The Wake Up Calls (Camren)

Chapter 14-

Dinah-

I sat there in silence. Well I sat there mostly in confusion more than anything.
Sure she was talking to me but I wasn't really listening, I was stunned.
"I'm so sorry Dinah, I mean I should've told you as soon as I found out but I didn't know what to do, who to go to, what was going to happen next, how I'd cope. I understand if your really angry with me, I know I would be if my 'best friend' lied to me! I'm really sor-"
"Mila! Stop, just stop talking!" I was totally unsure as to what I was going to do next, was I just going to get up and leave her there all alone, honestly I didn't have a clue.
I finally made a move, dragging my chair closer to her.
"Choncho, I could never be angry with you, sure I can get real mad at you sometimes. I mean I can't help it if you're being annoying and clingy." She smirked knowing damn well that if anyone was the clingy person in this relationship, it was me.
"Seriously girl, I'm not angry at you, I'm worried. How long has this been happening? Why are you not at home with your family. Camila you need your family, they are the most important people in your life."
She opened her mouth to speak, her bottom lip quivering slightly.
"I-I don't want to go home. I can't go home. I just have to get through these couple of month's and I'll be fine." She said it in a way that seemed like she was trying to convince herself of this rather than me.
"So when you were sick, that was to do with the...you know...?" I shrugged my shoulders.
"Cancer. Dinah. You can say it, might as well get used to it."
"I'm sorry. I just don't ever want to get used to it."
"Well this is my reality now, everything's changing. You have to understand that I'm going to be different now. I'm not going to be the same person." She shifted on the bed turning her face away from me.
"Mila, your still the same person, no matter how sick you are, how tired you get, or how much anyone tells you you've changed, your always gonna be my best friend. My weird, bookworm of a friend. Nothing will change that. Your dodging the question Choncho."
Again she shifted, this time her body was tense and uncomfortable. I wasn't sure whether she was getting tired from the treatment, or whether she was just uncomfortable answering my question.
"Yes. It was because of the cancer. Happy?" She turned back to me a fake smile plastered across her face.
"No. Why were you so sick?"
"I got an infection from the treatment. What did Ally tell you?"

"Umm that you had a 24 hour virus. Hang on. Does she know? Why does Ally know and I'm only just finding out?!"
"She found out on her own! I'm sorry Dinah! Can we not do this now? I just want this to be over with okay?"
Camila closed her eyes stretching her back up off the mattress then back down.
"Sorry." There was one thing I had yet to ask her. "Are you okay? I mean really? Don't lie to me Choncho."
She sighed.
"I'm fine."
I scoffed under my breath.
"Sure and I'm Beyonce." She smiled at me.
"You ARE Beyonce!" That was the first time in weeks I could hear a little bit of joy in her voice. A little bit of happiness.
"I know." I flipped my hair over my shoulder.
She giggled again.
But then she stopped.
The same sadness that had been etched into her face previously, washed back over her face.
"Ummm. What-what type of..."
"Cancer."
"Y-yeah. Cancer." I finally said it.
She fiddled with her hands in her lap.
"Leukemia."
"Okay. So fill me in. How many times do you have to do this before you beat this thing?" I grinned at her but her face didn't change.
"Dinah. You know it's not just going to happen over night? Right? I mean I might not even beat this..." My smile disappeared.
"You will beat this. We'll beat this together, all of us."
"Uhhh...that's the thing. It isn't really all of us is it? It's me." She nibbled on the inside of her cheek. "It's not you. It's not Ally, or Demi. It's me and me alone."

I sighed.

An hour later the nurse walked back into the room. She unhooked Camila placing a circular bandaid over the bleeding insertion spot on the underside her wrist.
"Okay so you will be required to complete another round of therapy 4 weeks from today. Your doctor will contact you with the information. So your free to go!" She turned to walk towards the door but stopped at the end of the bed. "And Camila, I know it's none of my business, but I'm really glad you brought someone along today. It helps to have someone to lean on." She smiled, placing a hand on Mila's leg before walking out. She's right.
Whether Camila realizes it or not, she needs us for support, she is not alone.
I opened my mouth to say something about it to her but I could tell the physical toll this round of chemo was already taking on Camila so I decided to leave it alone for the moment.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed standing up slowly, regaining her balance after lying there for so long. I watched as she closed her eye's and took a deep breath. She went to take a step towards the door but stumbled on her right leg returning back to her sitting spot on the side of the bed.

"Woah careful." I stood from the chair and wrapped my left arm around her waist laying her arm over my neck. "Let's get you back to the bus." I helped her to her feet, slowly making our way back to the car and into the backseat.
As soon as she hit the soft cushioning of the car seat she rested her head on the window and closed her eye's. Her pale skin could decieve any parent into thinking she was a hungover 17 year old.
I slid across the back into the middle seat, strapping my own seat belt on before turning to Camila.
Through the countless school "classes" I've had alongside Camila whilst on tour and recording, the health textbooks always say that you make sure your safe first before attending to anyone else. Because your no good to anyone else if your injured or hurt.
Sure maybe it's the other way around, I don't like school at all so maybe I got it confused.

I reached over and pulled the seat belt around Camila's small body. Her chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm.
Fiddling with the belt I managed to click it into it's holder thing. My eye's made their way to camila's soft face.

The driver jolted the car forward cause me to direct my attention to the front windscreen. I watched as an elderly lady crossed the road in front of the car. Once she crossed the car began to move forward again.
I hadn't realized but when the car jolted forward, Camila's head had fallen onto my shoulder, replacing the window for her head to rest on.

She looked exhausted, tired, broken...just...broken.

"I love you Choncho" I whispered as she slept on my shoulder.