Our Broken Hearts | Lauren Cimorelli

Eleven

Lauren's POV:

After my Chemo round yesterday, I went back to my room and crashed. Jake had gone back to his room so I was all alone.

Ring Ring

I'm woken up by the sound of my alarm ringing. Sighing, I roll over and turn it off. It's now Monday and my siblings are coming to visit again.

I'll probably have to tell them about Jake and I. I mean, I'm sure they'd want to know. I just don't know how well they're going to take the news.

*

9am. The clock reads and I've just finished my breakfast that a nurse brought in for me. My siblings should be here soon and I honestly can't wait to see them, I've missed them so much!

"Lauren!" Christina and Lisa scream as they run into my room with the rest following behind.

"Hey guys," I say happily and give them all hugs.

"So, how was your weekend?" Alex asks while taking a seat.

"It was good, omg I have such exciting news!" I say in excitement. Lisa, Christina and Amy all look at me in excitement while Mike and Alex listen.

"Jake asked me to be his girlfriend!" I announce happily while clapping my hands. Amy screams in shock and starts jumping around me and then hugs me tightly. Lisa and Christina come over to hug me and so do Mike and Alex. A few threatening comments are made my Mike, Alex and Lisa but other than that they were pretty excited and happy for me which I appreciated.

"Wait guys, where's Kath?" I ask confused as to why she wasn't here.

"Oh, she had to work but she sends her love." Amy tells me while jumping on my bed and cuddling up to me.

"Will you tell her the news?" I ask Amy who is now making herself comfy in my bed while laying next to me.

"Sure Lollipop," Amy replies, using the name she called me when I was a young kid which causes us to giggle.

"Is Jake coming to visit today?" Lisa asks wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"I don't think so. He came yesterday," I tell them.

"But I know I'm getting some results back today from my new chemotherapy rounds," I say anxiously, instantly changing my mood.

"Don't worry Lo, I'm sure everything's fine." Mike tells me and I nod.

*

After a few hours of chatting with each other and enjoying each other's company, the doctor comes in with a few other doctors I've never seen before.

"Hi Lauren, how are you?" My doctor asks me and I smile at him,

"I'm okay," I tell him and he nods.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Christina and Mike glance at each other while raising their eyebrows and concerned eyes follow. I wonder what's going on. What do they know that I don't? Why didn't they tell me if something was going on?

"Great. Well we have you're results back and I'm afraid they're not too good," He says and my stomach drops while a few hands grab onto mine.

"B-but I feel fine?" I say confused. The doctor looks at me and then sighs and continues to tell me the results,

"The serious Chemotherapy has helped by two percent. You do still have cancer and it's not going away as fast as we would have liked. By this rate, you have about two weeks before the cancer will spread even more and then, if the chemotherapy works as slowly as it's working now, you'll only have about a, mm maybe a month, to live. If the Chemotherapy works faster, you could possibly have a few months." The room falls silent while Amy and Lisa share a devastated look.

"We're so sorry Lauren. All the best," The doctor wishes me luck and then walks out, followed by the rest of them.

All I can do is stare at the end of my bed, so I'm going to die either way. Great.

"It's okay Lauren," Lisa comes up to me and gives me a tight hug but I could tell she needed this hug more than me. A few tears spill onto her shoulder while my shoulder soon becomes wet with Lisa's tears.

When Lisa pulls away, they all come up to hug me one by one, shedding tears and devastated looks as we cling onto each other for dear life.

"So, I'm basically going to die." I say out loud, not thinking.

No one says anything but looks at each other because nobody knows what to say. I think we're all in too much shock to even process what's happening. None of us can think straight.

"Um, is this what Mom and Dad were talking about to the doctor the other day?" I ask quietly while I glance over to the two oldest who seem to know what's going on.

"Yea Laur, it is." Mike tells me while the rest of us in this room look absolutely shocked. 

"Why didn't you guys tell us?" Amy asks upset.

"Mom said we couldn't. We wanted too though. Especially you, Lauren." Christina says coming over from her chair to give me a tight hug.

I sigh, and grab onto Lisa's hand who's sitting by my side. I rest my head into her shoulder while she kisses my forehead gently, are sobs soon became louder and then we are both full out crying. Soon enough, all of us are full out crying, holding onto each other for support.

It's times like this I'm so thankful for my family to be here for me and to not stop supporting me. I'm so lucky to have them.

"What will happen when I die?" I ask, a few minutes later when our tears are slowly dying down.

"Don't think about that Lo," Mike tells me but I know he's wondering about that too.

"I'm just, uh, I'm just so scared," I say admitting my fear to them, not caring if they think I'm weak anymore. I don't care because I am weak. I can't fight this anymore.

"I can't fight this anymore," I say tiredly, while everyone's gaze falls on me.

"We're all scared Laurie," Alex says.

"Yea, were all terrified that you're going to be gone but you can't stop fighting okay. Imagine if you continue to fight and you survive. How great would that feel? You can't give up Laur, not yet baby girl. You're so strong and I believe in you so much," Lisa says with Christina agreeing.

"You're so brave Laur. You've got this," Christina says and strokes my head.

"Thank you guys," I tell them, truly grateful for everything they've done for me.

"I love you guys, so much." I tell them all, engulfing them into a huge group hug.

"We love you too Laur," Mike says.