♘ Be Brave ♘

LXXXI

Tears burn behind my eyes. No. No. NO! Not my Cassie, not her. ANYONE BUT HER! I stifle a sob and hold her to me. Strangely enough, she looks... at peace. "You're gonna be fine. It'll gonna be okay. I know it will." Cassandra smiles. "Of course." Behind me, Johanna, Zeke, and Lauren are trying to fight back tears; I can tell.

Robin is just standing there with a smug "I told you so" look on her face. Johanna clears her throat, and walks over to Irene with her hands clasped. "Are you sure?" Irene looked away.

"I wish there was some way to prove the results wrong, but there isn't. I'm sorry." Lauren cries out and immediately slaps a hand over her mouth. "Hey. There's no need to start flooding Irene's office with tears. I'll be fine." How Cassandra can be so nonchalant right now is beyond me.

"When do we start chemo?" Irene purses her lips. "Are you a hundred percent sure you want to go through all that again?" Cassandra shrugs. "It's my only chance, isn't it?" Irene nods. "Then yes. I do. Under one condition - that you allow me to stay here. Just... don't confine me to a bed, alright? You know I won't stay still anyway."

Irene smiles. "Okay. You'll have to stay here for several weeks. Have you talked with your faction leaders about this?" I stop Cassandra before she can answer. "Don't worry. She can stay as long as she needs to." Irene sighs. "All right. Follow me, and I'll take you to your room. You need your rest. Day one of chemo is tomorrow."

Cassandra nods, and follows her out after giving each of us a hug. "Don't worry, guys. I'm going to be fine. I promise." The words she had spoken to me so long ago echo in my mind. Don't make promises you can't keep. But I smile anyway.

I smile like I believe her, like my world hasn't just been turned upside down. We arrive at the hospital room, and Cassandra sits on the edge of the bed. "What about my things?" Irene pats her hand. "Don't worry, dear. We'll provide everything you need. I'll give you a few minutes to say good-bye. May I speak with you for a second, Johanna?"Mrs. Reyes nods, and they step out of the room after closing the door.

We're silent for a while, until Cassandra speaks up. "Hey, guys, this pity party thing is really getting old. It's not like I'm never going to see you again! I'll be back in no time. You'll see." She hugs us each in turn, and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, okay?" I force myself to smile. "Okay."