A Sequel to 'Strong Enough' based on the alternate ending of that story

Chapter 6

She could hear his muffled sobs, she couldn't take it anymore, "Adam?" She slowly opened the bathroom door, finding him sitting on the floor his back against their closet door.

She went and sat beside him, she wasn't sure he had even recognized that she was beside him yet.

He was inconsolable.

"We need to tell the kids, and you need to call your brother" Kim told him when he finally realized her presence.

They needed to be at the hospital in an hour, a full day of tests awaited them.

He slowed his breathing down and slowly regained his composure. He rose to his full height and offered his hand to Kim.

"I know" he told her. He didn't want to do any of the things she had just listed, he wanted his son to be healthy. After they had put little Adam back to bed last night and after he had slept a little bit himself he found himself staring at a computer screen.

He had read all he could about ALL and it scared him. Sure, he read that is was highly treatable and that his son's odds were good. Seeing the images of children dealing with chemo was what did him in, he wasn't strong enough when it came to his son.

They went through the motions that morning, dropped Dani off with Sean and Jenn letting them know they'd be home as soon as possible.

The walk into the hospital felt like miles, little Adam happily skipping inside. He was oblivious to the severity of what he was about to face, he was too enthralled with the playground they'd spotted from the parking lot.

After all it was a children's hospital.

Colorful murals adorned the walls, each floor had its own theme and the cancer floor's theme was the ocean. Huge fish of the most beautiful colors had been painted on the walls, a freakishly large whale was suspended above them.

Little Adam gawked at it all, he smiled as he pointed out all the different fish he found, especially impressed with the Sharks.

He had been on a shark kick lately, demanding a trip to Australia so he could see a real great white shark, oh how they wished they could do that for him now.

"Here's your room big man" The nurse told Adam, Kim liked her already.

He smiled, when he found his room had sharks painted on the walls, "Check it out! This is the coolest"

Kim fought tears, "It's pretty cool" she told him.

"Here's your gown, get comfy in bed. Radiology will be up in a few minutes to take you for your scans" she wrote something in his chart and left them.

Adam was happily identifying the sharks and various fish on the wall when Kim approached, her husband, "This is wrong on so many levels" she mumbled against his neck as his arms enveloped her, "he's excited, he has no idea of what's to come"

He brought his hands to her hair, "I know, they said someone from child life specialists would talk to him today and that we should bring Dani in too" he confided.

He wanted to throw things, to rage at the world but he knew he needed to be there for Kim and for his son. He pushed his rage aside and called his son.

"Come on buddy, you need to get out of those clothes" he held the gown up.

Adam looked at his father confusion all over his face, "that's a dress. I don't wear dresses" his arms folded across his chest.

Kim groaned, none of this was easy.

"I know Son, just it's what the doctors need you to wear, it helps them. Makes the tests easier" Adam explained as he pulled the short over his son's head. Not waiting for him to do it himself.