The Fourth Notebook

61

Cody POV
1/16/15
Grace is coming home today. I wait for her in the front waiting room so that I could take her into her bedroom. After hours pass sitting in the same chair, the elevator dings and Grace is rolled out by a nurse.
"Grace!"
"Cody, I missed you," she sighed as I hugged her, "Not so tight!"
"Sorry. I can take her from here," I tell the nurse.
I start down the hallway to her room.
"Cody? We need to talk," she whispered in a raspy voice.
"Hold on, baby. I have a surprise for you."
"I'm serious, Cody."
"As am I!"
I put my hands over her eyes as I roll her into her San Francisco decorated bedroom.
"Cody it's about my-"
"Surprise!" I yell as I let her see her room.
She says nothing.
"See babe? I bought us tickets to San Francisco! We're getting our dreams! Right, Grace?"
I turn towards her. She holds her hands over her mouth. Tears are streaming down her cheeks.
"What is it?" I ask.
"I'm dying," she says.
"What? No!"
"I know. I know Cody."
"But, I thought you were getting better."
"So did everyone else."
"This can't be true."
"It is. That's the thing with cancer. It can work so fast. The doctors in Boston thought that I was getting better but the doctors in New York did a closer examination."
"So what is it?"
"The cancer spread everywhere. I have three tumors in my lung, one in my heart, and the one in my brain has grown."
"Grace," I sobbed, "Why did this have to happen to you?"
Neither of us had an answer that was better than just crying.
I helped Grace into her bed where she was to stay from now on. She was not allowed to walk. She is only allowed to get up for a few minutes while they change her bedsheets. They tried to get some food into her but it all came back up. Grace couldn't breathe well. She couldn't sleep on her own without an oxygen tube and supervision. I volunteered to stay in her room with her to watch her. Without her watching I cried for her.