Chasing After My Life. (Another cancer story)

Chapter 22

A/N: The song to go with this chapter is called Let It Go by James Bay. Enjoy.

Leo
As I leaned over April lying in the bed,I saw her fingers move and grab hold of my shirt hem. I realized I was looking into her eyes. She was awake,she was alive. I kissed her forehead and let my lips linger there as I mumbled against it,I'm so glad you're okay and you're awake,I love you. Me too,I love you too,she whispered but I heard it through the mask. I sat back down and we held hands until we both fell asleep. The first I had slept in days. While we were asleep mom had come in to switch the mask to nubbins since the tests showed her lungs were getting stronger. The fluid was draining. My sleep was a restless sleep though. My nightmare didn't help and I think even I scared April with that nightmare. I sat up a mile high gasping when I woke up. April opened her eyes and panicked. She grasped my hand tighter. Leo,are you okay,she asked panicked. I calmed my breathing seeing her. Yeah I'm okay April I just had a dream,I said. Okay what was the dream it might help if you talk about it,she said. It's okay talking about it won't help me it's nothing important what's important it you are here and you're getting better,I said. Okay fine but I'm here if you decide you want too,and it's important too but yeah I'm glad I'm getting better I just need to get strength back,she said. Okay and I know and it is I know it will come back you've always been a strong girl even when you're weak,I said. Okay and Leo one question,she said. What,I asked. Why are you crying,she asked with a concerned smile on her face. The smile wasn't much but I haven't had one for days so it made it important. What I'm not crying,I said. Yeah you are,she said and reached up wiping away a tear. I am aren't I,I didn't know I was,I said. It's okay,she said and left her hand lingering on my cheek as she sat up at little bit being careful not to detach the chest tubes they implanted in her sides to remove fluid. They will take her back in once the fluid is gone to remove it. I leaned closer until our breaths mingled. I felt her lips part and gently pressed mine to hers as she wrapped her arms around my neck. We kissed for several seconds. I broke apart. By then we were both breathing heavy trying to catch our breaths. I love you so much,she said as she breathed out and smiled up at me as she caught her breath. I love you so much more you are my other half,I said and smiled back at her. I could see myself marrying this girl when we are older. She remained in that hospital bed for three days slowly gaining a little strength back. The doctors informed us that due to her lungs working to hard she should stay in a wheelchair if at all possible until her lungs get stronger. At least 3 weeks they said. She hated the idea but I told her she needed to for her to recover. When she gets sick it takes it out of her especially since this was another small tumor. Kate came in a couple hours later after April's week in the hospital,to remove the IV and help her get in the wheelchair and have the tank connected she would need this for another 2 weeks at least. They removed the chest tubes 4 days ago. Kate and my mom,and Kelsey another of my moms nursing friends,have been taking shifts caring for April. After April was settled we met mom down the corridor. I had my backpack on my back I had April's old clothes in there along with mine since we put the clean ones on. We had an emergency cancer meetings with her doctors. The led us down the hall to the conference room. Upon entering I could tell by the doctors faces that they did not have good news to tell us. We sat down. I believe we all know that we are here to discuss April's cancer,one of her many many doctors started out. It seems that while you have been getting better you are also getting worse,you see despite that you have almost achieved remission,your lungs have gotten worse,he finished out. They cut on the board with a scan of April's lungs. If you look here on the right,these are normal lungs,as you can tell they are healthy,nothing in them or on them,on the left are April's lungs,they aren't healthy,you can see where we have removed two different cancerous growths and that at the bottom despite being just drained,there is a small bit of fluid to worry about for now it's fine but in a couple weeks we will be back in the same spot,she said. The problem here is we've never had a patient like April whose made it this far but with her lungs in this shape,we don't know where to go from here,another doctor said. I propose that we let her go home and keep a check on her lungs,keep her on oxygen to keep the levels up,while we decide where to move from here,the respiratory doctor said along with the oncologist. I say we check every week,the respiratory therapist said. They piled mom down with everything she will need while I pushed April to discharge. Mom moved the car up and I lifted April into the backseat and the wheelchair in the trunk. I climbed next to her after I was done and mom pulled away. April looked out the window. A while later I saw tears sliding down her cheeks silently. I put my arm around her shoulders and let her frail body bury into mine as she cried. My shirt was wet when she was done but I could've cared less. What's wrong I asked. I'm gonna die she said. No you aren't April you have the best team in the world you will be fine be positive I said. Okay she whispered. Okay I whispered back. She stayed there leaning against me the rest of the ride home. Mom glanced back in the rear view mirror and smiled as she saw us curled up together.