This Is Me Trying

Chapter Forty-Six

Betty

"We'll be fine Mom. I promise we'll call you if we need anything." I handed Rory to Kaya as I took the diaper bag from Stefania.
"Okay. Just have fun, and don't let her stay up too late." Danielle kissed the top of our heads.
"We won't. Bye Mrs. S-S! Have fun!" Kaya waved as they walked out.

"And we're gonna have fun, aren't we itty bitty?" Kaya poked the almost one year old's belly and got a giggle as an answer.
"You know, my Dad used to call me that." I smiled sadly at the memory.
"Oh babe, I don't have to call her that if you don't want me to. It just slips out and-"
"No, I like it. It's like he's still here with me. He'd really like you." I walked over and kissed her cheek.
"And he'd love you piccolo!" I tickled my little sister gently.

Danielle

"Our first night alone in forever, and all we want to do is sleep." Stefania yawned from her side of the bed.
"We've been working long hours, Rory has been keeping us up, we've been trying to help out Kaya and Betty as much as we can... but it's what Moms do." I said as I cuddled up to my wife.
"Stef? Do you think Kaya is gonna beat this?" I whispered.
"I really hope so bambina. I really do."

I woke up, not even realizing that I had fallen asleep. I checked my phone and groaned when I realized that it was eight in the morning.
"Babe, baby, wake up." I whispered as I pressed gentle kisses on her face.
"Five more minuets bella." She snuggled closer into my side.
"We have to go pick up Rory." I ran my hand up and down her arm.
"Okay, okay." Stefania yawned as she sat up in bed.

Betty

"Babe! Do you wanna say goodbye to Rory? Mom and Mamma are almost here!" I shouted from the living room.

"Babe? Are you up?" I called out as I set Rory in her pack and play.
I walked into our bedroom, and over to where she was laying on the bed.

"Bambina?" I shook her gently but she didn't wake up.
"No, no, no, Kaya! Wake up!" I shook her harder but she stayed limp.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! I ran to the kitchen and grabbed my phone, dialing 9-1-1.

"I-I need someone here fast! My fiancé won't wake up!" I sobbed into the phone.
"Ma'am, is she breathing?" The operator asked.
"I-I don't know." I ran back into the bedroom and leaned my ear towards her face.
"Yes she's breathing!"
"Okay ma'am. The ambulance will be there in two minuets."

I threw my phone across the room and shook her harder.
"Please, Kaya! Wake up dammit! I need you!" I cried as I laid my head on her chest.
"Ma'am! We need you to move!" The EMT called out as they ran into our bedroom.

I stepped back and fell to my knees, but something caught me before I could fall to the ground.
"Mamma's here bambina. I got you." Stefania whispered as she held me up.
"Mamma." I cried into her chest.

"We gotta take her in. Get the gurney!"

They loaded Kaya on the gurney, and took her out of our room.
I pulled away from Stefania's grip and quickly followed them, grabbing my car keys.
"You're not driving bambina. Come on." Stefania grabbed my keys out of my hand and led me out to the car.

We were silent the whole drive to the hospital, all I could think was the worst. What if I lose the love of my life?

"Oh my God! Rory! Is she-"
"Your Mom has her. She's going to call Jay to watch her." Stefania said as she reached over and took my hand.
"Mamma. I can't lose her. I love her." I felt the tears rolling down my face as we pulled up to the hospital.
I jumped out of the car before she had even stopped it, and ran inside.
"I'm looking for Kaya Doss, she was just brought in." I told the nurse.
"Are you family?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She's my fiancé."
"Sorry. Family only." The nurse went back to her paper work.

"Excuse you? That is my fiancé and-"
"But not your wife. Your relationship with the patient is not legal, therefore I cannot let you in or give you any information."
"Look here bitch-"

"Betty! What's going on? What happened?" Barrett asked as she ran up breathlessly.
"I couldn't wake her up. And now this bitch won't tell me anything because I'm 'not family'." I said while shooting the nurse a dirty look.
"Ma'am if you're going to use that kind of language I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The nurse shot back.

"I'm Kaya's sister. Barrett Doss. Where is she?" Barrett asked while putting herself between the nurse and I.

"Looks like she's still being examined. I can have the doctor come and update you as soon as she's finished." The nurse directed towards Barrett.

Barrett took my hand and dragged me away before I got myself kicked out.
"Fucking bitch. Who the fuck does she think she is." I grumbled as I sat down in the waiting room chair.
"Bambina-"
"Sorry Mamma." I put my head in my hands and sighed deeply.
"Was she feeling okay when she went to bed? Did she strain herself with Rory last night?" Barrett asked.
"She was feeling fine. She was great. I wouldn't let her do anything except sit on the floor with Rory and cuddle with her on the couch. I took care of everything. I've been doing everything. And it's still not good enough." I felt the tears rolling down my face as I kept my head down.
"Bambina, you're doing amazing." Stefania whispered as she rubbed my back.

"Don't think for one second that I'm mad at you Betty. I see the way you look at her. You're so in love with her. You take care of her so good. This is not your fault. It's the fucking cancer's fault." Barrett leaned her head on my shoulder and squeezed my hand.

Jaina and Danielle came running in, "What's going on?"
"We don't know yet." Stefania told them.

It felt like hours when the doctor finally came and got us.
"Betty? Kaya is doing fine. She needed an iron infusion. She's anemic, which means that her body doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells."
"So, what do we do?" I asked with a shaky voice.
"I'm prescribing her some erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. They're medications that work by telling the bone marrow to make more red blood cells. If those don't work, we'll have to try blood transfusions."
"Okay. Okay. Just, can I have a list of everything I can do to help?"
"Of course. I already have my assistant making a list for you. I'm including a list of foods that are high in folate, that should help a little bit. If you all want to go see her, she should be feeling a lot better. She'll be able to go home within the hour."

We all thanked the Doctor, and made our way to her room.
I kept a tight grip on Barrett's hand as we got closer to her room.

"Hey babe." She called out from the bed as we walked in.
"Ciao Bella." I leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"How are you feeling?" Barrett asked.
"A lot better. Doc said that I'm anemic. So, there's another cherry on top of the shit pie." Kaya chuckled.
"Bambina..." I trailed off.
"Sorry, sorry. Bad time for a joke. But really. I'm feeling a lot better." She nodded with a smile.

"Good news Kaya!" The Doctor walked back in with some charts.
"We used the portable mammogram to check and see if the cancer had grown, and it has shrunken considerably!" She held up the films to the light.
"The one on the left, that's the original. About the size of a peach. And now the one on the right, about the size of a quarter!" She said excitedly.
"So it's working?" I gasped.
"It's working." The Doctor said with a nod.

"Babe! It's working!" I exclaimed as I reached down and kissed her.
"Holy shit, it's working!" Kaya shouted with a huge smile.

The room exploded in cheers, and we all hugged each other.
"It's working. You're getting better." I whispered into my fiancé's ear.
"I can't wait to get better and marry you." Kaya said with a smile.