From The Start (1st Draft)

Chapter 23

"I'm back," Tammy said, stepping back into the room, this time with a doctor.

His face was relieved when he sat up. "Dr. Carter," he smiled, as they gave each other some kind of handshake.

"How are you doing, kid? Hanging in there?" he asked him, glancing over at me.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "This is my girlfriend," Alex said, as I shook the doctors hand.

"Oh, so this is her, I see," he smiled. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Have you?" I blushed.

"Yes, certainly. Very nice of you to come today," he said to me.

"I'm going to come as much as possible," I told him.

He turned back to Alex. "Well I wanted to tell you that I just spoke to your parents, and they wanted me to let you know that they're going to go home with your sisters."

"They are?"

"Yes. They didn't look too comfortable."

"That's fine."

"And they also wanted me to tell you to call them as soon as you'd like to be picked up," the doctor said louder, looking over his chart.

"Okay. Thanks," Alex said.

"Today we're going to be monitoring you, making sure we can find the best dosage for you. I'm almost positive I already have the best amount, but if you start to gain any symptoms then we'll combine a few others to help. So Tammy will be taking excellent care of you," he promised.

"Yes I will," she said, going through some things inside a drawer.

"We're going to set you up with the Cytoxan through the IV, and it will take a little over four hours until your first treatment is done," he told him. "We're going to do it slowly today."

Alex nodded and exhaled slowly. "Okay. I'm ready."

"I'll be seeing you soon."

"Soon? When?" he asked him cautiously.

"Sometime next week. I just like to make sure with my patients that everything is going okay and also that you're as comfortable as possible."

"Oh, alright. Sounds good to me."

"You do understand, that you are going to get sick from this, correct?"

My face dropped. Alex saw it. "Yeah I do. But I'm already sick, so what's the big deal, you know?"

"Ah, that's very true," he said. "School might be difficult for you as well."

He looked a little scared. "What will be different?"

"You'll most likely be nauseous. You have to eat, Alexander. Even if you have to force it down."

"Having food in your system is better then being on an empty stomach," Tammy added in. "It will keep you nice and strong."

"Oh, okay," Alex mumbled.

"Don't keep yourself from using the restroom. Cytoxan is known to sometimes have effects on your kidneys, so never hold it back, alright?"

"Yeah. I got you."

"Well then, kid," he smiled, shaking his hand once more. "You'll do great."

"See you soon," he guessed.

"Yes indeed. Oh and it was very nice meeting you, Rosalie," Dr. Carter said, signed a piece of paper, and then left the room.

I looked back to Tammy and saw her standing near the doorway.