With Or Without You (Completed)

Chapter 27

"Ewww...," Elli grimaced. "I don't think I like it very much, daddy."

A persistent Daniel tried to shove the piece of chicken in Elli's mouth still. "But it has so much protin, baby girl. And you love chicken! What has happened to you?"

Oliver who was toying with his own food in the plate, squeezed his eyes closed at the unbearable pain that hit his chest. Only if the poor man knew what has really happened to his daughter!

From nurse Lily's detailed information, Oliver now knew all about the symptoms of cancer and it's stages, side effects of chemotherapies and all that a sufferer should expect. It was heart wrenching as Oliver processed all the information.

Fatigue; severe headaches; stomach aches; respiratory problems; food digestion issues; hair loss and probably hallucinations too!

His Elli was going through so much pain! And what he was doing here? Nothing.

Oliver watched John, Jim and Misha all fuss over Elli to make her eat the chicken and they succeeded. But to everyone's befuddled disappointment, Elli leapt out of the chair and ran upstairs like she was on fire.

"I don't understand," Daniel grumbled. "Something's wrong with my baby girl's health."

Misha nodded in agreement. "We need to take her to the doctor."

Jim sighed slowly. "You don't think we've been trying that? She doesn't want to see a doctor. Our sister's way too stubborn for her own good."

Oliver could not take it anymore. Pushing his plate away, he discreetly blinked back the liquid in his eyes. "Excuse me, I'm not hungry as well."

And he stormed away from there.

His Elli's heart was so big, she was saving her family from the heartbreak and was suffering alone.

Right outside Elli's room, Oliver placed his open palm on the slightly ajar door. From here he could hear Elli puking gut wrenchingly in the bathroom.

A side effect of the chemotherapy.

If he had even an inch doubt before about her having cancer he did not anymore. It was as clear as daylight that Elli was not well.

Oliver had noticed she barely ate anything, puked every morning or after eating chicken especially. There was this time this morning when he saw her wobbling, she later told Misha upon asked that she felt dizzy and weak.

She needed to have easily digestible food from now on. And she would get that, Oliver decided.

Oliver backed away, steel hard determination on his face and ran back downstairs. The guys still on the table looked astonished as a determined looking Oliver stormed inside the kitchen, they followed him there and watched him making vegetable soup.

Oliver ignored everyone and concentrated on his decision that he had just made. The decision that he was going to be there for his witch. He would help her in whichever way he could in each second of the suffering she was going through.

Men of the house followed him with curiosity as he took the soup and a glass of water on a tray and handed it over to Daniel. Thinking Elli would most probably throw the soup in his face if Oliver brought it to her.

"I don't like vegetable soup," Daniel grumbled holding the tray. "Besides, I already had my dinner."

Oliver put a comforting hand on Daniel's shoulder and made a sad face. "This is for your daughter, she... ah... she'll like it and it's also going to be good for her health."

Daniel and the three brothers had their brows furrowed instantly.

Seeing he was going to be questioned, Oliver quickly said, "Please, at least try."

Daniel looked like he was going to deny but then after a thoughtful long minute he finally gave a stiff nod and went upstairs. The brothers sat in the living room in the meantime while Oliver gazed outside the living room window.

"She...," Daniel's surprised voice boomed from the stairs, everyone turned to look at him. "She likes it."

"How did you know?" Daniel demanded in confusion and doubt. "Tell me what is going on, you freak."

Oliver held his breath, exhaling slowly after a moment he went to briskly walk past the brothers on the sofa. But in lightening speed, the three equally confused brothers blocked his way.

"Not so fast, Mr. creepy pasta," John barked. "Answer what daddy's asked."

Jim and Misha grunted in agreement and crossed their arms. Daniel had also come forward to stand with his sons now.

Oliver looked at all of them pleadingly but sighed when their eyes stayed unwavering, there was no way out. Oh lord! He looked away from them. "Please... drop it. I've no right to tell you."

"It's not a shit that we'll drop," Jim yelled, the guy finding the more dire topic in hand looked like had forgotten his fresh heartbreak. "It's our sister, our Elli we're talking about."

"She's our sister," Misha said narrowing his eyes. "We've the right to know what's going on with her, so you better tell us."

John's voice turned deeply desperate, "And now that it is clear that you know it, we're not letting you off the hook..."

"Open your mouth before I put a bullet in your head," Daniel cut in with his favorite threat.

"And what good that would do?" Oliver faced away from them and yelled. "None of you can do f***ing anything about it!"

"Just tell us!" Daniel roared.

"Tell you what?" Fists clenching in emotional turmoil, Oliver snapped turning to face the raged man. The brothers stood tensed sensing something bad was coming, something that would destroy their world.

"Tell you what?... That your daughter has cancer, that she's secretly snooping to the oncology department for chemotherapies each week! That she's suffering from the side effects of the therapy, suffering so much that no one that loves her would able to bear seeing her like this!"

Oliver panted for breath, his eyes teared up in agony and he covered them with a hand, hiding his torment from the four now broken man standing before him.

As if he was punched in the guts, Daniel staggered back. "I...," he mumbled. "I don't... believe it. You b*stard! You're lying."

Oliver shook his head sadly and dropped down on the sofa on the opposite of Daniel. This was unbearable.

"I wish I were," Oliver choked.

Daniel stared down at his feet, his eyes glossing over, a tear rolled down his one eye in the horrible pain that clenched his heart and guts. Elli's brothers were still rooted to the spot, in shock and sadness they became mute. Their only sister, the one they loved to infinity to beyond had cancer.

"Why...," Misha sobbed as reality began to sink inside him. "Why her?"

John had his hands shoved up into his hair in panic. "What prove do you have that this is the truth? What if you've misunderstood or something?"

Oliver smiled heart brokenly. "I saw her in the hospital, man. I saw it right. And if you don't believe me, you yourself keep an eye on her and you'll see the symptoms."

No one said anything after that. They were too heartbroken to speak a thing. Everyone sat in the living room for a long time in silence and with tears, knowing sleep would not come to any of them with the knowledge of the darkness looming around.

-- -- --

Oliver's clearly going to get beaten to a pulp soon. lolz... Now the entire family will help Elli as she suffers from the big bad cancer. :P

Please Vote and Comment; Fan and Follow; Share the story! Let me know about your thoughts through the comments, that would make me so much happy. 

Take care.
Lots of love,
Lara.