How to save a life

Chapter 11

Rick was in the kitchen making lunch when he heard screams upstairs. He put off the gas and put down everything he had in his hands. He ran upstairs amd saw Kate shaking and being weird.
"Kate?" He said and he walked to her. He knelt down and put his hand on her arm. She woke up and looked at him. When Rick looked in her eyes he saw fear. Without asking he laid in bed with her, and held her in his arms. Kate started crying in his chest. He didn't ask, she didn't tell. Rick was okay with it, because whatever it was it scared the hell out of her.
"Kate. What's wrong?" Rick asked after a couple of minutes. She sniffed and wiped her nose. She sat straight and looked at Rick who had sat straight. Kate took a deep breath.
"It was a dream," she said. "I had cancer. And I was pretty sure I was going to die. And then I did and I lost you and I can't lose you. I'm scared."
Rick's face changed into worry. He cupped her cheek.
"Hey." He said and Kate looked down. "Look at me." She did. "I'm not going anywhere. Neither are you. It was just a dream. Nothing happened." Kate smiled. But quickly it faded. She looked just past Rick, to the door. She saw someone standing there. She looked strange. "What?" Kate kept silent and looked at the door.
"Mom?" Kate said and Rick looked the way Kate was looking. He turned and looked at the door. "What are you doing here?"
"Kate." Rick said. He took her arm but she shook it off. Kate stood up and walked to the door.
"What are you doing here?" Kate said. For Rick it looked like Kate was talking to a door, but for Kate, she was talking to her mother.
"Looking out for you." Johanna said.
"You're dead?"
"I am? If I was dead would I be standing here? For you, I'm alive. I'm here for you."
"You can't be here. You're not real."
"Touch me." Johanna said and held out a hand. Kate took it. It felt real. Rick kept looking. It looked weird.
"Kate what are you doing?" Rick asked all of the sudden. Kate looked at him and smiled.
"Don't you see her? It's my mom. She's here."
"She's not, Kate. She's dead."
"Yeah, but she's here."
"Kate."
"Trust me. She's here. Who else's hand am I holding?"
"Air."
"Rick. It's her." Kate walked to Rick and cupped his cheek. "She's here."
"She's dead. She's not here." Rick took Kate's hand from his cheek and held it. "How real is she here?"
"I touched her, Rick." Kate smiled but Rick wasn't. "What?"
"We need to go to the hospital." Rick said and stood up.
"Why? I'm fine."
"You're not." Rick said and started tearing. He put on his shoes. He took Kate's shoes and put them on her. Kate had a confused face on her. But she got along with whatever Rick did.

Rick made Kate wait in the room and he was talking to a doctor about Kate.
"And you're sure about this? Because a MRI is expensive." The doctor said.
"She dreamed about it, and then she saw her dead mother I am sure." Rick said and walked to Kate. She was standing in front of the window looking outside. When Rick walked insidr she turned.
"What the hell are we doing here? Why are you dragging me down here again? I told you I'm fine." Rick could hear that she was angry.
"You're gonna have to run some tests." Rick said and sat down. A doctor came in and took Kate with him.

After a couple of hours later the results came back. Just like Kate's dream. Only this wasn't a dream. This was reality.
"I'm very sorry. But the tumor is small enough now to take it out." The doctor said and Rick and Kate were crying. Kate had a tumor in her brain. That caused Kate to see her mother. And the dream. It was like predicting the future. Rick knew it the minute Kate said that she saw her mother. It all made sense. But now they had to face the truth.
"Okay." Kate said and they made her ready for surgery. Rick held her hand when she was done. The doctor said they had to wait until an OR was available for her.
"Rick?" Kate said. She still had tears in her eyes.
"Yeah."
"I'm scared." Rick stood up and laid next to Kate. Her put an arm around her and kissed her head.
"I know. Me too." He said.
"I just wished it was one of your books and that you could change the ending. Or the dream I had. I just wish this isn't real." Kate said and she cried again. "And I am hungry cause I didn't have lunch and I can't eat because I have a surgery soon." Kate had to laugh a bit and Rick did too.
"When you get out of surgery you can eat." Rick said and kissed her head again. They were silent for a minute. Just thinking about it. It was bad news. Terrible news. Because there was no turning back. This is it.
"Would you still love me?" Kate asked all of the sudden.
"What?"
"Would you still love me after the surgery? After I lose my hair? After chemo and radiation? After all of this? Would you still love me?" Kate said but she didn't look at him. Rick did look at her.
"Of course. I will always love you. The moment I told you I loved you was the moment I almost lost you so I'm not losing you now. And maybe when you're bold I'll love you even more. You look beautiful no matter what. And I will never stop loving you. Even after this I will love you the same. Nothing will change." Rick said and it made Kate look up at him. He smiled and leaned in. Kate did too and their lips touched. It was short but soft and sweet.
"Rick," Kate said. "I think I'm ready. For this. For us." She said and Rick smiled. Kate leaned in again and they kissed again. This time longer and sweeter. It couldn't be more sweet.
"Mrs. Beckett?" The doctor said and they parted. "The OR is ready."
And they took Kate to the OR leaving Rick in the room. Waiting.