The Ballad of Katie: Somewhere Under Heaven Series

Bone Marrow

Katie's POV

Three days after the meeting with Dr. Macy, my parents and I are headed to Philly. I am admitted to the bone marrow transplant unit at CHOP and I am told about what's going to happen. I know this is my only chance at beating this disease.

Two days in, I start losing my hair. The nurse offers to shave the rest of it off but I tell her I'll be fine. Later that day, my dad pays me a visit and since my mom had to go back to Princeton for the day, he's there solo. I know tomorrow morning, he's going to be next door at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania undergoing the procedure where they'll collect the bone marrow that will be used in my transplant.

"Hey, love," he says to me after walking in. "Since your mum had to go back up to Princeton to check on things at the house and tonight was the final for her evening class, it's just us." 

"Well, it's happening," I say to him, pointing at my head. He presses the call bell and asks the nurse if there's any way he can get electric clippers. A few minutes later, my nurse, Valeria would come in. "I had a feeling she would want her dad to do the honors," she says to him as she hands him the clippers. "She's always said you both had a unique bond." 

Valeria would sit by as my dad patiently starts shaving my head. "Almost done, love," he says to me half way through. Finally I would see my hair all over the floor and Valeria would take a broom she had and start sweeping it up, leaving a little bit of it aside "Just a little souvenir," she tells us.

"I look so weird," I say as I look in the mirror. He would then pull me close and whisper, "It's going to grow back, love. Sadly this is the price for a second chance on life."

We would have dinner and I ask him about his end of the procedure and he's pretty open about it. "I go in at 10 tomorrow," he tells me.

"Are you okay with this?"

"Katie, I have no other choice, love. Dr. Macy says that this is your best shot and sure it'll leave me a little sore for a few days and it'll take a couple of weeks to get back into the swing of things but I know that I have to do this. I need to know you have a chance."

"Aren't you scared," I ask.

"Nah," he tells me. "I keep thinking I dealt with worse than this. Besides, if it means I get to see you grow up and have a family of your own, then it's worth it."

"They say the chemo will make it impossible for me to have kids though," I say to him.

"What? You never heard of adoption? Look, your mum and I talked about this and truth is we don't care if your kids are adopted or not, they will still be our grandkids. Kait, family isn't always about DNA but it's always about love. Look at your uncle Shane's stepson, Dion. We love him just the same and he's not blood, right?"

"Yeah."

"I rest my case." He then kisses my forehead. "Now get some sleep, love. You got to rest up so you don't get sick from the chemo."

"And you have a busy day ahead of you too," I tease as he gets ready to leave. "I love you."

"Love you too, Kait."

Casey's POV

I went back to Princeton today to take care of some things at work and to see if Ashton blew up the house. There's also the final for my evening Media and Society class and while my boss said she would have proctored it, I told her I owed it to the students to be there. "Some of them are graduating this semester," I tell her. "They have been with me for a while and I think they would love to see me in the classroom for one last time."