Meet Again

Treatment

Later that evening Rory and Logan were getting Nicky ready to go to the hospital for his chemo treatment.

"Nicky, do you want your giraffe blanket?" Logan asked. Nicky nodded. "Alright, I'll go get it for you"

"Bubba, you do you want to take you today?" Rory asked. Nicky didn't like the treatments. It was scary and he knew that he was gonna feel sick afterwards. Rory and Logan wanted to do whatever they could to make him feel more comfortable and part of that was letting him pick who went with him each time.

"Um...daddy" Nicky said.

"Ok"

Shorty after Logan and Nicky left, Rory gave Grace and Sammy dinner. Rory was standing across from where they were sitting at the kitchen island and she was watching Grace very excitedly tell her about school.

"And we got to make art projects but we didn't get to take them home today because they were still wet" Grace signed

"Oh" Rory nodded. "So you'll bring it home tomorrow?" She signed.

Grace nodded. "And tomorrow we have a petting zoo"

"A petting zoo?" Rory asked.

"With animals" Grace signed

"Somebody is going to bring animals to your school?" Rory signed

Grace nodded.

"That sounds fun"

——

While Nicky was getting his infusion, Dr Johnson asked to speak to Logan. They stepped out of the room, but stayed where they could keep an eye on Nicky.

"At the end of today's treatment, we'll de-access his port" Dr Johnson said. "That means that we'll remove the needle and the tubes along with it, and he'll be left with just the internal port. He won't be having any more treatments for 2 weeks so there's no reason for it to stay open. It's an unnecessary risk for infection"

"Ok. That's good. He'll be happy to be able to take a shower without having to cover the tubes"

"I am a little concerned about the weight loss. It's common for patients to lose some weight during chemotherapy, but he's a small child and he shouldn't be losing weight as fast as he is. I know that chemo can affect taste buds. Foods that he used to love might not taste good anymore. I'm sure that he's also nauseous. Probably throwing up quite a bit and likely doesn't have much of an appetite. I wouldn't force feed him, but do what you can to get him to eat, even if it's not healthy food. I'm not concerned about a balanced diet right now. He can have whatever he wants if it means that he's eating"

"Ok"

"If he continues to refuse food, and he keeps losing weight, we'll have to consider putting in an NG tube" Dr Johnson said. "That's a tube that goes into his nose, all the way down to his stomach so he can get the nutrients that he needs"

"Ok"

——

That Friday Rory and Logan took the kids to Friday night dinner at the Gilmore's. Up until then, they'd been advised to keep Nicky home other than for doctor's appointments, so they hadn't been to Friday night dinner in over 3 weeks.

While the adults were having drinks in the living room Nicky and Grace were in the other room, putting together a puzzle and Sammy was watching them. They'd started the puzzle the last time they were there and wanted to finish it.

Rory was less focused on the conversation than she was on listening to the kids.

"Ace?" Logan asked quietly and gently nudged Rory's arm.

"Sorry" Rory said.

"You ok?" Lorelai asked

Rory nodded.

A little while later, they were taking about work when Nicky walked into the room. He sat down next to Rory and put his head on her lap.

"You finished your puzzle?" Rory asked

Nicky shook his head.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Logan asked

"I'm just tired" Nicky said quietly

"Do you wanna go home?" Rory asked. It didn't matter to her that they'd been at the Gilmore's for less than half an hour. If Nicky wasn't feeling well, she'd rather just go home so he can get ready for bed and go to sleep.

They decided to leave and 20 minutes late Nicky had changed into pajamas and was sitting on the couch. Logan was upstairs getting Grace and say ready for bed and Rory was in the kitchen.

"Nicky, what do you wanna eat?" Rory asked

"Nothing" Nicky said. It had been 2 weeks since he started chemo and since then, Nicky hadn't wanted to eat anything. Rory and Logan has been trying to get him to eat, but it was a struggle.

"You have to eat something before you go to sleep" Rory said.

"I'm not hungry"

"I know, but you still have to eat" Rory said as she walked over to Nicky and sat down on the coffee table across from him. "It can be anything you want"

"I don't want anything" Nicky said and started tearing up.

"Hey, come here" Rory wrapped her arms around Nicky, allowing him to cry into her shoulder. "I know" she rubbed his back. "I know it's hard, and I know that you don't feel good, but your body needs food. It's important"

"It's not fair" Nicky said through tears. "Why do I have to have medicine that makes me get sick?"

"You're right. It's not fair" Rory said. "But that medicine is gonna make you better. I know it doesn't feel like it, but it will. The medicine will make you better"

Nicky was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I wanna go to sleep"

"Ok" Rory sighed. "Come on"

——

The following Wednesday, Rory took Nicky to a doctor's appointment.

"Do you have any questions?" Dr Johnson asked Rory after he finished examining Nicky.

"No. I don't think so" Rory said.

"Ok. Now, I'm concerned about him not eating. Chemo is hard enough on the body without adding malnutrition into the mix. I'd like to get him set up with an NG tube"

"How does that work?" Rory asked

"It's a tube that goes-" The doctor started to explain, but Rory interrupted him.

"No. Sorry" she said. "I know what it is. I was asking how it would work? Would he have to stay in the hospital?"

"No. We would teach both you and your husband how to care for it, and we'd send you home with all the necessary equipment"

"Ok"