Time seemed to slow down for Nick as soon as he picked up Chloe. He picked her up and she arched on his shoulder, she didn't feel like she usually did when he lifted her, she felt limp in his arms while he lifted her. Then when he sat her down and she fell on the floor unconscious and shaking, he felt sick to his stomach.
Christi saw Chloe fall and immediately got up and ran down the stairs and into studio A. Abby was at the front desk calling 911. Nick was holding Chloe in his arms carrying her over to Christi. Christi took Chloe from Nick's arms, and had tears in her eyes, she didn't know what was wrong with her little girl.
Abby ran back into the room saying they were sending an ambulance. Christi handed Chloe back to Nick and said she had to go get Clara, because her babysitter would have to be leaving soon, Christi told Abby and Nick that she would meet them at the hospital.
The EMT's showed up a few minutes later and told Nick to lay Chloe down on the floor, they gave Chloe an EKG and then instructed for Nick to carry her out to the entrance so they could put her on a gurney and take her to the hospital.
Nick walked out to the entrance with Chloe in his arms, before he placed her on the gurney he placed a light kiss on her cheek. Chloe was like his little sister, except sometimes he questioned if he felt more than just her being his little sister.
The EMT's loaded Chloe up in the ambulance. Abby was going to take Nick to the hospital. Abby and Nick followed the ambulance. The EMT's rushed Chloe into the building behind big double doors. The front desk told Abby and Nick that they would have to wait to see her until after the doctor sees her and they do some tests.
Abby took a seat in one of the chairs in the waiting room. Nick sat down next to her and pulled out his phone to text his mom and tell her what happened. As he locked his phone after texting his mom and explaining to her what happened to Chloe, she said to keep her informed on what was happening. Nick wiped away a tear that had formed in his eye.
A few minutes later Christi came running in with Clara on her hip. She rushed over to Abby and Nick. "Hey, have they told you anything yet?" Abby looked up and had a few tears running down her face. This shocked Christi because of all the years Chloe had been one Abby's students, Abby had never felt bad for Chloe. Christi gave Clara to Nick, while her and Abby got up and took a walk to talk about what had happened. Nick was thinking of what had happened himself. He couldn't get the image of Chloe falling in the ground out of his head.
Abby and Christi came back a few minutes later. Christi took Clara from Nick and sat down next to Abby.
After what seemed like hours later to Abby, Christi, and Nick, a doctor came out and spoke to them.
"Mrs. Lukasiak?" A doctor came out and called her name. Christi, Abby, and Nick sprang up and walked over to the doctor. "How is she?" Christi questioned. "Well, she seems to be mentally and physically exhausted. Also there is something that we saw on a scan we did of her brain that concerned us." The doctor proceeded to say. "And that would be?" Abby asked the doctor. Once again the world seemed to almost stop for Nick as the doctor told them what they had found in Chloe's brain. "Well...Chloe has a...brain tumor growing on her brain." The doctor spoke slowly. Christi lost it, she started crying uncontrollably, Abby looked at the ground at a loss for words, and Nick stared at the doctor in shock, how could Chloe have a brain tumor she was just twelve years old, Nick thought as his eyes began to water. "Can we see her?" Christi asked, as her voice began to crack, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
The doctor sighed. This isn't going to be good, Nick thought to himself as he prepared himself for what was about to come out of the doctor's mouth. "You can but please don't stay long. She needs to rest and we will do more test tomorrow morning." The doctor stated then walked away, nodding at them.
Christi, Abby and Nick all ran to Chloe's room after finding out from the desk what her room number was. "303...304..305..306..307." Nick said as he ran down the hallway with Christi and Abby behind him. "Wait, 307! Christi it's this room right here!" Nick said as he stopped in front of Chloe's room. Christi pushed open the door lightly, Abby followed behind her, and then Nick walked in behind them. Christi broke down in tears again as she saw her daughter. Chloe didn't look like herself. Her face was all flushed and she had a bandage wrapped around her wrist from where, she landed on it when she hit the floor. But other than that, she still looked like the same Chloe, with her blonde hair, brown eyes, tan skin.
When Chloe saw that her mom Abby and Nick were here. She sat up and gave them a small weak smile. "Hi baby, how do you feel?" Christi asked her daughter. Clara who had fallen asleep when Christi was carrying her, was now sleeping in one of the chairs in Chloe's hospital room.
"Good, my head and wrist hurt thought." Chloe said in a weak voice, still trying to smile through the pain she felt in her head and her wrist. Nick looked at the ground he couldn't help but feel if this was his fault. He could have caught her when he set her down. He could have prevented this from happening he thought in his mind, when in reality he couldn't and it wasn't his fault.
About two hours later Abby announced that she needed to leave and head home. It was going on midnight and Nick knew that he should be heading home too, but he couldn't leave Chloe by herself, not yet.
A nurse came in shortly after Abby had left and Chloe had just been talking to her mom, when a nurse came in, she checked all the wires attached to Chloe and made sure everything was how it should be, after she checked on Chloe she asked Christi to come fill some medical papers out at the desk. Christi agreed picked Clara up and told Nick that she would be back soon, and then walked out the door with the nurse.
Nick stood up from where he was sitting against the wall and walked over next to Chloe, originally where Christi was sitting. "Hey Chlo." He said softly. "Hi." She whispered back, Nick noticed her voice was getting raspier. Nick looked down when Chloe looked over at him after a minute of silence; Nick wiped a tear that had made its way down his cheek. Chloe looked at him with her brown eyes. "What's wrong Nick?" She asked him, her voice a little more raspy than it was before. "Nothing Chlo." He responded. She gave him a look. "Fine, I feel horrible and I feel like it's my fault you are here." He said as his voice started to get shaky. He knew he was about to cry, he cared so much about Chloe and he didn't want to see her in pain. "Nick.." Chloe started, and then lost her voice.
A few minutes later Chloe tried to speak again. "Nick..It's not your fault this happened. You couldn't control it, even if you could I still wouldn't blame you for it." She said with as much of a smile she cold master while she winced from a sudden rush of pain. Nick got up and walked over to her bedside. She patted the spot next to her indicating for him to lie down next to her. Nick decided to lay down next to her and he wrapped his arm around her small waist, as gently as he could not knowing how much pain she was in.
They laid like that for a while, with Nick's arm around Chloe's waist and her head resting on his shoulder. Nick leaned his head down kissed her forehead. "I love you Chlo." Nick said gently. Chloe smiled and looked up into his green eyes. "I love you too Nick." She leaned up and kissed his cheek, before leaning her head back on his shoulder and snuggling her head in the crook of his neck. About fifteen minutes later Nick felt Chloe's breathing slow and become softer, he tried not to move his head much, and looked down at her to see her asleep on his shoulder. He smiled and leaned his head on top of hers, waiting for Christi to come back.
