Mr. Whitfield- By: Riley Rivers

Chapter II

The next morning Jesse wasn't feeling like his usual nerdy self, so Nicole took off to help care for him. He kept telling her to stop and go to work and that he would care for himself but she ignored him.
"You're sick hun, just let me take care of you."
"But you should really be-" He tried to negotiate with her.
"Just relax and watch something on tv or something. But you can't get up unless you tell me."
"Ugh. For the last time Nicole, I don't have cancer, God!"
"All last night and this morning you have been throwing your guts out."
"That could have been from the tacos!"
"Sure, babe sure. I just recall that you said at like 5:00 last night that it wasn't just the tacos it was blood too."
"Ok, well sometimes I throw up blood."
"Jess, that's not normal. Normally people don't throw up or cough blood unless something is absolutely wrong."
"Alright well, you can continue your theories. I'm going to go out for a walk." He said, getting up to open the door.
"Be careful." She reminded him.
"Oh shut up, worry willy." He snarled in exasperation and walked outside.
Jesse started to head for the street sign and just when he couldn't go any further, he collapsed in exhaustion on the soft grass. Minutes passed and Nicole started to worry about him, so she walked outside only to find him breathing heavily on the ground.
"Jesse!" She cried and he tried to weakly call out, before passing completely out.
The next thing he remembered is after he woke up he was in a hospital. But where was Nicole? He tried to move but the nurse stopped him.
"You're ok, we just have to run some tests."
"Tests? What the hell kind of tests do you need to run on me?" He asked.
"We need to make sure that whatever happened was not from something."
"What in God's name do you mean by "something?"
"The woman who brought you in-"
"Probably Nicole..."
"Anyway, she said that you threw up blood and then she found you lying on the ground when she went to check on you."
"Blood and tacos. You can't forget the tacos."
"Right, well we want to make sure you don't have cancer."
"I don't have no goddamn cancer!"
"We just want to make sure, Mr. Whitfield."
"How the hell would I get cancer? I haven't even smoked my whole life!"
"Calm down. All we're going to do is just run you through a machine and it will tell us the results."
"The results I won't have to live with." He mumbled and they ran him through the machine. Immediately, they doctors were able to verify that he did in fact have cancer. They had him come back to the room, sat him down and told him the awful news.
"**** cancer, **** it!" He cried and the nurse soothed him.
"I think you should tell your friend."
He sighed. "I probably should, it'll make the pain less easier to deal with."
Jesse walked sullenly to Nicole with a frown on his face and she could read his signs he was giving her.
"What did they say?"
"It's as plain as day, I have cancer in my nerves. Before long it'll take over my body."
Nicole bawled heavy tears and Jesse even cried with her. He wished they wouldn't have to live with the fact of reality, but they did.
"How long do you have to live?"
"They didn't know for sure, they said maybe 9 months if treatment goes well and if not as little as 3."
"When do they start treatment?"
"They gave me a couple of shots and the next time I come they might have to start chemo."
"That sucks, babe."
"I know. **** cancer!"
"Yeah. But like you said, "we'll get through it together."
"Most definitely." He smiled, hugging her tightly.
"We'll be strong." She said, holding back tears.
"I'm hardly worrying about it, I'm more focused on our baby right now."
"Me too." She sobbed.
"Babe, what's wrong?"
"I'm not strong enough to deal with this."
"Come here." He embraced her and sighed.
"I never wanted you to end this way."
"Listen, I'm not dying today nor tomorrow and you're strong. Hell, you had what was it? 5 dry sockets in a lifetime?"
"Something like that."
"You were brave enough then, how is being brave now any different?"
"This time it's not something that I can't live with, now I have to live with it."
"Just for a little while, and then it'll all be gone forever."
"I hope."
"Nicole, I solemnly promise."