Chapter Twelve

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five months later

Aria's pov
"And that's your 100th Chemo done! You've done well, Ezra," Doctor Thatcher announced.

I grabbed Ezras cold, limp hand, which had became hideously skinny. A tear of joy escaped my eye.
"Well done, baby," i whisper to him, and he looks up at me.

His face was shrunken, his cheekbones literally popped out, and his face was almost white. His under eye bags frighteningly visible. I was positive chemotherapy was slowly killing him. But the cancer was killing him faster.

Chemotherapy was supposed to kill the cancer cells. In Ezra's case, it was killing them awfully slow. Of course I knew Chemo couldn't cure him one hundred percent, but I had faith. Each day he looked worse, yet seemed better.

Nurse Rey, which had suddenly walked in again, attached his nasal cannula, as she did every day. Ezra sighed and huffed through the process.

"You're free to go. But we would like to see you tomorrow for a P.E.T scan, at 9am. Ezra's condition seems to be getting better. We're just going to run a through tests to prove our assumptions," Doctor Thatcher explained. I smiled, and wheeled Ezra out of the contagious hospital in his steel wheelchair.

"Aria?" He said as we came closer to the car.
"Yeah?" I reply, stopping. I worried thinking he was in pain. He could tell, too, as my voice sounded shaky.
He laughed a little, and I rolled my eyes.
"Can I walk to the car?" He asked, cracking a smile out the corner of his lips.
I hesitate for a while. Ezra hasn't been able to walk since the Chemo has affected him so. He eventually became so limp and weak his legs literally stopped functioning. But he'd recently became stronger, and I assumed the Chemo was helping.

"Sure, babe. Are you sure?" I say, clutching his arm to help him stand.
He nods slowly and sets his eyes on the car, which lay about a meter in front of us.

He let go of my hand, and took baby steps towards, raising his arms in front of him incase he fell. He didn't.

He became closer to the car, and with each step he took, he looked as if the strength in his legs was recovering. I smiled to myself, I was overfilled with joy.

He reached the car in no time, and he turned to face me. He smiled so widely, his face regained color. I could witness his rosy cheeks again. The pale lips and weak eyes had vanished. There was my old Ezra. As he'd never been diagnosed.

Tears of joy fell out of both of our eyes. I walked up to him, fast, leaving the wheelchair behind. Since I was so small, which was one thing Ezra admired about me, I looked up at him. If walking to the car wasn't enough, he'd been standing alone for quite some time.

He raised his arm and stroked the side of my face, and I leaned into him. He opened his arms for a warm hug, and I took his embrace. My face snuggled up to his chest. I heard his heart beating, first it was beating rapidly, then it started beating normally. I smiled to myself, as his hands stroked up and down my back.

"Are we just going to leave that £110 wheelchair there?" He whispered, chuckling. I giggled, as I struggled out of his arms. I glanced at Ezra, and he nodded.

I folded up the wheelchair, as Ezra climbed in the passenger seat. I placed the chair in the boot, and climbed in next to Ezra. I turned on the radio, as the engine started. The song Chasing Cars by The Snow Patrol started up. This was one of mine and Ezra's favorite songs. It wasn't quite Happiness by The Fray, but it did make me shed a few tears.

(Listen to Chasing Cars as you read this 😂)

I drove back to Ezra's apartment. I'd been forced to move in with him after he started becoming more weak within the days. Actually, I wouldn't describe it as forced. It'd been my dream to live with Ezra. Especially in this little apartment. It was adorable. It felt more like home than my own home did.

"You need any help?" I ask, as we approach the stairs. Ezra lived on floor 3, apartment B, and there was no elevator in the building, so the stairs were the only way up.
He shook his head, as he grabbed the banister, grasping it hard. One step. Two step. Three step.

"You're doing amazing, babe," I cried, as he reached the tenth step. That's the first floor accomplished.

Ten minutes later and we reached his apartment. He made it. I couldn't believe it.

I opened up his apartment door with the key underneath the welcome mat. Of course I had my own, but they were at the bottom of my handbag and I couldn't be bothered to get them out.

He walked in, almost without a struggle, and collapsed on the sofa. He was panting, and I raised the level of power on the oxygen machine connected to his cannula.
"Thank you," he managed.
I sat down beside him, carefully, and he opened his arms for me to lie down in. I didn't hesitate, as I reached for the remote. I turned on the tv and as the screen flashed on, the previous movie I'd watched turned on. I must've forgotten to turn off the DVD player.

"The Great Gatsby? Again?" Ezra chuckled, and I laughed quietly.
"I'm sorry, I'm obsessed," I answer, fiddling with his bony fingers.

"I haven't watched it yet. Now's my chance," he replied. I look up at him with happiness in my eyes.
I clicked play on the remote, and the movie started out with the opening credits.

"So is this the classic one or the one with that Leonardo DiCaprio?" Ezra asked, stroking my hair repeatedly.

"Classic, obviously. The classics are the best versions. Especially if they're black & white,"
"You're very old for a 19 year old,"
"What am I now, vintage?" I joke.
He laughs, as we both return to silently watching the movie.

"I love you," I whisper as the ending credits roll off the screen.

"I hate you,"

-

For all those people who are wondering why Ezra said 'I Hate You', it's obviously a phrase of love, he doesn't hate her. He couldn't. 😂

Oh and if you listened to Chasing Cars when I told you to, I love you👅
-Abbie x

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