Finding The Truth

Chapter 15: Chemo

Melody's POV

"I'm right here Mels, I've got you!" Liz whispered. "Cancer stinks!" I said crying worse. "I know hun, I know!" Liz said. She always knew just what to do when I broke down like this! She was there for me the night of my dad's wake! "How....how can this be happening?" I whispered. "I don't know hun, I really don't!" she said. "Girls?" Hope said, confused. Liz looked up! "We'll be right there!" Liz said. Hope nodded and walked into Liz's room. "I really don't wanna lose you, okay? Please don't leave me, please!" I cried. She hugged me. "I'm sorry I'm falling apart like this!" I said. "Now Melody, do you really think she minds?" Tara said, looking at me like really. Liz and I both just stared at her. "Alright alright, I'll shut up!" she said. Liz and I laughed. "She's gotta point though, you haven't minded me falling apart...so why would I?" Liz said. I hugged her. "Best sister ever!" I said smiling. She smiled back at me. "Come on, let's go see what time this surgery is...then I really will go down to the cafeteria and get us something, I'm starving!" I said, laughing.

We all got up and walked back to Liz's room. "Melody, are you okay?" Hope asked. "Yeah, I hope!" I said, tears forming in my eyes again. "Alright so Liz, we decided that a port wouldn't benefit you...you'll be getting a PICC line instead, and we do those bedside...so you don't have to be put to sleep!" she said. "How soon can you do it?" Liz asked. "Like right now, I can go get another nurse and we can do it!" Hope said. "Then let's do it!" mom said. "Are you sure?" Hope asked, looking at Liz. She looked at me like I don't want this to happen, and I looked at her and mouthed I don't either...and here came the tears. "But I'm gonna be right here, the entire time...I swear!" I said walking over to her bed. "Yeah, I'm sure!" Liz said to Hope. "Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes!" Hope said walking out. "Are you really sure about this?" I asked Liz. She shook her head, tears were forming in her eyes. "I know, I know...but I'll be right here, I'm not going anywhere...okay?" I said, hugging her. "Okay." she whispered, starting to cry. I saw Hope and another nurse come in with equipment, I looked at Hope with this look that said give us a minute. She nodded and stood there for a few minutes. I sat with Liz and rubbed her hand. "It's okay, it's okay...I'm here, I'm right here!" I whispered. "Liz, honey...we have to do this, now or never!" Hope said. She nodded her head, and smiled slightly. "Do you want everybody in here?" mom asked. "Or just me?" I continued. "Everybody can stay, I really don't mind!" she said, knowing I knew her better. "They'll go if you want them to, you just have to tell them that." I said. "It's really okay, besides they have to see me cry at some point...right?" she said. It was extremely heartbreaking to hear her say that. "Okay, I get it!" I smiled. "You know, after this happens...I won't be normal anymore, I'll be the girl who has stage three leukemia...I'll be the freak with the IV pole with her everywhere...I'll be the girl that nobody looks at the same, and I don't..." she paused, and started crying into my shoulder. "I...I don't want to be her...I really don't" she whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. My heart shattered, because she knew this was going to happen...eventually. I looked up, and mouthed why her, why'd you choose her, why. "You're right, you won't be the same...but you know what my dad always said when this was happening to him? He always said that normal was overrated, and he was right!" I said, almost in tears. "So, if anyone has something to say to you, they can answer to us!" Tara smiled. "All of us!" Elsa and Iris said at the same time. "Family's forever Liz...remember that!" mom said. "Ready Liz?" Hope asked. Liz went to grab my left hand with hers, and started to panic. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay...I'm right here, Kate wanted to know how things were going!" I said, grabbing her hand. "I'm not leaving you, I promise!" I smiled. "Yeah, I'm ready!" she said to Hope, still choked up. "Okay...this is Katie, she'll be helping me with you for as long as you're up here!" Hope said. "Nice to meet you Liz, and Melody...long time no see!" Katie said. "I know it's been forever, you should come hang with us when you get off!" I said. "I just might take you up on that!" she smiled. Katie was Hope's assistant when my dad was here, she graduated nursing school just weeks before he was admitted here. She's been a really good friend of mine ever since then. "Melody, can you sit back for me?" Hope asked, planning ahead. I nodded and sat back against Liz's bed. "Liz, it's time!" Hope said, with this look that said I'm so sorry. Liz nodded, sitting back and laying her head on my shoulder. I put my right arm behind her, and my left arm was by my side. Hope was prepping Liz's right arm. "Tara?"Liz whispered. "I'm here, I'm right here!" Tara smiled from the foot of the bed, holding Liz's right hand. "Alright Liz, ready?" Hope said. I grabbed Liz's left hand, and she turned her head towards me and nodded. "One.......two......" she counted. Liz and I weren't looking, because I knew she'd freak out. "Three." she continued. Tears ran down Liz's face, she knew that after this...she was gonna have to tell people she had cancer, she knew she wouldn't be able to hide it...and I, felt horrible for he! "Even when you're gone I feel you close, you'll always be the one I love the most!" I began singing. She looked at me, clueless, not yet remembering which song it was. "You're in my heart, on my mind, you are underneath my skin...and anywhere, anytime, that you need anything" I continued. She was in tears, because by that point she had figured it out. That's the song we were both working on the day that we found out she had leukemia, but what she didn't know was that I had finished it. We did the chorus together, but I wanted to finish it...for her. "Count me in!" both of us sang together. She squeezed my hand. "That's the song, isn't it?" she asked me through her tears. "Yeah, yeah it is!" I smiled, tears running down my face. "Why are you crying?" Tara asked me, sniffling. "Because I can! Why are YOU crying?" I threw back at her, with a laugh. "Because it's so sweet and touching, how tight the two of you are!" she said. "All done Liz, you did it!" Katie said to us, smiling. I looked at her and mouthed thank you. "What're friends for?" she smiled. "Alright Liz, you're set!" Hope said. "Great, what time can we go home?" mom asked. "Home, I'm sorry but she can't go home...she has to stay up here until she completes chemo, for the first time anyway!" she said. "What?!?!" we all said. "She's sixteen...she goes to school, she sings, she does YouTube with her sisters all the time, she's a dancer too, I mean she has a competition next weekend!!" mom said. "Well, guess what...she either gets chemo now, or she'll die come the end of April...your choice!" Hope said. Liz looked at mom and started crying. "I will do whatever it takes to get rid of this mess, so I'll just put my life on hold until this cancer is gone." she said. Mom nodded and smiled. "How long will this hospital stay be?" she asked Hope. "I'd say at the very least.....a month!" Hope told us. Liz and I just looked at each other for a minute, we were shocked.