her head, her hands on the roof of the car, "Brittany!"

"I gave him half a million, if he loses it in one go, I'm going to pop one of his ball!" Diesel folded his arms, looking at Brittany, "What?"

"That doesn't scare me, you twig," Diesel said, wagging a finger, "And I happen to know how to count cards, so I'll be fine!"

"Yes, while you three are having a discussion illegal gambling, get down, it's too cold out there for your heads to be out there for the whole ride, down," Jeanne tugged each of them down and checked their pulses and quickly gave them vitamin drops, "So you three don't get sick-ER!"

"Doctor's order," Kevin said, smiling to the three, closing the sunroof, "I hope you three have an appetite, I heard the burgers at this place are delicious."

"Burgers, milkshakes, fries and sexy doctors for company," Brittany arched into Jeanne, who sighed and let her, "What a nice night, indeed!"

"I want a chili dog, I've had this vision of one since I was told we're going to a burger joint," Heidi said, rubbing her stomach, hearing it grumble loudly, "I'm so hungry now!"

"That's cause you ate that extra bon-bon," Diesel huffed, "The one I wanted."

"As your healthcare provider, I don't want to hear about your unconventional drug use…" Jeanne shook her head and turned to Lester, "Santos, did you call the place ahead of time?"

"I did, private dining, floors sanitized, tables wiped down," He held up a can of air sanitizer, "And Lysol ready for use!"

"Good man, you're not so bad, when it comes to the precaution of the kids," Jeanne nodded her head in approval, "At least Mr. Manoso's men have their heads on their shoulders right."

"We love Heidi," Lester said, jerking his head to the girl, who was talking to Kevin and Diesel, looking at the map, "She's like our daughter, Dr. Jeanne, when her mother died, Carlos was a mess, we stepped in, helped out, where we could, helped raise her from when her mother died to now."

Lester motioned to Diesel and Brittany, with a fond smile, "They're her friends, they've welcomed her with opened arms, didn't reject her, helped her get settled in. I get it, cancer is scary, the thought of maybe dying from it is scarier, but we can't understand exactly what's going on in their heads, only they do, they've been a better help for her than the adults have. Might as well call them our kids too, we love them all the same."

"Awww, we love you too, Uncle Lester!" Brittany suddenly chirped, grabbing one of Lester's arm and hugging it, "Diesel, Heidi, we're loving on Lester now!"

"Right-O!" Diesel and Heidi jumped on the man and hugged him tightly, earning a shout of Lester from him, before he grabbed them in a gentle big hug and held them close to him.

"I'd move the world for you three punks," Lester said, looking down at them all, "So, if you have problems, come to me, alright?"

"Of course, Uncle Lester," Diesel said, returning the hug, "You're the cool Uncle, Tank's the quiet one and Gramps is Gramps."

"What Diesel said," Brittany agreed, "You are totes the cool Uncle."

"The cool Uncle that sneaks in junk food," Heidi added, earning a sharp look from Jeanne, "We're almost out of Cool Rance doritos…"

"Uh…I don't know what you're talking about squirt…" Lester began to sweat a bit at the glare that sharpened from Jeanne.

"Get Nacho Cheese Doritos, too…."

"And those tasty-cakes or whatever…"

"And the ice cream…."

"I am so boned," Lester sighed as Jeanne began to give him a tongue lashing about the children's diet, "Dr. Jeanne…mercy!"

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

"That's why we don't let Hal out to the pet shop chain to do tune ups on the security equipment, the poor man is so terrified of birds, I heard that shriek from outside the shop," Tank chuckled, making Lula and Stephanie laugh, covering their hands to stifle the volume, "Hey now, we didn't know the parrot would be the one to do him in."

"Poor Hal," Carlos agreed, finishing his drink and looking at the vanishing spread on the table, "Enjoying the spread, ladies?"

"Are you kidding? Freshly made pastries, made to order eggs, in any way you want? Lula said, holding up a thick slice of bacon, "This is heaven, might be a bit too rich, but you know what, fuck it, sinful eating in Vegas is supposed to happen!"

"Preach," Stephanie said as she finished her lobster cheddar quiche, "More egg whites, Mr. Manoso, you are breaking the laws of Vegas, you have to eat something more than greens and healthy proteins."

"And rot my teeth? No thanks," The man said, but he snagged a Danish and bit into it, "Though, I don't want to break any rules in Vegas."

"Okay, so that circus show was even better than I thought it would be," Lula gushed, waving the ticket stub she had in her hand, "I had no idea a human body could that."

"With enough yoga and stretching, the body can do loads of things," Tank said, as he finished off his stack of pancakes, "I bit too dangerous looking for, the show that is. Zero safety harnesses, what would have happened if one of them fell to the floor and broke something?"

"There were two fully trained nurses in the audience, Tankie!" Lula polished off her mimosa and then looked down at her empty plate, "I just saw them pulled out a prime roast, I need some of that, come on Tankie."

"The circus had been enjoyable," Carlos said to Stephanie, who looked up from her meal, "I ought to thank Lula for dragging us out to it."

"Thank her when she's not fighting for the first slice of that rack of meat," Stephanie said, with a smile on her face, "So…how are you feeling?"

"Alright, I think I needed this moment of respite," Carlos said, resting his elbows on the table, his hands folded in the air, "I've just been…a continuous ball of tension and worry, about Heidi, the future, things I can't control…"

"I understand a thing or two about things you can't control," Stephanie looked down at her left hand and then to Carlos, "But, I'm here to help, in any way I possible can, Carlos."

"Thanks, Steph," the man said, a small smile on his face, "So…I know Morelli would have kicked up a fuss, if he knew you were in Vegas with a bunch of people that aren't him, how'd you manage this?"

"Well, Joe's not my issue anymore," Stephanie her brows crinkled in a frown, "He decided that not only was it right for him to not come home for almost two months, he went on and started an affair with a woman…playing happy home with her, while making his own wife think she did something wrong…"

Stephanie angrily picked up her cutlery and began to cut into her waiting French toast, "Fucking asshole, if I hadn't ran into him at the damn store, listen to him ask that woman questions, they were doing domestic shopping together, like…he didn't have a wife at home…I hope he has the clap."

"Dumbass," Stephanie stuffed a piece of French toast in her mouth and looked to Carlos, blinking, "Morelli, he's the dumbass, not you, Babe," her cheeks colored at that, "You are a smart and talented woman, who not only is great at her job, it was like it was made for you. You treat those kids with dignity, you have a close friendship with your colleagues and you gave me no excuses, no wiggle room to wallow in my own misery."

"You're like Wonder Woman, Steph," Stephanie swallowed what was in her mouth, staring at Carlos and dabbing her napkin.

"Thank you, Carlos, but it wasn't just me, you know…" she looked away, "My job that is… I have a whole team behind me, and Jeanne, she's a fantastic doctor, you know…and the kids, they do most of the legwork, resilient little things, aren't they?"

"They are," Carlos said, with a chuckle, leaning back in his seat, looking to Stephanie, "But still, you are like Wonder Woman, don't count yourself short…"

Carlos held his hand out and Stephanie slowly took it, lacing their fingers together. The man closed his eyes and said, "I talked to Brittany's Grandfather, man's hurting, been hurting and…I know how he feels, he told me I should go get therapy for this, do you think that therapist Dr. Jeanne is arranging for Brittany, will he talk to the other children and maybe me?"

"I think he will, Carlos," A smile formed on Stephanie's face and she squeezed his hand softly, "I'm proud of you, for seeking mental help. It's tough, I know, but no more getting wasted in the hospital parking lot and causing a ruckus, you seek healthier ways to cope and therapy will help, got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Carlos nodded his head, just as Tank and Lula returned with a plate full of meat, "That will really cause some problems."

"Hush, I'm sharing with Tankie, and Steph," Lula said, giving Stephanie a slice of meat, "Eat up, I want to check out the casinos, before we head back to the resort."

Not once while Stephanie ate, did Carlos let go of her hand, which made for awkward eating but it felt nice.

Really nice…

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

"I hope you three kick your cancer in the ass, kiddos," the man gently elbowed Brittany, Diesel and Heidi in the shoulder in the elbow, "I know that feeling, had a sister go through it as a kid, I got into comedy because laughter helped her during the rough times."

"You're really nice in person," Heidi said as the man used a permanent marker and signed some custom hoodies for the children, "And thanks for not kicking us out, when you found out only one of us was actually an adult."

"No probs, your fake ID look legit and it's our little secret," the man winked to them and gave them the items, "Glad you enjoyed the show, I saw you up there, you were in stitches!"

"Papi doesn't let me watch too much comedy like this but it was so funny," Heidi's cheeks flushed and the man tsked and shook his head, "Yeah, he's a real stick in the mud!"

"I ought to use that line in one of my upcoming acts," The man gave the kids a critical look and then pulled out three business cards, "Here," he gave each of them one, "When you beat your cancer, call me, I'll give you VIP treatment for the next show that's taped, alright?"

"Thanks!" Diesel was over the moon, his blue eyes were bright in the dressing room lights, "You are fucking amazing, thanks for not making Brittany the butt of your jokes, when she sort of heckled you…"

"Hey, it happens, she's a feisty heckler too!" The comedian turned to Brittany who was looking down at the card, "Sharp tongue and dry wit, you thought about becoming a stand-up comedian?"

"Now that's a joke indeed," Brittany snorted, tucking the card in her jacket pocket and looked up at the man, "No thanks, I'm too rich to try to dumb down jokes for the masses."

"Yeah, that's alright, I don't think the world's prepared for what you have hiding, kiddo," the man laughed, finishing his water and then looking long at Brittany, "Hey," he looked over to the three adults waiting at the side, "Is it alright, if I give some pointers to this one, we'll be real quick, alright?"

"Fine, we're watching you though, stay near our vision," Lester said, folding his arms, making himself stand a little taller.

"Scary as fuck that guy," The comedian chuckled, wrapping an arm around Brittany and moving away from Diesel and Heidi to talk privately to her, "The world's not ready for him, that's for sure."

"There's like 40 of them too," Heidi added, making the comedian laugh as he spoke softly to Brittany, "Diesel, he's like super cool, look at all the signed shit he gave us!"

Diesel and Heidi smiled and showed off their signed shirts, hoodies, posters and copies of the comedian's show to the adults. Kevin and Jeanne nodded in approval, letting the kids chatter happily, while Lester kept an eye out for Brittany.

They had pigged out at the burger joint, eating high class burgers, hot dogs and drinking fancy milkshakes that had cakes, cookies and other sweets mixed in and topping them. Afterwards, they went to the show, where a VIP box office was waiting for them. They ate snacks and enjoyed the warm up act and when the main event happened, Heidi was the loudest laughing and giggling until she couldn't breathe. It had Diesel breaking out into laughter, along with Lester.

It was one of her laughing fits that the comedian had turned his attention to their box and asked which one of them was enjoying the shit out of his show. Heidi had raised her hand, the man had bowed and thanked her and then Brittany retorted that it wasn't that hard to make a girl high on weed laugh until she peed her pants.

Heidi and Diesel had noticed that Brittany had been a bit standoffish during the set, but they wrote it off as her not like stand up, they hadn't really seen her watch any. Diesel loved this kind of entertainment though.

The man had opened his mouth to respond, but when the spotlight briefly over the group, he had actually gotten serious and asked if Brittany was sick and the girl had responded she had Leukemia that Diesel and Heidi were pretty sick too with cancer, much to Jeanne's displeasure.

"I've got mad respect for those dealing with serious illness, how about you all stay up there, I'll get one of my team members to come grab you all, I'd love to talk to you all after the show," His response had made Diesel swoon, before he turned and went back to his sketch.

"Brittany, you got us backstage passes to the coolest dude who dropped 300 F-bombs in 30 minutes!" Diesel had nearly squealed to Brittany, "I could kiss you!"

"Please...control yourself, Vashmen…" the girl had winced at the reaction.

They had spent almost an hour talking to the man. When wasn't being crude and rude on the stage, he was very nice and truly meant well for the kids. The adults had been pleasantly surprised and made sure, for Diesel's sake, they took many pictures of the kids with him. Though they were very ill, Diesel and Heidi's smiles had been big and infectious, even Brittany cracked a small smile.

"Wonder what he's telling her?" Heidi turned to watch as Brittany nodded her head, her hands gripping her sides as she held herself, "She's been…so…I don't know…up and down… right Diesel?

"Yeah, what in the hell, I prefer the perpetual bite to whatever the fuck this is," Diesel was enormously concerned for his friends, "Wish she'd tell us."

The adults passed glances to one another above the heads of the kids and then to Brittany. The comedian told Brittany something that had the girl smiling at him and then he was hugging her tightly, whispering something in her ear. Diesel was surprised to see the girl return the hug with energy and then the comedian turned to the adults and asked, "Hey, can I get a picture of me this one right here, I think I can crack a real smile from her."

"You wish!" Brittany snorted but she did pose and give a giant and genuine smile for the cameras with the man.

"You're a cool kid," the man said to Brittany, patting her shoulders and winking to her, "Time to let you kiddos go, it's almost Midnight!"

"Bye, thank you for the stuff and it was such a great show, we'll def. give you a call!" Heidi and Diesel waved to the man as they left, "Holy shit, that was amazing, I could scream!"

"Once again, Vashmen, control yourself," but a small smile was on Brittany's face as they made their way back to the resort.

When they got back to the resort, Diesel and Heidi ran to carefully pack away their treasures, while Brittany grabbed her grandpa hand saying she need to speak to him about something. Lester and Jeanne sat down, looking at their phones. The other four would be home soon, apparently Lula had hit it big on the slots and was getting a check cut.

Good on her!

"It'll be enough to get her out of that tiny place, for sure," Jeanne whistled, looking at the picture of the slot machine Lula hit big on, "Those taxes though, bet she can write a lot of it off."

"I think we can lend her our accountant," Lester chuckled, a soft look forming on his face, "Wonder what that man told Brittany."

"Something only she would understand," Jeanne shrugged, folding her arms, "I'm glad she's going to talk to someone tomorrow, she needs it."

Lester turned to see Diesel and Heidi sitting outside now, their feet in the warm pool, still chatting about the show their excited voices drifting into the living area. He turned to look at the doctor and paused, finding her wiping tears from her eyes, "Hey Doc, what's up?"

"It's hard…so hard, seeing these kids, first Brittany…then who else, Heidi…Diesel?" she whispered, pressing the palms of her hands to her eyes, "It's not fair, they have so much to live for, to fucking live through, and it's cut so short too. I hate my job sometimes, watching these fucking babies fight battles we can't fight for them."

Lester rested a hand on Jeanne's shoulder and said, "Hey, I know that shit must be rough for you...do you go to a therapist or something?"

"Yeah…but it doesn't make it easier, Santos," the woman sighed, "It never gets easier, you watch these children, you help them, grow close to them, form bonds with them but you know that only maybe one or two of them are going to survive…but I can't let them see me break, they need someone strong in their life, it has to be me."

Jeanne sobbed softly and asked, in a weak voice, "What am I…a lunatic? Why did I choose this job?"

Jeanne covered her eyes, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs and Lester could do nothing but rub her shoulder, watching as she fell apart, in silence.

This is a very tough job, honestly, I couldn't do it and it's hard to write at times. I should change the genre...