Chasing After My Life. (Another cancer story)

Chapter 8

A/N:I added a song to this chapter called This Isn't The End by Colton Dixon. Thanks and enjoy.

April

Many hours,maybe even days later,I gained consciousness again. I woke slowly to the sound of beeping and whooshing sounds from oxygen tanks. I knew that this wasn't the end. I opened my eyes. April,a distinctly familiar male voice questioned. Fabric rubbing against a chair as someone scooted closer to me. A hand rubbing against the side of my cheek. Another hand holding my hand. Baby,are you awake,the male voice asked again. An oxygen mask covered the entire lower half of my face. Pushed air in,pushed air out. Rise,fall. Inhale,exhale. A blurry face leaned over mine. When it cleared I was looking into Leo's beautiful blue green eyes. Leo,I breathed out as the machine exhaled again. Thank god,you had me so worried,April do not do that to me ever again god you scared me,you stay here with me okay,he said. He gently moved the mask down for a couple minutes. What happened,I asked him. You don't remember,he asked very concerned. I slowly shook my head no. How long was I out,I asked him. He moved the mask back up. You were rushed here,you started screaming in pain in the middle of the night,something about it burning,we called an ambulance,mom drove behind us,I rode with you at first they thought you were having seizures again but then they took scans,you were lit like a Christmas tree,your lungs were awful,you caught pneumonia and a type of viral infection and it was moving through your body so fast they thought we were going to lose you they didn't think you'd make it through the night and you did but you never woke up,he said. You'll be home soon hopefully,nobody thought your immune system was going to get weak that quick,you are going to be okay,he added. You have been out for almost a full week,they've been feeding you through a feeding tube and have been hydrating you through the IV's you have and still are connected to hundreds of machines,you are in the ICU still,they had to put chest tubes in cause your lungs were gaining to much fluid,he said. Rest now so you can get better quicker I will still be here when you wake up again,he said. Again I fell asleep probably from so many meds if Leo was right about the machines I am surprised to be awake cause they are bound to keep me on strong pain meds. I drifted into total nothingness again.

Leo

I woke late at night to the sound of April screaming. She had tears running down her face and was oblivious of anything happening around her. I yelled for mom. She called for an ambulance. Their siren and lights announced their arrival. They ran into the house quickly dragging a stretcher and carrying their medical bags. They carefully lifted April from the bed. She was still now and not a sound from her. She had a low pulse and was hardly breathing at this point. They removed her nubbins and connected her to an oxygen mask. They strapped her and moved quick out of the house. Mom was driving separate from the ambulance I decided to ride with April. I was never so scared in all of my life. Finally,the kind medic named Micheal said vitals rising. Can you hear me,he asked her . Squeeze my hand if you can hear me,he said. She faintly squeezed. She's conscious now we need to know what that was vitals are climbing back up into stable numbers almost out of it ,he announced to everyone else. Where is he,she tried to shout. He's right here,Micheal said. I moved into her view grabbing her hand telling her it's okay as she drifted off into a more peaceful sleep. They ran her in explaining. They had thought she was seizing again but she wasn't. They ran her in for scans. Never once did she open her eyes. The scans lit like a Christmas tree. They connected her to a bunch of machines and had her medicated. They put her in the ICU. I slid the glass door closed when I was finally cleared to go in. We called her mom hours ago. I slept for a couple hours. I woke again and looked out the sliding door. Mom was standing there talking to one of April's many doctors. I slid the door closed. She hasn't moved for several hours. Hello,Leo,I am doctor Parker,I am assigned to April's case,the scans showed us that her lungs are awful,she has had fluid filling so quick because she has an extreme case of pneumonia and a type of viral infection and it is moving through her body so fast we could lose her, I don't think she'll make it through the night,she has not yet fully regained consciousness but is still having a slight response to the meds,let's hope for the best,Dr.Parker said before departing. Mom just pulled me close as I started to cry. I can't live without her,if I lose her I don't know what I'd do. A while later,mom was paged so I closed the glass door behind me and pulled my chair close grabbing her hand. I would shower,eat,and change clothes but I never left for the whole week she was unconscious in the hospital. Finally,days later she opened her eyes. April,I questioned. I slid closer to her and rubbed my hand on her cheek,gently. I held her hand with my other free hand. Baby,are you awake,I asked her. I leaned over her face. Leo,she breathed out as the machine exhaled again.Thank god,you had me so worried,April do not do that to me ever again god you scared me,you stay here with me okay,I said. I gently moved the mask down for a couple minutes. What happened,she asked me. You don't remember,I asked very concerned. She slowly shook her head no. How long was I out,she asked me. I moved the mask back up. You were rushed here,you started screaming in pain in the middle of the night,something about it burning,we called an ambulance,mom drove behind us,I rode with you at first they thought you were having seizures again but then they took scans,you were lit like a Christmas tree,your lungs were awful,you caught pneumonia and a type of viral infection and it was moving through your body so fast they thought we were going to lose you they didn't think you'd make it through the night and you did but you never woke up,I said. You'll be home soon hopefully,nobody thought your immune system was going to get weak that quick,you are going to be okay,I added. You have been out for almost a full week,they've been feeding you through a feeding tube and have been hydrating you through the IV's you have and still are connected to hundreds of machines,you are in the ICU still,they had to put chest tubes in cause your lungs were gaining to much fluid,I told her. Rest now so you can get better quicker I will still be here when you wake up again,I said. Again she fell asleep probably from so many meds to help her heal and to keep her pain at bay. Even the tiniest bacteria and she can get sick I can bet she caught this at school I told her to stay home or at least wear her mask but she didn't listen, I'm just so glad that this wasn't much worse. It could've killed her she almost died. Finally,a week later she was well enough to come home. She didn't get off the oxygen mask till three days ago,she still has her cannula and the infection and pneumonia was finally gone though she was still on strong antibiotics and they put her on immune boosters to boost her immune system. She is supposed to start another round of chemo in a week and a half. Although the first round decreased the numbers it is still there and is still increasing.