Love, Drugs and Cancer

Chapter 10: Tests

The hour seemed to slug on by, with every passing minute feeling like 20. I just wanted to go and see if Cole was really there. But I couldn't right now. Not when there were still people at the front desk. 

Finally, 9 o clock came. Yet, I still couldn't get out. If I was there at 9 o clock sharp, there would still be people there. I sat and waited for 15 minutes before deciding that it was safe to go. 

I slowly walked down the hallway, finding the silence of the hospital eerie. Apparently most of the people who pass by throughout the day are visitors. Without the visitors, practically no one is around. 

Finally, I reached the front desk. I looked around for a second to make sure that no one was watching. Then I crept behind the desk. It didn't take long for me to find the clipboard of signatures from that day. I scanned the page. My heart seemed to jump out of my chest when I found Cole's name. I felt like I was going to throw up. I'm not sure if it was chemo or nerves. Probably both.

I glanced to the right side of the page, where he would've told them that they were going. When I see the messily scribbled words, I know why Cole was here. I bet if I looked up to James' name on this sign in sheet, it would say the same thing.

Tissue test.

Cole was here to test his tissues. To see if he could donate me bone marrow. Does that mean he knows what happened to me? Has he really been here, watching all along?

I know that the results can take awhile, but I've heard Dr. Smith say that if the test is for a patient in this hospital, the results find there way to the top of the list.

With that, I head back to the cancer ward. But I pass right by my room. I continue walking until I find the testing facility. The facility is closed, but the door isn't locked. I opened the door and slowly creep in. I'm not sure what I expected, but it actually just looks like a normal doctor's room. The ones that you go to just for a check up. In the corner, I see a folder. I creep over to the folder, open it up, and find Cole's  name in there almost right away.

Results expected 9-14. Call-500-245-2346

So they're rushing his test. September 14th is tomorrow. James will probably know his results by then, too. 

What happens if Cole is a match? Will he actually donate the bone marrow? Will he ever actually know? The number there isn't his number. I have his cell memorized. I'm sure that he has a new one, now. Probably for his dealing. Maybe the number here is his dealing number because he keeps this phone on him now more often than his old one.

I put the folder back and sit down in the corner, just sitting and thinking for a long time. Sometimes I think about Cole, sometimes I think about James, sometimes I just think about everything and nothing. 

When I finally decide to get up and get out, it's about 10 o clock. But I'm hit with a lot of nausea that I didn't expect. I lean over the trash can and throw up.

I've thrown up a lot since I've been here. Probably about one hundred times. But this time is different. This time, it's not stopping. Every time I think that it's finally over, another wave hits me. I'm puking until there's no food left, but even then I still keep going. Finally, it just turns into dry heaving.

I back away from the trash can and look at the clock. I can't believe how long I've been bent over the trash can. It's been about half an hour. I grab my stomach, still feeling really sick. I have a head ache and I'm dizzy. My mind brushes by the thought that maybe I should go find someone when the pain in my head becomes too much. As if I'm reading a script and my life is a movie, everything fades to black.

When I wake up, it's noon. I am laying in my hospital bed,  by myself. Over 12 hours have passed since my episode in the testing room. My head is pounding like the bass in a club.  Just for a second, I wonder if Cole's results have come in when Dr. Smith walks in.

"Good to see that you're awake." Dr. Smith said to me. "I was getting a little concerned that maybe more was wrong."

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"You're severely dehydrated. We're getting water into you know through the IV. But we have many questions. Like why you were in the testing room at midnight, when it's closed."

Uh oh. I'm probably in trouble now. It's probably not ideal to be sneaking around the testing room at midnight.

"Actually, I was there at 10." I said, deciding that being perfectly honest would be the best thing, since my reasons for being in there weren't actually bad. "I was looking for Cole's tissue test results. At the time, they hadn't come in." 

"I hadn't realized that you had been informed that Cole came in asking to get the test." Dr. Smith replied. Clearly he knew that Cole was here. He probably took the test.

"I hadn't been informed. But I saw Cole leaving the hospital. I went to the front desk and saw that he had been here, and that he signed in to go to the testing room in the cancer ward. So I went and checked it out for myself. I'm sure you know the rest of the story."

"Well, perhaps next time you should be more sneaky." Dr. Smith said. Without a single word, he walked out.

The rest of the day was spent with me trying not to fall asleep, but I always seemed to fail. I would wake up again for another half an hour, then fade back into sleep. This seemed to repeat over and over again, until I woke up at 10 o clock.

My first thought was Cole. The results should've come in by now. Since the testing ward is closed, I bet I could go look.

I got out of bed and traveled down the hallway. I'm not really taking Dr. Smith's advice, because what are they going to do if they catch me? It's not like they can throw me in detention. 

Once in the testing room, I realized how anxious I am to know the results. If Cole's a match, all of this can end. I can get better. I can help him and we can be together.

I practically ripped open the Manila folder. I quickly found his name. I was holding my breath.

Cole Jones

Status: Match

My face broke out into a smile. He can give bone marrow to me. Obviously, he wouldn't have gotten the test if he didn't want to give it to me.

Health Test: F

What does that mean? F as in fail. 

Then it hit me. Obviously, he has to be healthy, otherwise his immune system may be unable to take it. But right now, his immune system is at an all time low. Cole can't give me bone marrow because he's a meth addict.