Chase, Logan, and Michael sat in their dorm room until it was time for classes. It was mostly Logan and Michael playing and Chase just watched. He didn't feel up to playing, so he let his roommates have at it instead. The bushy haired boy sat on the couch with them with his head propped up on a round dark green pillow. His hands layed across his stomach as he watched the two play their game. While Chase was zoning out, a knock was heard at their door.
"Come in!"
Michael yelled. The door opened to let in the guys' girlfriends. Zoey, Quinn and Lola. Chase held out his arms for Zoey to come hug him.
"Hi, baby. How're you?"
Zoey asked as she planted a kiss on the bushy haired boy's lips.
"Eh... I don't feel that great."
Chase confessed. Logan and Quinn greeted each other with a few kisses after him and Michael paused their game. Michael and Lola did the same as they walked over to sit on the single bed.
"What's wrong, Chase?"
Zoey asked.
"My stomach doesn't feel good. I'm nauseas on and off."
"Hmm, what did you eat?"
"Nothing different from what I usually eat. I don't know what's wrong."
Chase told Zoey as he layed his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight and kissed his head.
"We'll get your tummy feeling better, babe."
-After classes-
Chase ended up skipping his classes for the day. Earlier he had texted his girlfriend that he was feeling worse. While the other two couples went to get food, Zoey headed back to the guys' dorm room to check on Chase. As she walked in, she saw her boyfriend throwing up blood into a small trash can.
"Aww, Chase..."
She said as she walked over and sat next to him on the bottom bunk, rubbing his back in comfort.
"Get it all out, babe."
Chase had finally stopped, pushing the trash can away from him and Zoey. He carefully rolled onto his back with his hands over his stomach as he winced. He let out soft whimpers indicating he was still in pain.
"Not that I expected you to look, but did you see that most of that was blood?"
Chase asked.
"I actually did notice that. I'm feel like you need to go to the hospital."
Zoey said as she rubbed Chase's stomach, trying to soothe him.
"But it's up to you."
Chase nodded, agreeing to go to the hospital with Zoey.
-
The car ride to the hospital wasn't good on Chase's stomach at all, but they made it. Chase was hooked up to an IV with nausea medicine flowing through it and into his blood stream.
"The medicine helping any?"
Zoey asked as she took her boyfriend's hand in hers.
"Yeah, little bit."
Chase answered, squeezing his girlfriend's hand for comfort. Moments later, the doctor walked in with Chase's test results. The news was very unfortunate. Chase had a cancerous tumor in his stomach, stage 1. Both of the teens were in shock, even though Chase's life wasn't entirely on the line. They would be able to do radiation procedures, but he'd be on a long waiting list before he could start them, which could take months.
-
Chase and Zoey made it back to the boys' room and walked in to see Logan and Michael back at their video game.
"Where's Quinn and Lola?"
Zoey asked.
"They had to go do homework."
Logan said as he paused the game.
"What's wrong, Chase, what did the doctor say?"
Logan asked with concern.
"Well..."
Chase began as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I have a tumor in my stomach... Stage 1 cancerous..."
Chase let out as tears began to well up in his eyes as he walked over to his bottom bunk and layed down, hugging his stomach. Zoey walked over and sat next to him and ran her fingers through his black bushy hair.
"His life isn't on the line, by the way."
"For now..."
Chase intervened. Zoey looked down at her boyfriend and gave him a glare.
"What? They said it's gonna take a few months before I can get any radiation therapy to get rid of it. It can get worse and become life threatening."
Chase said upsettingly. Logan walked over and knelt down by the bed.
"Chase, they're not gonna make you wait until it's life threatening to start the procedure. They'll get you in as quick as they can, dude."
Logan tried to assure him. Chase nodded in response and put his head in Zoey's lap, just wanting comfort from his girlfriend. Logan looked up at Zoey and noticed she had some tears of her own in her eyes.
"Hey, Zo... He's gonna be okay."
Zoey nodded as she leaned down to kiss Chase on his temple. He scooted over to indicate that he wanted Zoey to lay down with him, and she did just that. Michael walked out of the room with tears streaming down his face and of course Logan followed.
"I'll be back."
Logan said as he chased after Michael.
"Michael! Hey!"
The rich boy yelled, getting his attention.
"Dude, Chase is gonna be okay. You heard Zoey, his life isn't on the line."
"Yeah, but what if it gets to that point between now and when they let him start treatment?"
Michael said through his tears.
"I'm sure it won't get to that point--"
"You can't be sure of that, Logan! My best friend is laying in there with cancer in his stomach."
Michael said, lowering his voice so all of PCA didn't hear.
"I happened to see in our trash can where he got sick earlier and it was bloody. He threw up blood. That's not good."
"I know. That's one of the symptoms."
"How would you know?"
"My uncle had the same thing and I researched it when he did. So, I know a good bit about it."
Logan said, his voice cracking as if he was on the brink of tears himself.
"Did he live?"
Logan looked to the floor and subtlety shook his head no.
"See?!"
"But he was old! Chase is 17 and this was caught early, Michael. If you act like he's gonna die in front of him, that's gonna be real shitty of you. That'll make him think you don't believe he's gonna make it. Don't fucking do that to him. Don't do that to any of us."
The rich boy suddenly has tears rolling down his face.
"I wouldn't do that. He has my full support, but that word is horrifying."
"You're right, it is, and it sucks that one of our best friends are dealing with it first hand... and we're not in there with him."
"Honestly, I assumed he just wanted to be with Zoey."
"Maybe, but you haven't said a thing to him since they got back."
Michael realized that Logan was right. He hadn't said a word to Chase or Zoey since they got back. He just walked out after hearing the news. Suddenly, there was a gagging sound coming from their room, and their eyes widened at each other before they raced back to the room to see Chase retching into a bucket. Zoey was rubbing circles into his back as he sat up right and continued getting sick. Logan got Chase some tissues so he could wipe his mouth when he was done.
"Here, man. You're gonna be okay, buddy."
Logan said as more tears spilled from his eyes. Zoey took notice and mouthed to him.
"Are you okay?"
Logan subtlety shook his head no as he actually began sobbing.