ORIGINAL:The Boy With A Touch Of Cancer(BxB)

3. Hospitals, Hotels...Who Knows The Difference?

"Hey, dude. Guess I know who my roommate is now."

I turned around to see one of my best friend's Will Newton standing there. He grinned at me as he threw his backpack down on his bed, then flopped down on the bed himself.

"Hey, Will. I guess I know why Dr. K acted so strangely when she said I would have a roommate," I replied with a laugh and a roll of my eyes.

He chuckled and returned the eye roll. "Yeah, Dr. Rob acted really weird when he said I would be staying with someone. Now I know why." He dug around for something in his backpack and asked, "So, what are you in for?"

"Neutropenic," I responded matter-of-factly.

Neutropenia is basically when you have no white blood cells, so you can get sick really easily. That's the simple explanation. The one that most people know from the internet, but I, unfortunately, know the long lengthy version of it as I've had it too many times to count by now.

"Yeah, me too. Dr. Rob's worried about my shitty blood. Nothing new there I suppose." He  shrugged.

Someone screeched, "Etan! We here!" My entire family entered the room, and Mom smiled at me as she stepped through the door, Lea attached to her hip. Lea gave me a chubby-handed wave, and a big adorable smile as well.

"Hey bud, where do you want this?" Dad asked as he held up the duffle bag that mom must've packed when she went home to grab Lea from daycare.

I got up and grabbed it from him, which I shouldn't have done because it was heavier than it thought, and I almost dropped the thing. I tossed it on the floor at the foot of my bed, then I sank sat down on my bed, as simply carrying my bag no more than a few feet left me out of breath.

Another delightful side effect of never-ending anemia.

"Hey Brad, Lee Ann. It's good to see you guys," Will said to my parents.

"Oh, hello William," Mom responded distractedly, like she just now noticed he was there.

"It's Will," he grumbled.

Will hates it when people refer to him by his full name. He--and I quote him directly--thinks it's too proper. If I called him William, then he would know I was just teasing him about it, though mom apparently doesn't realize how much he hates it because she's always called him that.

Drew came over, gave Will a fist bump, then grabbed the TV remote and started flipping through the channels. It was useless, though, as there was nothing ever on the damn thing. You're lucky if you just happen to stumble upon something worth watching, and that only happens once in a blue moon.

Lea toddled over to Will and screeched, "Will, up, up!"

He grinned down at her mischievously. "Nope, I don't think so."

"Pwease! Pweeeease," she huffed as she waved her arms around wildly in the air.

Will sighed, a grin tugging at his lips as he picked her up. "Fine, but only because you said please."

She immediately snuggled against him and started telling him all about the kids in her daycare.

For whatever reason, whenever Will's around, Lea won't leave him alone. She always wants him to hold her, or play with her... It's quite comical watching them together, actually.

"Wow, the whole gang's here," a nurse remarked as she walked in, dragging a cart filled with instruments, bags of blood and fluids, and the dreaded IV pole behind her.

She smiled and glanced between Will and me as she asked, "Who's the lucky one getting hooked up to an IV pole today?"

I held my hand up and reluctantly answered, "I guess that's me."