I'm glad I met you

CHAPTER 18

I wake up the next morning to Kal violently shaking. I quickly get up.

"Kal?" I hear something beeping frantically.

I yell out for help and hear several people rush into the room and start yelling things out. I feel someone start guiding me out by the shoulders.

They go to leave but I grab their arm before they can. "What's happening? What's wrong with him?"

"He's seizing." The person pries my hands off of him and I hear him rush away.

I back into a wall and sink to the ground. I feel Rogue nudge my hand and then sit next to me. Tears are streaming down my face and my body shakes with silent sobs.

"Aoife?! What happened?! Are you ok?!" I hear Saoirse's footsteps running towards me.

I can't answer her. I feel her sit next to me and pull me into a tight hug.

"Hey.. It's ok. Calm down. Just breathe. It'll be ok."

I bury my face in her shoulder, still crying.

"What happened?"

"S-seizure," is all I manage to get out.

"Kal had a seizure?"

I can only nod.

"Come on. Let's get off of the floor and go get some food. You need to calm down and this isn't helping." She helps me stand.

I don't go with her. "I can't leave him."

"Aoife the nurses will take good care of him. He'll be ok. You need to eat and get some air. Please Aoife. There's nothing you can do for him right now."

"I'm not leaving him. Not until I know he's alive." She's not winning this. I will not leave.

She sighs. "Please Aoife."

"Not until I know he's alive." I wipe my face on my sleeve but it doesn't do anything. Tears still continue to fall down my face.

"If he is, and he's ok, will you take a walk with me? Get some air and food?"

I nod and wipe my face again.

"Ok. We can wait here." She guides me somewhere and gets me to sit.

Rogue lays his head in my lap and I pet his head. This is all just one bad nightmare. Saoirse asks a couple times for any updates but there are none. Kal's family ends up coming in as well. His mom and sister at least. I don't think his dad could care less. Mari asks me what happened. I tell her, though  it's not much. They wait with us. A few hours pass before we get any word. Mari and Kal's mom are talked to first. They leave a bit later. Mari still has school. The doctors finally come and talk to us. Everything is a blur. They say something about the cancer spreading and something about his brain. They something about even less time and that catches my attention.

"I'm sorry how much time does he have left now?"

"Two months. The best we can do now is make sure he's as comfortable as possible while he rides this out. There's nothing else we can do. The cancer is spreading faster than we though it would. He's not in good shape."

"..Is he awake?"

"He is. You can go see him if you'd like. He might not be super responsive though. He was seizing for a while. We think there was some brain damage."

I nod. Saoirse and I go back to his room and I go over to him. I find his hand and hold it and I feel him give my hand a small squeeze.

I gently squeeze his back. "I love you."

He squeezes my hand again but doesn't say anything. I just kiss his knuckles and try not to cry. I fail. Tears come anyways. I hug him, being careful of everything he's connected to. I feel him wrap his arms around me and I cry harder.

"Nick.."

I sit up. "Yeah. I'm here."

"Speaking.... hard.k Love.. you."

"You don't have to talk. I love you too." I hold his hand close to my heart.

He pulls me down and gives me a weak kiss. I  kiss him again and rest my forehead against his.

"Aoife.. Let's get you some food. We can come back."

I shake my head but Kal gently pushes me away. He grabs my hand and makes it point towards where I know the door is. I sigh.

"Fine. But I'm coming back immediately after."

"That's fine, you just need to eat."

We walk to the cafeteria together and she gets me something to eat. I finish eating and on the way back I ask a nurse if Kal can eat. She says yes so Saoirse and I make a pit stop to the nearest vending machine. I tell her what to get and she does and hands me the pack of peanut M&M's. Kal's favorite candy. We go back to his room and I go back to him.

"Kal, I got your favorite." I hand him the candy.

"You can't tell but he has the biggest grin of his face Aoife. You made him happy." I can hear the smile in Saoirse's voice. K
I smile too. "Good." I find a chair and pull it up to the bed and sit down.

I rest my hands on Kal's stomach as he eats. He grabs one of my hands a minute later and gives it a light squeeze.

I squeeze it back. "I love you too."

He pulls me to him and I comply. I feel him scoot over and hear him pat the bed. I climb into the bed with him and he hugs me. We spend the rest of the day together and I spend my time talking to him. I tell him a few really bad stories to which I can feel him shaking with laughter. When he falls asleep I gently play with his hair. I spend the night again but I don't sleep. I don't know if I can.

The next morning Saoirse comes and gets me. I only go because I need to shower and change. Ma makes me stay a bit longer to eat a proper meal and only after I eat all of my food does she let me leave. I leave Rogue this time and just bring my cane. He needs a break from working. Saoirse drives me back to the hospital. As we drive, I hang my hand out of the window, feeling the wind push it back. As soon as we get pull to a stop I get out and unfold my can. I thank Saoirse and walk to Kal's room.

"Kal? You awake?"

I hear a small knocking sound coming from his bed and I walk over to him. I feel him take my hand and give it a small squeeze.

"Love...you.."

I give him a small smile. "I know talking is hard for you. I know you love me." I give his hand a small squeeze back. "I love you too."

I feel him pull me toward him and I lay down beside him. He cuddles up to me and I rub his back. He eventually falls asleep and sleeps until the next morning.