The Ten-Year Game Plan

Chapter 38- Josie

Danny was back in the hospital. Pneumonia.

When I was young, maybe eight, my dad made me watch the movie Groundhog Day. Basically, Bill Murray lives the same day over and over again. Because of that, I was so bored watching it that my dad and I started playing a game instead. We tried to come up with days that we wouldn't mind living over and over. I was selfish and said Christmas and he said something cheesy like his wedding or the day I was born. We spent most of the movie deciding which days we wouldn't mind being stuck in.

Sitting with the Starr's in a hospital room that looked the same as all of the other ones, I knew that each of them wouldn't be cheesy or selfish with their answers. They would just pick any day where Danny wasn't in the hospital.

Not a single one of them would complain either. Because all it meant was that they could wake up the next day knowing that Danny would be there.

"You should go, Fish," Donovan murmured, pressing his lips into my hair. "Doctors said the biopsy results won't come back for a day or two. I promise I'll call when they come back."

I lifted my head from his shoulder to narrow my eyes. "I don't want to leave."

"Your test is soon," he smiled sleepily. "I need you to do well on it so I can tell everyone that my girl is a lawyer."

"You do that anyway." I rolled my eyes and he squeezed my shoulder.

"Yeah, but someday it actually needs to be true."

I sighed, checking the time on my phone. 1:37 am. I had a class I needed to be up for in six hours. Danny had been asleep in his bed for the last few hours while Donovan and I watched over him. Their parents had stepped out to take a walk— likely to cry. Neither of them liked crying in front of their sons. I'd realized that on accident.

"I can't convince you to go home with me?"

This was a groundhog conversation. One we'd had many times. It always started the same and it always ended the same.

Donovan shook his head, bags under his eyes and messy hair, but he was still the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. I kissed him. Once. Twice.

"You sure?"

He grinned and some of the life returned to his eyes.

"Every time you kiss me I get a little less sure."

Before I could respond, Danny coughed.

"I'm gonna throw up," the youngest Starr groaned.

"Oh shit," Donovan swore, standing quickly and shuffling around searching for the bucket Danny was given for his nausea. He placed it on Danny's side table. "Here's the bucket. Let me get the nurse—"

"I meant 'cause you're disgusting not that I was actually going to throw up."

Donovan's body released some of the tension he just took on in the last twenty seconds. He flipped his brother off and then settled back on to the small couch.

Danny turned his gaze to me. Even in the darkness of the hospital room, I could see the sick hanging over him. Some days were worse than others, and today was bad. He seemed to fade into the hospital bed. This particular batch of chemo had hit him hard. Fighting poison with poison was how he explained it.

"You going?" He asked and I nodded. He hesitated a moment, taking a laborious breath. "You remember what we talked about?"

Oh, god.

"I— yeah, Danny, I remember."

"Good." He nodded to himself, settling back into his bed. "That's really good."