Georgie was in the office at Fairfield, sorting through invoices and financial statements. Truth be told, this was the one place where she felt she put aside all of her worries and once and for all, just focus. That's why when Lisa mentioned she was looking for extra help around here, she'd volunteered without giving a second thought.

Today, however, life had other plans.

Georgie's phone rang, prompting her to rummage under the mess of papers and fish it out. It was Katie calling. "Hello?"

"Hey, Georgie, are you at work?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, on your way back, could you pick up a few things? Mom was asking."

Georgie's brows furrowed. "What things?"

"Um, I can text them to you."

"Where are you?"

"At school."

"So then why didn't she just ask me directly?"

Katie inhaled quietly, trying to push through to the end of this conversation. "No, she mentioned it in the morning and it slipped my mind."

Georgie bit down on her lip. "Right, okay. Yeah, just text it to me."

"Will do. See you tonight."

When Katie's text came in, Georgie's brows furrowed once more. "What the…?"

Georgie dialed Lou's number, and waited. Her mother answered almost straight away.

"Hey, sweetie, is everything okay?"

"I don't know, you tell me. Why's there an ice pack on the list you gave to Katie?"

Lou took a pause before answering. "What?"

Georgie exhaled sharply. "The ice pack. In the list you gave to Katie. Why do you need it?"

"Oh, that. Don't worry about it."

Georgie ignored Lou, and went on. "The other things I understand. The Aspirin refill, your eye drops. The ice pack is new."

Lou didn't answer.

"Did something happen? I mean, did you—?"

"What? No, nothing like that. It's just…I've been getting these hot flashes, ever since chemo ended. I mean, they warned me about it, but it's worse than I thought."

"Chemo ended weeks ago," said Georgie, an accusation in her tone.

"Look, if it's too much, I can go into town later. I just didn't know when you'd be home, so…"

Georgie's eyebrow dipped. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been staying out late these days. Are you…I mean, are you with your friends?"

Georgie suppressed an eye roll. "No, I'm at work. There's a lot of things to sort out here, and sometimes the horses need checking up on, and these stable hands are…well, some of them are new."

Silence on the other end.

Georgie sighed. "You know, I think it's best if you grab these things on your own."

"Yeah, no, that's fine. Just be back in time. So I can get there before the stores close."

"Sure. Yeah."

After ending the call, Georgie grabbed her keys and headed for the truck. Almost on autopilot.

Once she was out on the road, she finally remembered to leave a message to Lisa, informing her that she had to step out for a bit, and that she'd be back a little later.

After grabbing the necessary supplies, Georgie drove home. She had just entered the kitchen when she spotted Lou in front of the freezer, the door swinging open. She turned, and the sight took Georgie aback.

"Oh, Georgie, thank God. I was just about to call you," said Lou, breathing heavily, her face and neck reddened by the heat.

Georgie, stunned, threw herself into action. She grabbed the ice packs, and broke them over the round table, activating them. She led Lou to a chair, got her to sit down and then applied one to her collarbone, and placed the other in her hand. "Here."

Lou took it graciously, pressing it against her cheek. "Oh, honey, you came right on time."

Georgie stood for a few seconds too long, not sure what to do with herself. She finally took a seat beside Lou, resting her elbow on the table surface. "I didn't know it would get this bad," she said, her voice sullen.

"I didn't either," Lou breathed, taking in heaps of air.

"How long do these last?"

"Usually a few minutes," said Lou, removing the ice pack from her face.

"Usually?"

Lou shrugged, indicating she didn't want to talk about this any further.

"Do you want to lie down?" Georgie asked, shifting her gaze to the bedrooms.

"No, I really shouldn't. It's the middle of the day."

"Katie won't be back for a few hours."

Lou seriously considered it a moment before declining further. "It's fine, it's passing." She shifted the ice pack to her other collarbone, letting it rest a moment before bringing it down.

"It's over?" checked Georgie.

Lou nodded.

"So what, it just flares up? Randomly?"

"You could say that."

"'Cause I've read about these and it's not always random."

"Honey…"

"I mean, did something happen? Did you go out in the sun for too long?"

Lou sighed. "No, nothing happened."

Georgie stared back at Lou. "If it's because of earlier, then—"

"No, it wasn't that. You know that my results are supposed to come in soon, and it's just got me worked up."

"When exactly is that?"

"Should be any day now."

"Oh," said Georgie simply.

They made eye contact for a brief moment, both of them debating whether or not it was time for them to speak.

Thankfully, there was a knock at the front door, which pulled Georgie away.

She opened the screen door to reveal a twenty-something nurse in navy blue scrubs. Startled at the scene, Georgie immediately asked, "Can I help you?"

The nurse gave Georgie a small smile, asking, "Is Lou around? We have an appointment."

Despite her confusion, Georgie made way for the young woman. It seemed Lou was aware of her visit and they had a previously-established rapport. Just another thing to add to the long list of things nobody bothered to inform Georgie about.

Except maybe this time, she had nobody to blame but herself.

After some time, footsteps emerged from the direction of Lou's room. Georgie stood from her spot near the fireplace. It was the nurse.

She got straight to it. "Your mom tells me you weren't aware of my visits."

Georgie laughed a little, surprised. "Yeah, I guess something about boundaries."

"Still. I feel like I was sprung on you. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, it's not your fault."

"I'm Jenna."

"Georgie," she returned.

The nurse gave her a small nod. "It's nice to meet you. We're just about wrapped up in there. I was wondering if you had any questions, concerns?"

Once again, Georgie found herself surprised. "Oh…I mean, am I allowed to ask?" Her gaze floated over to the bedrooms in an attempt to make sure the coast was clear.

"Lou gave the go-ahead."

Georgie's eyebrows went up. "Ah."

Jenna nodded. "Yeah, I mean, everything seems to be progressing fine. Your dad asked me to come in a few days a week, just to check in and make sure she's taking her medications, and drinking enough water, that sort of thing."

"Is she? Drinking enough water, I mean."

"Why do you ask?"

"She's been experiencing hot flashes. Just before you showed up, she had a bit of an episode."

Jenna nodded again. "From what she told me, yes. But between you and me, I would offer her a few extra glasses here and there. It would help with the fatigue as well."

Something flashed behind Georgie's eyes. She struggled against the lump forming in her throat. "Right. Um, is there something else I need to be worried about? Like, is she on a weird amount of medication?"

"No, I would say it's pretty standard. She said she's getting her final results soon; you'll definitely know more then."

"Right, of course," said Georgie, throwing a hand in the air. "Thank you."

"Yeah, no worries. I'm just going to check in with Lou once more, and I'll be on my way."

Once Jenna had gone, Georgie tentatively made her way toward Lou's room. She stood in the doorway, leaning heavily against the frame. She didn't speak. At least for a little while, anyway.

Lou was up, nervously cleaning up her space. She turned to Georgie. "What is it, honey?"

Georgie fought against the lump in her throat, not knowing which one of her many complaints to lay out in front of Lou. Finally, she decided on one. "Your friend tells me you haven't been drinking enough water."

Lou stopped what she was doing. Maybe it was her tone, or maybe it was the way she was carrying herself, or rather, the way she wasn't. "What?"

"You're not drinking enough water, your room is a touch too warm, and I hear you're tired all the time."

"Honey, there's only so much I can control."

Georgie laughed a little, stealing away her gaze. "Right, says you."

"I have a handle on this, I promise you," said Lou, taking a seat at her dresser. "Is that what's really bugging you?" asked Lou.

Georgie reserved her silence for a moment too long. Finally, "Did she actually do anything while she was here?"

Lou set her things down in front of her. "Yeah, she tested a few things. My blood pressure, my lymph nodes."

"She find anything wrong?" asked Georgie, making sure.

"No, she gave me the okay."

Georgie nodded. "Alright."

The front door opened, and Lisa called out. "Georgie? Honey? Are you here?"

Georgie met Lisa in the hall, and filled her in on the situation.

"Oh, alright." She looked visibly relieved. "Well, as long as everyone's okay."

"Yeah," said Georgie, trying to remember what exactly she said to Lisa on the voicemail. "I think I'm going to stick around here for the rest of the day. I'm kind of exhausted."

Lisa rubbed Georgie's shoulder. "That's a good idea. I think I'll do the same."

For the next few hours, Georgie was in and out of sleep. She was a weird kind of exhausted, one where she couldn't get proper rest, nor could she muster the courage to get up.

Just before dinner, Lou ventured upstairs to the attic. The lights were off, and Georgie had managed to drift off to sleep. Lou just hoped she'd gotten enough rest.

Despite her hesitation, Lou reached out a hand, caressing Georgie's forehead. "Honey, it's time to wake up."

"Hmm?"

"Dinner's ready."

"Hm."

Lou pushed the hair away from Georgie's forehead. "You've been asleep a while. Everyone's been asking about you."

"Why? Is there something they don't want me to know?"

Lou pressed her thumb and index finger to her eyes. She sighed.

Georgie opened her eyes, abruptly pushing the blanket down to her waist. She sat up and switched on her lamp. "What is it? Did your doctor finally call?" she asked, her heart thumping.

"No! No, I just wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"Nothing. I just missed you," said Lou, reaching out a hand to cradle Georgie's face, which Georgie managed to dodge. Lou retracted her hand. "Are you going to work tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I guess."

Lou nodded.

"Maybe I'll head to work, and Jenna can come over, hang out here. Since she knows all about your scans and when your results are coming in."

"Honey, you knew as well as anyone that we'd be getting the phone call this week."

"Yeah, but why'd you have to go and tell her?" demanded Georgie, her voice shaking.

"It just slipped. I didn't think anything of it."

"A complete stranger has more access to you than I ever will," Georgie accused.

"You've got this all wrong, sweetheart. If you would just look at it—"

"I don't care how I've got it," said Georgie, shrugging the blanket away and getting out of bed. "You and me are never going to be on the same page."

"Look, I just want for this whole thing to be behind us. I want it to stop consuming you. I want you to return to your life, get back to pursuing your dream."

"What dream?" asked Georgie, knowing well enough what Lou was referring to.

"The Olympics, honey."

"That dream died a long time ago."

Lou's expression hardened. "Don't say that."

Georgie nodded a little, finally looking away.

Footsteps sounded up the stairs. Georgie turned to see Lisa coming into her room.

"Hey, you two. Tim wants everybody downstairs."

Lou shifted in her spot, gripping the edge of the mattress. "Why? Is everything okay?"

"Well…" Lisa's voice strained. "He's getting a bit stir-crazy in anticipation of your results coming in. He's attempting to convince everyone to get bone marrow testing done."

Lou sighed, "Great. I'm sure Katie's heard everything as well."

"She's nearby," nodded Lisa, confirming Lou's suspicion.

Lou stood, starting for the door.

Lisa's gaze was fixed on Georgie, who hadn't moved an inch. "Honey, you're needed downstairs, too."

"For the discussion happening downstairs? I don't think they'd even consider me as a candidate," said Georgie matter-of-factly.

"It's true," began Lou. "You won't be getting tested, but for the same reason that Katie won't be. Because I'm not going to allow it."

"Mom, I don't…" Georgie began, attempting to pull away.

But this time, Lou managed to interlock her hand with Georgie's, pulling her toward her. "Let's go."

Once downstairs, Georgie took a seat on the second from bottom step. Katie joined her soon after, seeking comfort from her sister.

Tim was visibly disheveled, and the crazed look in his eye did him no favours. "Lou, honey, just listen to me for a sec."

Lou inhaled, preparing herself. "I'm listening."

Tim went on. "Look, you told me earlier that your doctor was supposed to call you. I don't know exactly when, but it seems, for whatever reason, she is taking her time."

Lou was acutely aware of her daughters seated behind her, just off to her left. She prayed Tim wouldn't completely unravel in front of them. "Right."

"So, I just got to thinking, what if we all got tested? Just so we're prepared."

Lisa spoke up. "But Tim, it might not even be an option for Lou. It's usually for those that are worse off at the time of diagnosis."

Lou looked back at her daughters. They seemed worn out. Like they'd aged ten years in just as many minutes. She turned to Tim. "And not to mention that the last time I checked, my bone marrow was still intact."

"Right, but it has been some time since the initial…" Tim faltered, noticing the look he was getting from Jack. Tim turned to Jessica. "What was it you were saying the other day? I…"

Jessica rubbed his arm. "It's okay. Let's just… not spiral before we have to."

Tim threw a hand in the air. "Okay, but what's wrong with being prepared? As a family, shouldn't we know these things? Not to mention our blood types. I know for sure you and I are compatible, Lou."

"Yes, we are," Lou agreed. "But Dad, right now, we've already had a day. I think we should just…sit down and have a quiet dinner."

Tim exhaled, wiping his brow. He was quiet for a few moments before relenting. "Alright. You got it. There's no need to panic," he said, mostly to himself.

Katie stood, inching toward the bedrooms. "Whose phone is that?"

Lou turned toward her. "What?"

"I hear ringing," said Katie as she followed the sound. It led her to her mother's room.

Katie's ears were pounding as she picked up the device, answering it before it could go to voicemail. She turned to find Lou in the doorway, her hand outstretched. "It's okay," she thought she heard Lou say, so she dropped the device in Lou's palm and backed up, giving her some space.

She tried listening to what Lou was saying over the phone, but her efforts were in vain. It wasn't until Lou got off the phone and a smile formed at her lips that Katie understood.

"It's good news?" she asked, hoping her hearing had cleared up now.

"It's good news," said Lou, nodding profusely, her smile bright. She managed to bring Katie into an embrace before the rest of the gang swarmed them.

Lou made her way through everybody, receiving and giving hugs right back. As she got to the end of the line, she turned, her eyes searching for her eldest. She felt her heart twist when she realized Georgie wasn't there.

As Lou retraced her steps, she found Georgie on the steps leading up to the attic. She hadn't moved an inch. Lou stopped, an arm's length away from her. "Sweetheart," she breathed.

Without looking up, she asked, "It's over?"

Lou maneuvered herself into the step above Georgie's, and caressed her back. "It's over."

A wave of sobs rose up inside Georgie. She buried her face in her mother's lap, and lamented. She'd been holding back for months, and she couldn't any longer.

She felt Lou hug her back, securing her in place. For now, Georgie wouldn't pull away.

The next morning, Katie got ready and headed downstairs, hoping to catch a ride to school with Georgie. She asked her mother, who informed her that Georgie hadn't even woken up yet.

Katie looked out the window, and sure enough, the family SUV was still parked in the yard.

She stood there for a moment too long. Katie then went back upstairs and sat in her sister's empty bed.

Dammit.

A/N: Next chapter (or the one after) should be the last. Let's see.

Thank you for reading!