To Protect A Child, To Love A Child

Chapter 56

"Hi Jackie," Ashley greeted her brother as he took the seat next to the bed that Abby had sat in.

"Ash, cut the formalities, please...what the hell is going on? What are you not telling me?" Jack pushed, sick of being in the dark.

"Well big brother, I have cancer," Ashley bluntly stated.

"Wait, what?" Jack couldn't believe his ears, "No, you can't have cancer...you haven't been sick...you haven't even showed any signs."

"I do Jackie...the doctor said all the drugs I've been taking and alcohol I've been drinking masked the usual symptoms," Ashley explained.

"I...I don't know what to say," Jack babbled, "We'll fix this...we'll get you treatment...take you to the best doctors in the country, the world if we have to...money is no issue...you'll be back to normal in no time."

"Jackie...Jack...JACK!" Ashley finally got him to stop talking, "There's no use...I love that you care about me so much, but...it's too late...I'm...I'm dying...I have stage 4 liver cancer...there is no way of stopping it now...I only have 1-2 weeks, a month at the most."

"No...no," Jack denied as tears began to form in his eyes, "This can't be, there has to be something we can do...we'll get a second opinion...anything."

"Jackie," Ashley choked out getting emotional herself, "I don't need a second opinion...the results are final...this is it." Ashley opened her arms to her brother who didn't hesitate to hug his sister. They let out their emotions in each other's arms finding some comfort in being together. When they finally pulled apart they had cried all they could.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Jack asked, "Anything at all?"

"There is one thing...well actually two parts to one thing," Ashley replied.

"Name it," Jack said.

"I need you not to fight Victor and Nikki on having custody of Abby," Ashley asked, "Victor is her father and Abby has grown very fond of Nikki...Abby is happy with them...and I promised her that neither I nor you would fight them about where she lived...and that goes for even when I'm gone, I don't want her to become another pawn in the war of Newman's vs. Abbott's, do you understand?"

"I understand," Jack grumbled, "I just can't believe you want that ogre raising your daughter...and with Nikki for that matter, I mean I've always had a special place in my heart for her, but you...you've never been able to stand being in the same zip code as her let alone share a child."

"I know Jack," Ashley rolled her eyes, "Nikki and I have never been the best of friends, but this isn't about us this about what is best for my daughter when I'm gone because although I didn't do such a hot job while I was alive I'll be damned if I'm not going to take care of her when I'm gone," Ashley wiped away a few tears, "which brings me to the second part of what I need you to do which you really aren't going to like..."