Believe in Me

Chapter 58

I just nodded in response.

"Okay, so as far as treatment goes, we will need to do a biopsy of the tumor, but we will do that through surgery. Of course, if we are able to remove the tumor during surgery we will, but it is unlikely that we get all of it. After that we will start her on chemo and radiation and see how her body responds to that. There are other options of treatment for the leukemia if we need that, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there." he explained.

I pull Anna's body away from me to see her reaction to it all. She wasn't crying anymore, but she had a glossy look about her. I made it so she was facing me and continued to rub her back.

"Do you have any questions, baby?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Okay. So what now?" I asked the doctor.

"Well, actually, we aren't able to do anything until her back is completely healed. We don't want to risk putting her body into too much shock, so for now, you can actually go home. We will schedule the surgery in a little over a week, but until then, just keep Anna as healthy as possible. She is prone to bleeding and bruising so no intense physical activity. Make sure she is sleeping and drinking plenty of water and if she develops a persistent fever greater than 103, take her straight to emergency. Other than that, don't get her back wet for twenty-four hours. After that you can take the bandages off and clean it to avoid infection." the doctor explained.

I nodded my head, taking in all the information.

"Any other questions?" he asked.

"No. Thank you so much." I said, shaking hands with him as he and the team of doctors walked out.

"Anna, you get to go home." I said with a smile.

She looked me in the eyes and I could tell she was happy she would get a quick break from all of this.

"Come on. Let's go get your stuff and go home." I said, helping her back into the wheelchair to go back to her room before heading home.

*That night*

Demi's POV:

I had called Bella, Marissa and my family and told them the news. I was glad that they were being so supportive. They assured me that if I ever needed anything I shouldn't hesitate to call. I also called Nick and told him, just because she had grown close to Anna and I thought he deserved to know. He was supportive as well. He was always such a great friend.

Bella was going to come over tonight, but Anna was in a lot of pain still so I told her she should wait and come tomorrow. She was understanding and I was thankful for that. I really want the three of us, Bella, Anna and I, to become like a little family, but I figured Anna might need a little time.

I was currently sitting on the couch, watching the ID channel while Anna slept in my room upstairs. She basically slept all day. I mean, I didn't blame her though. With all she'd been through, I bet all she wanted to do was sleep.

I was a couple episodes in when I heard a gasp from upstairs.

Anna's POV:

I woke up to a sharp pain in my lower stomach. I instantly rolled over and clutched it as the pain shot down, radiating through my legs. It was one of the most unpleasant things I had ever felt. I got up, limping my way to the bathroom. I figured maybe I just had weird cramping from needing to poop or something. I pulled my pants down and was mortified by the sight in front of me. I didn't know what to do. My pants were stained with blood. I let out a loud gasp without meaning to.

Demi's POV:

I ran upstairs, taking the steps two at a time, before bursting into my room. Anna wasn't on my bed, but I could see from the crack under the door that the bathroom light was on. I walked over and knocked.

"Anna? Are you okay?" I asked.

I got a slight sob in return so I pushed the door open in panic. Anna was sitting, hunched over on the toilet.

"Oh my god! What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

That's when I noticed that her pants were down to her ankles and had a streak of blood on them. She was getting her period.

"Aw, baby. It's okay. You're just getting your period." I said, rubbing her back.

"It hurts!" Anna whined.

"I know. You wait here and I'll be back with some pain killers and fresh clothes." I said, walking out of the bathroom and returning in a matter of minutes.

"Here baby. Take these." I said, handing Anna two pills.

She eagerly swallowed them with nothing but her saliva and then looked up at me expectantly.

"Those are gonna take a little while to kick in. Usually I would suggest a warm bath, but you can't get your back wet so how about we get you changed and then we just lay down?" I asked.

"Okay." She weakly said.

"I don't usually use pads, but I think I have some under the sink just in case Madison ever got her period here." I said, digging around for them.

"Ah, here they are. Change your underwear then I'll show you how to put this on." I said, waiting as she gently pulled her stained underwear offer ankles and replacing them with the fresh ones I had brought.

"Do you want me to put it on your underwear for you or do you think you can?" I asked.

"I can do it, Demi. It's pretty simple." Anna said.

I nodded, handing her the folded up pad. She quickly strapped it to her underwear, wiped and then shakily stood up.

"Demi, when are the painkillers gonna kick in?" She whined.

"Probably a half hour baby. I'm sorry." I said, sympathetically.

She groaned a bit, clutching her stomach.

"Come on, let's lay down. I know something that might help." I suggested.

She nodded her head and trudged over to my bed, instantly curling herself in a tight ball.

I climbed in after her and tried to rub her back, but it didn't seem to help.

"Baby. Lay flat and I'll rub your tummy for you." I said.

She hesitated, but rolled over onto her back, next to me. I layed down on my side, propping my head up with one hand while the other slide under Anna's shirt and began gently massaging her lower stomach.

She groaned a little, but other than that it seemed to help her. The painkillers kicked in less than an hour later and she was finally able to fall back asleep.

As soon as Anna was asleep, my mind began to wonder.

What did this mean for her fertility? Like I knew Anna's doctor had told her that chemo would ruin those chances, but she just got her period. What in the world did this mean? I needed to call her doctor.