A Love Like No Other

Chapter 15

Recap: I busted through the door. There was Baylee on the floor, passed out. She looked...lifeless.

-Cody's POV-

I rushed to Baylee's side. I picked her up and carried her to the car, with my family trailing behind me asking tons of questions. I ignored them and put Baylee in the back seat and then got in. I drove to the nearest hospital as fast as I could. I'm surprised I didn't get a ticket. Once I arrived to the hospital, I jumped out of the car and grabbed Baylee. I ran in looking for someone who could help. A nurse must've noticed the fear in my eyes, because she immediately went and got a doctor. Soon after, there was about three nurses and a stretcher coming our way. They took Baylee from me and rolled her away on the stretcher. I watched as she went farther and farther down the hall.

-Couple of Hours Later-

I've been pacing this waiting room for hours. I haven't heard anything. I can't help but to think that's a bad thing. I started getting more and more stressed out until I saw the doctor, that took Baylee, come towards me. He looked emotionless. He stopped in front of me and let out a sigh.

"You're here for Baylee?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." I replied.

"Well, I'm very sorry to tell you that Baylee's stomach cancer seems to be progressing a lot quicker than we had expected." He said. My heart dropped. Tears filled my eyes. Cancer? Baylee can't possibly have cancer. Wait, than they expected? Baylee knew? 

"Wait. She knew?" I asked.

"Yes, son. She didn't tell you?" I shook my head and sat down with my head in my hands. It all came together. All the "stomach aches" she's been having, all the times that I thought she had an eating disorder, she had cancer.

"How bad is it?" I asked not really wanting to know the answer.

"Well, the cancer has spread to most of her stomach. Son, she might only have a few months to live." With those words I got up and ran to every room, frantically searching for Baylee.

"Wait! She needs her rest!" I heard the doctor yell behind. 

I ignored him and kept on searching. Once I found her, I ran to her side and grabbed her hand. Her eyes fluttered open. She reached up and wiped the tears from my cheek.

"How could you not tell me?" I managed to choke out in a shaky voice.

"I'm sorry, Cody. I didn't want you to worry about me." she said, tears now running down her face. I quickly wiped them away. 

"Baylee, I love you. Let me worry for you."   She tried to sit up, but quickly fell back down.

"Come here..." She said, while patting the space next to her on her bed. I got up and laid down. She turned on her side and stared into my eyes. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me. She leaned in, closing the space between our lips. This was a different kiss than ever before. More love than ever. Tears running down both of our faces. It was full of passion. I never wanted to pull away, knowing that the love of my life could die in just a few months. Then just what I didn't want to happen, Baylee pulled away.

"I love you, too." I grinned at what she said. Then, a brilliant idea popped into my head. I got up and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, while sitting down on the chair by the couch.

"Babe, what have you always wanted to do?" I asked.

"Um...learn how to surf!" She exclaimed. 

"Okay..." I said as I wrote that down on a sheet of notebook paper. "What else?"

"Go to Canberra!"

I laughed and wrote that down, too. We went on for about an hour, just writing down things that Baylee wanted to do. I was determined to fulfill every one of those tasks. After a while, Baylee dozed off in my arms. I was too scared that I would wake her, so I just stayed there and stroked her hair until I fell asleep.

I was quickly awoken by Baylee screaming out in pain and grasping my hand tightly. I managed to to free my hand and locate a nurse. I ran back to Baylee's hospital room, with the nurse on my heels. I stayed back and watched as the nurse as she put in different IVs and checked out the other machines. Baylee looked like she was in so much pain. She looked defeated. But she still managed to smile when she saw me staring at her. How can she be so brave?

-2 weeks later-

-Baylee's POV-

It's been two weeks and I'm still in the hospital. I have a feeling I'll be here until I die. But it hasn't been that bad. Cody's snuck me out plenty of times to accomplish some of the items on my "bucket list." I'm so glad that he stayed by my side. I had this fear that once he found out, he would leave me. That's why I never told him. I prayed every night that all of these pains and my cancer would just go away before he came back, but of course that didn't happen.

A sharp pain brought me back to reality. I cringed and groaned in pain. Cody must've heard me, because he had left the corner he was sleeping in and was sitting by my bed, holding my hand. There was no way to stop the pains. I was told I just had to fight through them. I don't know if I can fight much longer. These battles are wearing me down.