She’s my baby sister. My surprise baby sister and I guess I want
a shot at playing Big Brother.
“You look like shit,” I said when the last thirty minutes
were almost up.
“I feel it.” Chris’ face had paled to an off-white/greeny
color and his eyes were strained and tired. “The nurse was right. There’s no
way in hell I could drive like this.”
In that moment Chris’ nurse came into the room, walking
towards us with a thin brown file. She placed the file open on the table and
scribbled something inside before turning to Chris.
“Round one, done,” she said with a smile, fiddling with the
bag hanging up on the IV stand. “Relax your hand for me,” she asked after
gloving up again. Chris did as he was told and she slipped the line out of his
hand in one smooth stroke, applying a square of gauze in its place. “Apply
pressure to that for a minute or two.”
“Okay, you need to wait here for twenty minutes or so while
we see how you’re body is handling things. In the meantime you can take a walk
around if you’d like, and I’ll go and fetch your prescription.”
“Prescription?” Chris questioned.
“Just some antiemetics. Everyone reacts differently but most
patients suffer from some sickness. They will help with that. If you happen to
suffer severely, we can start giving it to you through an injection at your
next session.”
“Sure,” Chris agreed. “Okay.”
With another smile, Anna left us alone. Chris removed the
pressure from his hand and the tiny wound on the back of his hand had stopped
bleeding. We both stood up, stretching our limbs and made our way out to the
corridor. Chris popped the square of gauze in a yellow bin on the way out
before stumbling slightly and leaning against the wall for support.
“You okay?” I asked, putting a steadying hand on his
shoulder.
“Just a little dizzy. It’s passing already.”
Once he felt steady enough on his feet, we paced slowly up
and down the length of the corridor. We repeated the process for a full
twenty-minutes before heading back to the nurses’ station to see if we could
leave.
“Here you go,” Anna the nurse said, passing Chris a small,
white paper bag. “Be sure to read the leaflet that accompanies the tablets.
There is also a booklet in there explaining all the possible side-effects you
might experience, but if any are severe, don’t hesitate to get in touch with
us.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh and Paula’s number is also in there. You can call her at
any time with any concerns or questions, and so can your family. She’s here to
help all of you through this.” Hmm. Might be worth getting Emily to chat
with her , I thought to myself. “So, we’ll see you back here in two weeks.”
“Sure. Thanks again,” Chris muttered staring at the paper
bag as if he were trying to absorb everything she’d said.
We headed straight outside and Chris threw his head back,
sucking in the fresh air. I pulled my cell from my pocket and called for a cab.
It arrived just minutes later and after giving Chris a pat on the shoulder, we
climbed inside and made our way home.
Chapter Eight
Emily
“ You know you can come here whenever you
want,” Rachel’s mum, Caroline, said as we prepared to leave. “We’re here for
you whether Rachel’s here or not.”
“Thanks, Caroline. That means a lot to me.”
She pulled me in for a tight hug before letting me go
and holding me at arms length.
“Be strong, sweetheart. You’ll get through this.”
“I hope so,” was all I could say, because I still
don’t know if I can. “It’s been so nice seeing you, Emily. Promise you’ll come
and see us even when Rachel and Jared have gone back down south?”
“Of course,” I assured her, smiling warmly. “I
promise.”
I love Rachel’s parents. They have been better parents
to me than my own and I didn’t realise how much I’d missed them until I came
here today.
“And you,” Caroline added, turning to Rachel. “Come
and
a shot at playing Big Brother.
“You look like shit,” I said when the last thirty minutes
were almost up.
“I feel it.” Chris’ face had paled to an off-white/greeny
color and his eyes were strained and tired. “The nurse was right. There’s no
way in hell I could drive like this.”
In that moment Chris’ nurse came into the room, walking
towards us with a thin brown file. She placed the file open on the table and
scribbled something inside before turning to Chris.
“Round one, done,” she said with a smile, fiddling with the
bag hanging up on the IV stand. “Relax your hand for me,” she asked after
gloving up again. Chris did as he was told and she slipped the line out of his
hand in one smooth stroke, applying a square of gauze in its place. “Apply
pressure to that for a minute or two.”
“Okay, you need to wait here for twenty minutes or so while
we see how you’re body is handling things. In the meantime you can take a walk
around if you’d like, and I’ll go and fetch your prescription.”
“Prescription?” Chris questioned.
“Just some antiemetics. Everyone reacts differently but most
patients suffer from some sickness. They will help with that. If you happen to
suffer severely, we can start giving it to you through an injection at your
next session.”
“Sure,” Chris agreed. “Okay.”
With another smile, Anna left us alone. Chris removed the
pressure from his hand and the tiny wound on the back of his hand had stopped
bleeding. We both stood up, stretching our limbs and made our way out to the
corridor. Chris popped the square of gauze in a yellow bin on the way out
before stumbling slightly and leaning against the wall for support.
“You okay?” I asked, putting a steadying hand on his
shoulder.
“Just a little dizzy. It’s passing already.”
Once he felt steady enough on his feet, we paced slowly up
and down the length of the corridor. We repeated the process for a full
twenty-minutes before heading back to the nurses’ station to see if we could
leave.
“Here you go,” Anna the nurse said, passing Chris a small,
white paper bag. “Be sure to read the leaflet that accompanies the tablets.
There is also a booklet in there explaining all the possible side-effects you
might experience, but if any are severe, don’t hesitate to get in touch with
us.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh and Paula’s number is also in there. You can call her at
any time with any concerns or questions, and so can your family. She’s here to
help all of you through this.” Hmm. Might be worth getting Emily to chat
with her , I thought to myself. “So, we’ll see you back here in two weeks.”
“Sure. Thanks again,” Chris muttered staring at the paper
bag as if he were trying to absorb everything she’d said.
We headed straight outside and Chris threw his head back,
sucking in the fresh air. I pulled my cell from my pocket and called for a cab.
It arrived just minutes later and after giving Chris a pat on the shoulder, we
climbed inside and made our way home.
Chapter Eight
Emily
“ You know you can come here whenever you
want,” Rachel’s mum, Caroline, said as we prepared to leave. “We’re here for
you whether Rachel’s here or not.”
“Thanks, Caroline. That means a lot to me.”
She pulled me in for a tight hug before letting me go
and holding me at arms length.
“Be strong, sweetheart. You’ll get through this.”
“I hope so,” was all I could say, because I still
don’t know if I can. “It’s been so nice seeing you, Emily. Promise you’ll come
and see us even when Rachel and Jared have gone back down south?”
“Of course,” I assured her, smiling warmly. “I
promise.”
I love Rachel’s parents. They have been better parents
to me than my own and I didn’t realise how much I’d missed them until I came
here today.
“And you,” Caroline added, turning to Rachel. “Come
and
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