•Bittersweet (Ryan Sitkowski)• COMPLETED

We'll Get Through This { 30 }

Jessica
****6 months later****

I pave the confines of my room. Wringing my hands, I chew on my bottom lip. Looking around my room, I take notice of all the clothes thrown around haphazardly. I pause for a second and run my hand through my hair.

"Jess? You ready?" Ryan pokes his head into my room. Almost instantly, I could tell he could see my panicked expression.

"Hey, calm down," he says, coming over to me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "It's going to be okay, I promise."

I bury my face into his chest. Curling my fingers into the fabric of Ryan's shirt, I mumble into it.
"But what if it's not? Ryan, this can and will change everything. I'm scared."

Ryan sifts his hand through the strands of my grey hair. "It will be, Jessica. I can feel it. And even if it's not, we'll get through this. We have this long and we will even longer."

I sniff and give a dry, sarcastic laugh, wiping the tears that had seeped out without my permission.

"You're in love with a dying girl, Ryan. How?" I ask. He pulls me back a little and stared into my eyes.

"You're not dying. And I love you because I love you and that's final. Nothing with ever change that, baby." Ryan kisses the top of my head.

"Ryan, I'm dying." I snort. "As much as I hate to say it, there's a good chance that it is true."

He shakes his head. "You're not dying. You're just entering your final form is all."

I pull back and look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"So I'm a Pokémon now?"

He nods. "Yep. Your final form is a hot as fuc--"

I roll my eyes and cover his mouth with my hand. "Don't you dare finish that sentence-- EW! Why did you lick me?!" I rip my hand off and wipe it on his shirt.

Ryan just laughs. Glaring at him, I grab my pill bottle, open it, and take two of the little white pills before closing it and grabbing my keys.

"Let's go, ass."

******

"Jessica Parente?" A nurse calls.
Giving a shaky glance towards Ryan, we both stand up and head over to the woman.

"Right this way," she says. Nodding, I start to follow her as Ryan laces our fingers together and walks by my side.
Leading us into a sterile, white room, she gestures for me to sit on the bed.

"The doctor will be in soon to discuss your labs with you." Closing the door behind her, she leaves.

Looking at Ryan, the paper plastic crinkles beneath me that covers the bed.

"I don't think I'm ready for this, Ryan," I admit.

He bends down before me and cups my face. "No matter what the doctor says, we'll get through this. I promise. If not, I will buy you your own personal Starbucks."

I laugh weakly at his stupid joke, trying to ignore the shaking in my body.

"I mean it though. We'll be alright. You'll be alright." Ryan places a sweet kiss on my lips before pulling away right as the doctor comes in.

"So, Jessica Parente, I presume?" He asks.

I nod. "That's me."

"Well, Ms. Parente-" I cut him off.

"Call me Jessica, please." Hopefully, it would ease up my nerves a bit if things weren't so formal.

"Of course, Ms. Jessica. According to your files, you were diagnosed with the early stages of TB, right?" He reads over the paper.

I gulp. "Yes, sir. About 4 to 6 months ago."

He takes off his glasses. "And since then, you have been taking medication and going to your scheduled treatments, right?"

"I have. Every day on the dot. My boyfriend makes sure that I don't forget."

The doctor looks over at Ryan for conformation. Ryan nods. The doctor sighs and places the files down before leaning forward and clasping his hands together. My heart drops.

"Well, Ms. Jessica, it seems as if...... It appears that the disease has cleared up."

My heart freezes and my eyes widen. "W-what?" Ryan's grip on my hand tightens.

"Based off of your most recent labs, your white blood cell count has gone to the normal level. Same with your red blood cell count as well. Your lungs have cleared up so much and the wheezing has completely gone away. Now. You are not 100% out of the woods. It could always could back because the disease can be contracted from anything. But as of now... you are free of Tuberculosis."

A squeal comes from my throat the moment the doctor leaves. Turning towards Ryan, I jump into his arms.

"Did you hear what he said, Ry?" I screech into his ear. Ryan laughs at me. Walking out of the doctor's office, he stops and turns me around to face him.

"Yes, love. I did hear him. See? I told you, you would make it through this."

I smile at him before leaning up and kissing him hard. Ryan kisses me back before shaking his head. Grinning at me, he moves his hands down to my hips before grabbing me and swinging me into the air. Twirling, I wrap my arms around his neck and screech at the surprise.

"Ryan! I hate you!" I laugh.
He sets me down.

"Hate you, too, love."