Sophie ran into the hospital room, heading directly for her fathers bed. "Oh daddy!" She cried as she threw her arms around him, desperate for a hug.
He was sitting in the bed with Elizabeth by his side, he had on a hospital gown and an IV in his arm, but otherwise looked like the same father Sophie had always known.
"Hey, Sweetie," her father said.
Kate came in shortly after, "Hi Richard, how are you doing?"
"I've been better, the food here is horrible. The view is a nice change though," Richard said, turning his eyes to look out the window at the city lit up in streetlights, trying to lighten the mood.
Kate tried helping that goal, "Yeah, you look like you could use a good home-cooked meal."
"Especially since my baby is back, otherwise I would have to eat my wife's cooking," Richard continued, giving a crooked smile to his wife.
Elizabeth was in no mood to joke, so she just gave him a harsh look.
"Sorry Honey, your food is delicious," Richard attempted, but her cooking was not why she was mad.
"You shouldn't make jokes at a time like this," she told him in a stern voice.
Richard kept fighting his fear, not wanting to look or feel weak in front of his girls. "Why not? It's better than being sad, besides, we don't even know how bad it is yet."
Sophie went into nursing mode as she left her father's embrace and picked up his chart. She noticed that he was on pain medication and while she checked the IV she asked him, "Are you in any pain, daddy? Should I ask your doctor if I can turn up your IV drip?"
"I'm fine, it's just a headache, and please don't turn it up, because either that or the food is making me a little queasy."
Sophie had seen those symptoms before in brain tumour patients, so when the doctor came by to check on Richard, Sophie made sure she knew.
When Doctor Harrelson left, the girls all took seats beside him and they started talking, first about how Richard had been feeling, Sophie very persistent about knowing everything. Afterwards they caught up on what else had happened, but since Sophie had left only the day before, it was a short conversation.
Sophie slipped out of the room and called Benedict. She had barely gotten out her hello before the tears were starting to form in her eyes.
She didn't fully cry, but she allowed herself to show a little weakness to the empty hall as her voice wobbled as she spoke.
"The test results should come in the morning, until then we won't know how bad it is," Sophie told her best friend. She continued, "It's weird seeing him in a hospital bed like that, I mean, he looks fine, but the surroundings are kind of scary. I've seen too many people die from those things."
Benedict was almost reluctant to ask for more information, not wanting to make the whole thing any harder on Sophie, "What do the doctors think?"
"She didn't say, and they wouldn't let me see the scans tonight, but from what tests they are running, it could be cancer."
Benedict, like many people, did not know how to react to the 'C' word, so he remained silent.
"'You still there?" Sophie asked when she could hear him no longer. He had been holding his breath, afraid, as if hiding from the scary monster.
"Yes, I'm here, I eh... I..." Benedict spoke, still not knowing what to say.
"I miss you," Sophie said, cutting him off, "but Mr. Snuggles is gonna have to do."
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More Today than Yesterday
FanfictionI don't remember what day it was, I didn't notice what time it was All I know is that I fell in love with you Benedict and Sophie were born 20 days apart and were the best of friends. Their Gardens backed onto one another and eventually became one...
