Safe & Sound

Chapter 12

Jennifer still has Leukemia. She's in terrible condition. Her doctors tell her to stop moving around, and to take it easy, but she refuses. She want's to make the most out of her life. 

We are given permission from Doctor Hannah to go outside, but I need to stay in a wheel chair. I tell Jennifer that she needs the wheel chair more than me, but she decides to walk. 

We walk to a park nearby the hospital, and look at all the nature.

"Is it just me, or has today been going by really slowly?" I ask Jennifer as we sit down on a park bench. 

Jennifer nods. "So slowly. Can you believe that only yesterday was the dance?" 

I stare at Jennifer. "That was yesterday!?" 

"Yeah!" She laughs. "How was the dance? Other then punching- and being punched- by a kid, what happened?"

"Nothing much." I say. 

"I remember high school dances. Those were the days." Jennifer sighs. "Anyway, speaking about school dances, you- young lady- have missed 4 weeks of school. Do you know what that means?"

"My birthday's soon?" I ask her.

"No, it means that you need to learn." Jennifer says. "There's a tutor here, but I figured that since I went to University of Manitoba to be a teacher, I could just teach you, myself."

I slump back into the bench. "Do you have to? If I do survive this, there's no way I'm going back to school, so whats the point?"

"The point is that once you are all healed up -which will be in a couple of years- you'll be far behind in school. You won't be able to go to university, or get a job."

I sigh. "When will it be?"

"An hour after your daily test. It will be about 4 hours long, with 1 hour long break and 3 ten minuet breaks. Sound good?" Jennifer reads off of a small piece of paper from her pocket.

"Fine."

It's been a day since the walk with Jennifer. Today is the start of being home schooled. I hope it's not as bad as regular school.

Right now is the test. But today's test is going to be extra long, because they need to take another X-Ray of my lungs, then check where the Cancer has spread. 

"Macbeth." Doctor Hannah says as I'm just about to get a shot to make me sleep. (That's what Mom calls it, I doubt that's what it's actually called though. I like to call it Morphling. That's from The Hunger Games.) "Were going to do this test after your class. Your free to leave."

"Really?" I ask her, jumping out of my bed. "Thank you!" I say, running out of the room. I run upstairs to the library where Jennifer planned to meet me. 

"Slow down Mack!" Jennifer runs up to me and stops me from running. "You cannot run and get your lungs working to hard right now. It's not good for you."

I stop running and sit down on the couch. "Can class start now?"

"Why are you so excited?" Jennifer asks me, sitting on the floor with a big stack of papers. 

"The quicker we start the more free time I have!" I say. 

Jennifer nods, then laughs. "Welcome, Macbeth Choiselat to Hospital High School!"

Jennifer 'Hospital-school's' me for a bit, and after about a week of it, I realize just how much I miss regular school. I miss people to talk to. Friends. 

A week before my 15th birthday, Doctor Hannah comes to talk with me. "Mack, this Cancer is spreading like a wild fire. But, we've found a way to freeze it. Stop it for a bit until we decide what to do to you." She explains. "This will mean that we'll need to do a quick surgery on you, but after that, you'll be free to be your old self again. Until, of course we decide what we will to to prevent this Cancer from spreading any more."

"Really?!" I ask, jumping up excitedly. If this surgery goes right, I'll be out of the Hospital for my birthday. 

Doctor Hannah nods. "You can also go back to school, but, you absolutely cannot overexert yourself. Take it easy."

I nod, and run out of the office into my room. I call Jennifer, who was doing her make-up in front of a mirror, and tell her the good news. 

"Really Mack, that's great!" She says, putting down her mascara.

I jump on my bed. "Why are you getting all dressed up?" I ask Jennifer. She has on a loose white dress, and some make-up.

"I'm going out to dinner with someone." She says, applying blush to her cheeks.

"A date!" I exclaim, jumping off the bed. "With who?"

"An old friend. We went to High School together. But, I would hardly call it a date."

Jennifer finishes up putting on her make-up, then starts to leave. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, your Mom won't come today. See you then, okay?"

I nod, a feel like Clove just stabbed me in the chest. Mom won't come today. Or the day after today, or the day after that. She rarely comes anymore. Jennifer has almost become my new mom. She's great and all, but it's not the same. I'm dying of Cancer, and my Mom only comes to see me about once a week. 

I need to find the letters she wrote to me. The letters I saw in my dreams that explained why she wasn't here. 

If those dreams were true, Mom does care, she just shows it in an odd way.

I decide to make that my plan. Find those letters. Read them. Find out what's wrong with Mom.