Unbroken | Ashton Irwin's Little Sister (COMPLETED)

Chapter 41

And I knew if I had a chance that I could make those people dance, and maybe they'd be happy for awhile

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| Bailey |

Wednesday comes sooner than any of us would have liked for it to. All the boys left yesterday with smiles on their faces, but I could see the pain they thought they had hidden in their eyes. I've learned the hard way that having a deadly disease affects not only you, but everyone you care about. I don't want them worry, I just want to be healthy again and be able to run around and have fun with my boys.

I lay in my hospital bed, unknowing of how long I'll be in this dreadful place for, and watch the IV bag slowly drip down the little tube and into my veins. It's weird, I can't feel it going into me, but after awhile I can almost feel its effect on me.

I eventually grow tired of watching my IVs and monitors, so I roll over and face the window. It's slightly gloomy out today, ironically matching everyone's mood perfectly. I sigh and close my eyes, feeling a heaviness start to weigh down on them.

"Hey kid," I hear a soft voice whisper. I smile and roll over to face Ashton, sitting criss cross in one of the very uncomfortable chairs in my hospital room.

"Hi," I breathe, closing my eyes and then opening them again to meet his hazel ones. They stare at me intently, but I can see the pain he's trying to mask. I see the way him, Arden and mom look at me when they think I'm asleep. That's the only time when they put their emotions on full show, but I don't think they realize it. They're trying to be so strong for me. I love them for that, but sometimes I wish they would just let it out. Everyone needs to cry sometimes, to get it all out of their system instead of holding everything inside. It'll all blow up eventually, the bottle can only be filled so far before the cap pops off.

"How do you feel?" Ash asks softly. I stretch slightly, immediately wishing that I hadn't when my legs protest in pain. Dr. Phelps has identified this as a side affect of the chemo, and also a cause of the leukemia. Since the pain is cussed by both, I'm not sure if the chemo is doing its job since it's partially caused by the cancer itself.

"Are you okay?" Ashton asks, his tired eyes quickly searching mine.

"Yeah, my bones just hurt. I'm starting to get used to it, though." I give him a tired smile and Ashton just stares at me sadly. The pain medication definitely helps dull the pain, but there's always that ache that lingers. It's not too bad, and there's nothing that can be done anyway, so I don't have a choice but to accustom myself to it.

"You shouldn't have to get used to it," Ashton mutters. His voice is think with anger and sadness. "How have the doctors not come up with a definite cure for this yet?"

"Every cancer is different, Ashton," a voice at my door speaks. Dr. Phelps gives him a sad smile as she checks my vitals.

"That's what's so hard, because we have some treatments that work tremendously on some cancers, but do anything at all for others. It's also due to every human body is different. It's like taking allergy or pain medicine; different brands or types work for different people. We're still trying to figure out a way we can pinpoint exactly where the disease is and how to kill it most effectively. Gene mapping has come into play, but we're still working on advancements," my doctor explains. Ashton nods his head solemnly as Dr. Phelps puts on her thick gloves and removed the chemo IV from my little rack.