Chapter 4
"The results all point to the same thing, Leukemia.
I'm very sorry." The doctor said to Jaime and Kevin.
"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure? Could the test's be wrong?" Jaime asked
"Ma'am we triple checked these results. I know she is young, but things like this happen."
"Cancer?" Kevin said breaking his silence.
"Kevin are you." Jaime started. Kevin looked at her. Suddenly it all began to come together.
"Cancer." He said again. She looked into his eyes. She knew exactly what was on his mind. It hit her all at once. His father.
"Oh no. Kevin."
Kevin looked at her and walked out of the room.
"Will he be ok?" the doctor said.
"His dad died of cancer. He should be fine. Will she need a bone marrow transplant?"
"Right now we want to start radiation and chemotherapy."
"That'll make her sick won't it?"
"Weak and yes sick. She'll need to stay in the hospital."
Jaime talked to the doctor longer before going after Kevin. She asked the nurses if they had seen him. They told her he had walked outside. Jaime slowly walked out of the front door. She saw him dialing his phone and stopped. She knew whom he was calling.
"Hello?" the female voice on the other end said
"Hi mom. It's Kevin."
"Hi honey. How are you? How's Skye?" She listened for an answer, but Kevin said nothing. Then she heard Kevin begin to cry.
"Kevin? Are you ok"
"She has cancer mom."
"No. Oh god no."
"Leukemia. She has cancer."
"I'm coming to Florida."
"Mom, what am I going to do? What is she..she is getting weaker."
"Hang on honey, I'm on my way." Kevin slowly hung up the phone. He took a deep breath and began to cry. Jaime walked up and held him tight. She was crying too.
"Kevin she'll be ok."
"She has to be ok. She'd my little girl if I lost her."
"Honey don't think."
"All I keep thinking of is my dad. That can't happen. Not again, not to Skye."
"How do." Jaime began and stopped.
"What? What were you going to ask?"
"How do we tell her? I mean she won't understand. She has to stay here in the hospital. How do we explain that to her?"
"Um, I don't know. We should probably do that together." Just then his cell phone began to ring. He slowly answered it.
"Hello?"
"Yo cuz, what's going on? You said you would call? Is everything ok?"
"Hey Rok. I'm sorry. I just got off the phone with mom. I had to call her first."
"It's bad isn't it. You would never worry her if it weren't. What's up Kevin?"
"She's real sick Brian. Real sick."
"What's wrong with her? Come on Kevin tell me."
"She has cancer Brian. She has leukemia."
"Oh no. Is she gonna be ok? Is your mom coming down?"
"Yeah she said she was on her way. Um could you call the guys. I promised I would, but I can't. They should know, I mean they are her godfathers. Please Brian?"
"Of course. Anyone else?"
"Probably would be good to call Tim and Jr. too."
"Ok I'll start calling right now. I'll come up as soon as I'm done."
"Ok see you then."
Kevin shut off his phone. He looked into Jaime's eyes.
"Come on. She's probably wondering where we are at."
Jaime and Kevin headed upstairs. They walked in and Skye was sitting up watching TV. She looked as happy as ever.
"Hey shorty. How are you feeling today?" Kevin asked as he hugged her.
"Better. Not so tired."
"Good. Guess whose on her way."
"Who? Tell me."
"Ok. It's grandma she is coming to visit."
"Uh oh. It's bad huh?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"You called grandma? It has to be bad."
"Umm, baby.it is, but it is ok"
"Can I go home yet."
"No. You won't be going home for awhile."
"I want to go home."
"I know. You will soon."
That night Kevin again made Jaime go home. When he woke up the next morning he never expected to see who he saw standing there.
"Nick? What the."
"Shhhhh. Skye is sleeping."
"I know. What are you doing here?"
"Brian told me what was going on. I had to come."
"Where is my cousin?"
"He went to get your mom from the airport."
"What about Jay? I though she was."
"She was so exhausted. Brian said she's been up all night these last few nights, even though you sent her home. He told her stay in bed before she gets sick."
"Well. I guess I'm going to have to talk to her."
"And maybe you should listen to your own advice. Go home for awhile."
"No. I'm fine. I've been sleeping here and I've been eating. It's no different than being on tour."
"Yes it is. Touring is stressful, but not like this. You need to go home for awhile."
"Whatever."
"For someone who has never been through this, Nick sure knows what he's talking about." Kevin and Nick both spun around. Neither knew they were being spied on.
"Mom." Kevin said as he got up and hugged her, "Thank you so much for coming."
"I couldn't leave my son to got through this alone, even though he obviously isn't alone. Hi Nick"
"Hi Mrs. Richardson" Nick said quietly, never taking his eyes off Skye. Kevin, his mom and Brian went out into the hall.
"What's up with Nick. He looked so.lost."
"It's unexplainable, mom. Ever since Skye was born Nick has absolutely adored her. I guess when you have so many younger siblings you like little kids."
"Hmm. Where is Jaime."
"She better still be in bed where I left her." Brian said
"Huh? Is she sick too?"
"No, but if she doesn't stay in bed she can get sick. She hasn't slept in almost three days. She's exhausted."
"Oh. Kevin?" His mom said looking at him. She got no answer.
"Kevin are you ok?" He looked at his mom.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Why?"
"You look so sad."
"Well mom don't you think I should? I mean, damn, my daughter has cancer. Cancer. She could die. I am trying to deal with this for Jaime and for Skye, but I don't know if I can."
"You're so strong Kevin. I know you want to carry every one's problems on your back, but you can't honey. You have to deal with your one before you can help anyone else."
"She'd my daughter mom. She's four years old. Why did this happen to her. With dad, it hurt. He was my father. This just hurts so much more."
"Cause this is your child. You never expect to have to worry about your child dying before you." Kevin cut her off.
"She is not gonna die mom. She is going to beat this."
"Kevin she is so small. She's smaller than a normal four-year-old should be anyway. You have to be worried about how her body will hold up to this. She's so small."
"It scares me to death. I think about it and I wonder how her tiny body will fight this, but I know it will. It has to."
Kevin walked away from his mom and Brian to be alone and to get fresh air. The conversation and what his mom said were haunting his thoughts. Doubts filled his already confused mind. He shook them off and slowly headed back up to room 107. It would be his home for a long time.
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