Dark Side Of The Room (Jack's Girlfriend)

Chapter 8

I wake up next to Jack. I cuddle closer against him and his arm wraps around me. I take my meds and lay back against him. Suddenly, nausea runs over me. I quickly go to the bathroom where I throw up.

I feel Jack hold my hair. "It's okay, honey. Get it all out." I throw up for a while more. I finish eventually. "I'm sorry." "It's okay, it's just the chemo."

"Jack, I don't want to be sick." "I know, it's hard, I'm sure, but you'll make it through this. I'll be with you from now on, okay?" I nod.

About four months have passed and Jack has kept his promise. He has been with me through day and night every day for the past four months. Some may say it's too much attachment, but I need him and he could tell so he stays here.

Vic, Mike, and Kellin have all gone into remission and Alex has two cycles left. I have one for sure and possibly more, but after the four days of them pumping my body heavily with the chemo drugs, I'll be allowed to go home.

Today is my birthday and I actually get to go home after my results today before I come back tomorrow morning. I sit with Jack. "Okay Rachel, are you ready to hear the results?" I nod. "It looks like you went into remission! We are doing the final cycle to make sure the hiding ones are gone, but then you will be done for a while." I smile.

"Go ahead and go home. The next few days will be hell, but then you will be okay." I go home with Jack. "Guess what?" Vic runs downstairs. "Good news?" "Great news, two pieces." He looks curious. "One, I am in remission so I only have the final cycle left. Two, Jack and I are in a relationship, we have been for a few months."

Vic looks in shock and he hugs me. They've all been staying out of the public eye besides Jack and I. I understand that they were all iffy about putting that information out there.

Alex comes in. "Photo time!" They take pictures of just the five of us, the five of us with our significant others in a group, and then each of us with our significant other in single pictures.

I wait till I see their posts. "This has been a long time in the making. The past four months have been wild. I found out I was Vic's daughter, my "mom" gave me up, I found out my actual mom was Kellin's twin sister, leaving me with Kellin, Alex, and Mike as uncles, and then things quickly went down hill.

I was diagnosed with cervical cancer and Alex was diagnosed with penile cancer. Both of us had stage four. Then, Vic got a call from Mike that he tested positive for stage 2 AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia). Vic and Kellin both got tested and were diagnosed with stage 3 penile cancer.

After four months of chemo, Alex is nearly in remission, with an expected two cycles left, I'm in remission with one cycle left, and the other three are in remission and finished with chemotherapy. I am so thankful for the love and support this family has given me. I couldn't have done it without them.

On the same note, today marks 4 months clean for me. I have struggled with self-harm and depression. I had gone two years without being able to get more than three months clean so being able to say I hit four today is a huge accomplishment.

If you need help, please reach out to someone. Parents, a therapist, a school employee, or if needed, a suicide hotline. Below, I have linked the suicide hotlines for the US, UK, and Australia. If you need it and live outside of one of those areas, please look it up. Nothing is worth killing yourself over, life will get better, I promise."

I make the post. I watch Jack look over my shoulder. "Woah, wait- That's today." He looks at me and hugs me. "Happy birthday! I need to go get you a present." He runs off before I could stop him.

"Don't make this a big deal. I don't enjoy birthdays." "Why not?" I shrug. "It's always felt uncomfortable and wrong." I go up to my room. I begin to feel extremely uncomfortable and my surroundings change. I feel much younger.

"Please don't hurt me." I yelp as the punch hits me in the nose. "I'm sorry." I'm held in a hug by an unfamiliar guy and my back is whipped repeatedly with a belt. "You are a fucking bitch."

I see Jack and he looks concerned. "Hey, you were sitting completely still. It was at least 5 minutes. Are you okay?" "I remember why contact on my back scares me so much, why yelling and things being thrown towards me, why hugs from guys make me uncomfortable except from you, Alex, Kellin, Mike, and Vic. It was abuse."

"Could I touch you?" I nod. He wraps his arms around me and I cuddle into them. "I'll keep you safe from everything I can control." I nod. "I was forced to give Paul blow jobs, I was forced to touch him and he would touch me. I want to try tonight if you are in the mood, but I might need to stop."

"That's okay. I'll wait for you." He lightly brushes my hair with his fingers. "You're so beautiful." "Jack, why do you keep saying that?" "Because I have a feeling that you don't actually believe it." "Oh."

I close my eyes and he lightly rubs my back. I hear Vic's voice. "Is everything alright?" "She's physically alright. She just fell asleep, she hasn't been sleeping much in the hospital so I'm going to let her sleep now, but she'll explain more if she wants to when she wakes up." I fall asleep in Jack's arms.