FLASHBACK TO OCTOBER 2013
"Dad! Dad?" called out Cameryn, "where are you?"
"In here Cam," responded Luke in a weak and shaky voice.
The 9-year-old pranced into the living room in search of her father. "Dad, Dad, look!" She jumped through the doorway revealing the new shirt she was wearing. A red and white Arsenal jersey, 2 Scott, was displayed on the back.
"It looks great," said her dad as he sat perched on the sofa's edge. "Are you excited for the game in three weeks?"
"Best birthday present ever," she responded. "I'm going to be 10 in three weeks and I'm going to see my first women's Arsenal game."
"Cameryn, can you help me please?" asked her mother as she stuck her head through the doorway. "Why don't you take these clothes up to your room?" her mother said as she handed her a basket of clean and folded clothes.
"Okay Mum," she responded as she danced out of the room still in the red and white jersey.
"Are you okay there hun?" asked Lianna to Luke who was bent over on his knees short of breath.
"Yeah darling, just a bit out of breath. This round of chemo is really taking its toll on me," he replied hoping not to scare his wife. "I'm sure I'll be fine by her birthday."
Luke May, Cameryn's father, had stage IV leukemia, it was reaching a point where there would no longer be any treatment options for him, but none of the children knew that.
Lianna sat on the couch holding onto the short-of-breath man hoping he would begin to pick up his breath again. Yet, unlike usual, he didn't. His breathing began to get more and more shallow, not nearly enough to keep him alive.
"Luke," she said tapping his arm, she repeated his name over and over again getting louder and more frantic each time.
She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and dialled 999 before placing it on speaker and sitting it on the sofa. Lianna lifted Luke to the ground laying him on his back hoping that less pressure on his lungs would help him to breathe.
"We are coming now ma'am," the operator on the end of the line said, "only five minutes away". Lianna was frantic in her efforts to try and help her husband but nothing she did was worked.
Suddenly, two children appeared at the doorway, it was the twins. "Dad look at this," Jayden spoke but not long after, Cameryn let out a shriek. She had finally sighted her father lying motionless on the ground.
"Dad! Dad!" she wailed running over to him. Jayden used all his might to pull his sister away and out of the room. At only 9 years old, he still knew that the best thing they could do was give their mother space, as well as the paramedics who had just run into the house.
Their father was loaded onto a gurney and wheeled out of the house past the four children sitting in the kitchen. A man was standing on the edge of the bed performing chest compressions rapidly in an attempt to save their dad's life. April, Cameryn and Wyatt were crying for what felt like forever while Jayden sat in the corner numb. He had just watched his dad be wheeled out of the house while a man pounded on his chest, he was going to be scarred for life.
"Mum!" April cried out as Lianna emerged into the kitchen, her face tear-stained. "Where are they taking him?" she asked.
"To the hospital," Lianna responded in a gentle tone, "they're going to help him. We can go and see him soon, I just need to grab a few things." She ran upstairs throwing some clothes and other things into a bag before rushing the kids out the door and into the car.
Once they pulled up to the hospital, they ran into the emergency room, "Luke May?" asked Lianna at the triage desk.
"He went into emergency surgery but will be out shortly." The family took their seats in the waiting room and sat patiently to hear any news of their beloved father and husband.
THREE HOURS LATER
"Excuse me," the nurse interrupted, "He's in Emergency Room 3," she replied, "I can take you to him now, but the kids might want to stay behind."
"No," replied Jayden, "they can stay, but I want to see him, it might be the last chance".
Lianna's face went white, "if you wish to see him, you can, I'm not going to stop you." The family followed the triage nurse into Emergency Room 3 where they found Luke hooked up to numerous machines, one monitoring his heart rate, one his blood pressure, and another his breathing, there was machine after machine after machine.
Lianna walked over to Luke's bedside and took his hand in hers, "Hi hun, how are you feeling?" she asked. Luke mumbled a response not yet being able to form full words.
Jayden and Cam went to the other side of his bed and held his other hand together. "Dad, you need to be okay," said Cam, "We're going to go watch Alex Scott together, remember?" This caused Luke to smile the slightest bit.
"He can hear you all mostly," said the doctor who had just appeared in the room, "but he is struggling to respond at the moment. My name is Dr Adam Walcott, I am in charge of Luke's stay here at Southmead Hospital. He is on some medication to thicken his blood and shortly, we will look into moving him over to a more permanent residence and out of the emergency department. Until then, feel free to stay with him."
"Did you know you have the same last name as Theo Walcott?" asked Cameryn in an excited tone, "he's Dad's favourite football player at Arsenal".
"I didn't know that, but that's a cool fact, I'll have to start telling people that," he returned with the same energy hoping to relieve the family's anxiety, even if only marginally. The family thanked the doctor as he left the room and returned their attention to their father. The heart monitor beeped at a steady rate. Hours passed, and Jayden and Cameryn sat with their father the entire time, while Lianna took April and Wyatt on a walk around the hospital. The twins refused to leave their father's side out of fear that it may be the last time they see him.
"Cam, Jayden?" Luke whispered.
"Yes Dad, we're here," responded Cameryn. Jayden jumped out of his chair and stuck his head out to tell a nearby nurse - a very responsible 9-year-old many would say. The nurses rushed in to stop Luke from talking before he caused any more damage.
"Where is your mother?" asked Dr Walcott.
"She took Wyatt and April on a walk around the hospital," Cameryn responded.
"Okay, we need you and your brother to step out of the room while we do some tests," responded the doctor as he pointed at the door.
"No, we can't leave, Jay help me," Cam argued but Jayden convinced her otherwise.
"They need to help him Cami, let's go wait outside."
Their mum arrived back shortly to see the children waiting outside the closed door, "what happened?" she asked desperately.
"They are doing some tests, Mum," responded Jayden, "Dad started talking".
"Oh okay, I thought something bad had happened." Shortly after the door opened again and the nurses emerged followed by Dr Walcott.
"Lianna, do you mind if I talk to you privately?" asked the doctor.
"Uhh sure, kids, just wait here," she responded as the pair walked away from the four children, leaving them alone.
"Okay, Mrs May, the reason your husband collapsed was due to an aortic aneurysm, most likely due to a complication from his chemotherapy. Have you noticed him being more lethargic during this round of chemo?" he asked.
"Yes, he keeps getting short of breath but I didn't think anything of it. Oh my god, is this my fault?" she asked with fear on her face.
"No, there is next to no way to diagnose an aortic aneurysm, the symptoms don't properly present until it ruptures, hence why he collapsed today. Whilst we were in surgery, we managed to place a temporary patch on the aorta to stop the bleeding, he is also being pumped full of blood thickeners, but due to the leukemia his blood is going to continue to thin, naturally fighting the medications." Lianna's breaths began to quicken with every statement.
"Since he is talking, the extra use of energy and chest movement places strain on his aorta, it is only a matter of time before the patch fails and he will lose too much blood for resuscitation," Dr Walcott said directly with no emotion on his face. Lianna broke down in tears falling into the seat behind her. Jayden and Cameryn picked up on their mother's emotional breakdown running down the hallway to where she was, closely followed by April and young Wyatt.
"Is Dad going to be okay?" asked April to Dr Walcott. He glanced at Lianna for approval before telling them the prognosis.
"Your dad is not expected to make it to tomorrow," he said with stiff breaths as he watched the hearts of four innocent children break in front of him, tears falling sporadically between them.
"Would you like to go see him, and say your goodbyes? The talking won't help his case, and if anything make it worse so he may not want to say much." The entire family nodded including Lianna who had wiped away her tears in order to be strong for her children.
They returned to the familiar room where Luke lay fragile in his bed. "Hi guys," Luke said to his kids as they entered.
"Don't talk," fired back April, "we need you for as long as we can, okay?"
He nodded in response and watched as each of them came to his bedside. Wyatt was first, "Dad, I don't know what's happening right now, but I'm scared and I want you to be okay," he said causing a tear to fall from his father's eye. "I love you, Dad," he finished off.
"I love you too, bud," he responded as the young boy climbed up for a hug.
Next was April, "Dad, I love you. Thank you for everything, for making me feel confident in who I am and who I want to be. I couldn't have done the first 13 years of my life without you. One more time, I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, April," he responded and let his eldest daughter sit on the bed with Wyatt and himself.
"Dad," said Jayden, "I know I may not play football like Cameryn, but I'm going to make you proud. I'm not sure how yet, but I will, I promise. I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Jayden," he spoke and then invited his eldest son onto the bed.
One more, "Dad," she said before tears flooded down her eyes prompting Jayden to stand by her side. "I know we may not get to see Alex Scott play together, but I'm going to wear the red and white one day. I'm going to wear your name on my back, and I'm going to make you proud and honour you in the only way I know how. Even though it doesn't exist for women yet, I'm going to win the Ballon d'Or, I promise."
Her dad's eyes began to well at the last comment, prompting both children to climb up next to him with their two siblings.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Cam."
The final person to speak was Lianna. "Hi my love," she said as she stood to the side of his bed holding onto his hand. "I can't thank you enough, for everything. You make me feel loved each and every day, even when you were sick or too weak to help around the house I always felt valued, wanted and like you needed me in your life."
He nodded in response trying to savour his words.
"Thank you for making me the happiest woman on the planet when you married me and providing me with four amazing children. I couldn't have asked for a better partner in crime, a better second half, a better husband and lover. You and me forever Luke, whether that is in this life or another we will see each other again. I love you."
"I love you too, darling," he spoke in return.
The family knew that if he had the words to spare he would have said so many things, but due to his lack of time, they would have to come up with those words themselves.
"I love you all, more than you know, and I will see you again, never doubt it. I'm always watching over you," he started to get short of breath once again. "You will all make me proud, I know it, and I couldn't ask for anything more." His breathing was staggered, "always and forever," he said right before the heart monitor rang out.
Nurses and doctors rushed into the room maneuvering the children off the bed and straight out the door. "Dad!" wailed Cameryn, "he can't die, I need him. I need my dad, what am I meant to do without him," she sobbed. Jayden wrapped his arms around his twin sister hoping to calm her down but nothing seemed to work.
She fought off his arms in an attempt to get back in the room but was stopped by her mother. "You can't Cameryn. He's gone."
The entire world started spinning for Cam and she collapsed onto the floor. The next thing she knew she was sitting on a chair in the waiting room surrounded by her family.
"What happened?" she asked.
"You fainted, they think it was due to the shock of losing Dad," her mum responded. Cameryn didn't talk, she couldn't. She couldn't function without her father by her side.
Minutes later she asked to go home, and that was it. "I want to go home."
The doctors arranged with Lianna to have her and Luke's mother come in the next day to finish some paperwork, but for the time being, they were all sent home. The children all went straight to bed and Lianna stayed up to call the family to inform them of the news. It was expected to happen at some point within the next few years but October of 2013 was sooner than expected.
"You will all make me proud, I know it, and I couldn't ask for anything more." ~ Luke May, 2013
WORDS: 2402
a/n: this chapter is a hard one I admit, it caused some tears while I was writing it too but helps build the story a bit better so it was needed