The Bad Boy's Best Friend |✓|

Chapter Fifteen

"We should go to the doctor!"

"No! i hate doctors!"

"But your knee Livvie!"

"It will heal on its own J! I don't want to go to a doctor"

"But why?"

"Remember Nana?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She went to the hospital, and she never returned. I don't ever want to go to a hospital and never return!"

"But your knee!"

"It will heal! My mom will fix it!"

"No! I will fix it!"

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Jared was hunched over on the floor in the waiting room trying to get some sleep. Olivia's mom had occupied the visitors bed beside her and Mike and Ashleigh were asleep on the chairs beside him. They were told that the reports will be back by early morning and the Oncologist will be ready to meet them. It was around five a.m. and he hadn't gotten any sleep.

He blamed himself.

For not being thoughtful enough that she could be in danger. For being so stuck up and worried about his own stupid problems to notice that she was in pain.

He was worried. She looked sick on a hospital bed and she made him feel sick by looking that way.

He sat up straight and walked towards a window and stared outside, thinking about everything that had happened in the past year.

His mom had run away, cheated on his dad and hadn't even bothered to say a proper goodbye to him. And that made him so angry that he took all of it out on Olivia when she returned. So many months wasted in fighting and arguments. It broke him to think of how precious time was.

He stood there for a good while when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"The doctor told he'll be here at eight, its seven now. We should probably grab a bite to eat before he gets here"

It was Ashleigh. She wasn't hungry, but she knew that if they didn't bother taking care of themselves it wouldn't make the situation any better.

Jared nodded and woke Mike up, they headed down to the little mess and got sandwiches for themselves.

They ate in silence, all tired and worried about what was going to happen. Once they finished they walked back up in agreed silence to her room to see how her mom was doing and if she wanted anything. Before they opened the doors they heard sobs. Jared ran in to find Olivia's mother crying, a nurse consoling her and a doctor standing there calming a worried Olivia who was looking at her mom in confusion.

"What's going on?" Ashleigh asked, rushing to Olivia's mom to comfort her.

"She found out that I have cancer." Olivia said and stared at her fingers.

Jared inhaled deeply. He was holding on to the hope that it was a false alarm, that the symptoms were a coincidence.

"Doctor, can we talk for a moment?" He asked. The doctor nodded and they walked out. Mike followed but remained silent.

"Can you tell me what exactly is wrong with her and how we plan on fixing it?" He asked

"Look son, yesterday when I was told of her symptoms I ordered a blood and bone marrow test to be done, I think you were aware of that" the doctor said and Jared nodded, the doctor continued, "The blood test was to see what levels her cells were at and the bone marrow test was to confirm if what she had were symptoms after all. Her blood test came back showing that she had a high elevation in white blood cells, abnormally high. Which confirmed our guess, she did have cancer. Blood cancer, we call it leukemia. The bone marrow test narrowed it down to which type of leukemia she has, since each type has different treatments. She has Acute Myeloid Leukemia. It's at stage three, which means its rapidly growing fast. She doesn't have much time. We need to start her on chemotherapy as soon as possible. But when I said that, your friend told me she doesn't want treatment. I can't treat someone who is denying treatment. I need you to talk to her son. She doesn't have much time."

Jared could feel his eyes burning. He was about to cry. He said, "How much time?"

"About half a year max. It could be lesser it could be a little more."

Jared just nodded and said, "I need some fresh air, I'll be back." And walked away.

Olivia hated this. She hated being confined to a bed. She disliked seeing her mother cry because of her and she hated the fact that the only way of treatment would cause her to be in the hospital all her life.

"Do you need anything?" Ashleigh asked Olivia and Olivia smiled. Her best friend was so amazing. "No I'm good. Where are Jared and Mike?"

"They were speaking to Doctor Torren."

Olivia and Ashley spent time speaking about random things, with Olivia's mother joining in on the conversation when Jared walked in.

"I need to speak to Liv alone please." He said. He seemed angry and Olivia knew why.

As soon as Ashley and Olivia's mom walked out, he looked at Olivia and said, "WHAT has gotten into you!? Why are you denying treatment? Its the only way to save you don't you understand!?"

Olivia looked at him silently, taking in all his facial features. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were wide open in anger. His nose was twitching and he had a distinct frown.

"Respond to me Olivia, what is going on!?" He shouted and she said, "I have no time."

He tugged at his head in frustration and said, "This treatment will give you time."

"No it wont."

"Of course it will!!"

"Jared, this treatment will require me to stay here till my last breath. My chances of survival are five percent and I would rather die earlier with my hair on and my bucket list fulfilled"

Jared stayed silent. He looked at her and took in all she said.

She didn't want to die in a hospital bed.

He remembered her saying this when they were nine. They were playing and she fell and her knee got scraped yet she refused to visit a doctor because she was terrified.

"I remember"

"I know you do."

"You would have only about six months if you don't do the treatment Liv" he said, his eyes watering again.

"The treatment doesn't guarantee me more time. It would just take away the little I have left."

"If that's what you want, I'll let you do this only on one condition."

"Name it."

"You will still be getting tablets that will stabilize your body to function, you have to take those without fail."

"Deal."

Jared nodded and looked down. He couldn't believe he was allowing her to take such a drastic decision. But he understood her point as well. He knew the risk but if she wanted to take this risk, he was sure as hell going to be there by her side.

"Jared?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you help me complete my bucket list?"

"Yes. Of course I will."

And she smiled.

And seeing her smile, so did he.

The bad boy wasn't so bad after all. Perhaps, never really bad to begin with.