Generations: The Long Game

Cut and Poison

TW: mention of medical procedures and potentially fatal life threatening disease. Illness

"Cytoreductive Surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. That is the plan for today. Is that correct, Mrs. Knight?"

"Yes, that is what they told us, but why are you asking me?"

"We need to make sure you understand what is going to happen today. Can you tell me in your own words what that means?"

She looked up at Reece. He had gone nearly green. She reached out and took his hand in her own. "Um, yes, they will remove as much of the cancer cells from my peritoneal area by cutting or scraping away any cells. Then they will circulate a warmed chemotherapy solution in my abdomen to attempt to kill off any remaining cells."

"Okay, thank you Mrs. Knight. A few others will be into see you before they take you up to surgery."

He wasn't lying. Three others had come and asked the same questions. Reciting the details over and over seemed to numb her to them, but she could see Reece struggling.

"Come here, darling." She patted the bed next to her. She wasn't sure she had ever seen him look worse. "I love you. I will be okay. We agreed this was our best chance. Our best option. I promised you last night that I will fight this, and I will, darling. I will." He held her tight. He was holding on for dear life. "I want you to go home when they take me. It is eight hours Reece. Go be with our babies. Hold them."

"I can't. I can't leave you. I will send Mia to help Carly, but I won't leave you."

"My love I will be with the only people who can help me. Help us. Rory will need you. She has only been with Carly and Mia a handful of times, and never for this long. Emery has been to nursery, but not for the last few months. They are going to be confused. Please, Reece."

He couldn't bear to her plead with him and nodded his head. "Alright gorgeous."

"Can you get Mia for a minute? I want to speak to her before they come." He nodded again and left the room.

Mia returned on her own and made an excuse for him that he ran to the toilet. Marjorie assumed it was a cover, but she let it slide. She needed a few moments alone with the redhead anyway.

"Mia, make him go home to the children. They need him, but he is gonna need them today too. Be mean if you have to but get him home. It will be nearly eight hours before I will be back out, and even then, he won't be able to do much. Please, Mia, make him go. Promise me."

Mia looked down at her in the bed. She hadn't realized how small she really was until just now. She was desperate, but she was still a force to be reckoned with. "I will get him home."

"Promise me."

"For Christs sake, Marjie, I promise. Now settle down before you set these alarms off. She spoke harshly but a smile spread across Marjorie's face. She needed that fire. She had always kind of hated that part of Mia, but now she was glad she had never lost it. She was gonna need it now more than ever.

Reece reentered the room just as they came for her. She asked for just a moment before turning her attention back to him. "I love you. I will fight. I will see you tonight." She reached up and pulled him into a hard kiss that she held for maybe a bit too long. She was scared, but his tear-stained face made her realize she couldn't show it. Not right now.

As they wheeled her away, he fell to his knees and Mia stood in front of him to guard the view from anyone outside the room. He was her best friend, and this was all she could offer him in the moment. She couldn't take away the pain no matter how much she wanted to, but she could let him breakdown with privacy and dignity.

As his sobs subsided, she pulled him to his feet. "Come on Reece you're going home to the children."

He pulled himself from her grasp. "No! No, I am not! I can't leave her. I won't."

"Reece, your children need you. Marjorie needs you to be with them. You worked in childcare, Reece, you know Emery has probably already picked up on the changes. He needs his dad, Reece. And Marjorie needs to know that you can handle that because she can't right now. Get going! I am taking you home. I will come back and wait for Marjorie."

He looked at her and nodded. "Okay, I will go, but you stay here. You don't have to take me. I need you here. Please." She nodded and he left.

When he arrived home, he went straight to the lounge. He stood just out of sight listening to Carly and Emery giggling. He needed that joy but couldn't feel it right now. He wanted it, but it was just outside his grasp.

He entered the lounge and Emery came running . He picked him up and held him close. Breathing in the smell of him. He had the faintest sent of Marjorie's perfume on him. He sat on the sofa not letting the little boy go.

"Reece, I am going up to check on Rory. Call me if you need anything." He waved her out and made sure he heard her clear the stairs before he spoke.

"Little man, we might have to do without mummy for awhile. We have to be brave, but if she beats this...once she beats this we are going to be fine. More than fine. We are never going to let her wonder if she is loved. She will know every single day. Every day."