Through sickness and in health

Chapter Six

Thanks so much for reading this far. Also please check out my other Nichorello fiction, Love me.

***

"Nicky honey, wake up," said Lorna gently as she kissed the girl on the head. Nicky rolled over on her back and opened her eyes slowly. At first she was confused by her surroundings, later realising that she was in Lorna's bed.

"What happened last night?" asked Nicky, her voice more croaky than usual.

"You and Alex got completely smashed last night, so much you passed out so I brought you back here."

"Thanks," replied Nicky, kissing Lorna on the lips passionately.

***

The night before

Alex and Nicky were laughing uncontrollably at someone falling over. Usually they wouldn't laugh at something like that, but in their current state of mind, it was hilarious.

"That dude went tumbling," laughed Nicky, tears falling from her eyes. Alex smacked her knee, in a poor attempt to stop laughing. Lorna and Piper walked over, smiling at the sight of their loved ones laughing. It had been ages since Lorna had seen Nicky smile like that, she liked it.

"You two look happy," Lorna smiled, leaning in and kissing Nicky. As she lent back, Lorna looked at Nicky sternly.

"Have you been drinking?" She asked.

"Only a couple," lied Nicky.

"You know your not supposed to be drinking with your medication."

"Please stop worrying baby, I'm fine. Now come and dance with me," Nicky said as she stumbled up grabbing Lorna's hand and leading her towards the dance floor, leaving Alex and Piper alone.

"She seems good," said Piper and she sat down next to Alex.

"She's not always like that you know."

"I know. And how are you Al, we don't very often talk about you in this situation."

"It's hard you know, seeing her deteriorate like this. I just can't see anything happen to her. She's my best friend and she means everything to me. I don't want her to die."

***

"We would like to change your medication Nicky," said her doctor.

"To what?" asked Red, shifting forward in her seat.

"We would like to give her the same medication but rather than in a pill form we were thinking of administering it through a PICC line."

"Why the sudden change."

"The side effects would be a lot more manageable and we would be able to give Nicky a stronger dose. I can give you a leaflet and on our next appointment me can discus it further," he said, handing Red a leaflet. The whole time Nicky didn't say a thing.

After they left the doctors office and went into the car Red looked over at Nicky.

"Are you okay honey?" she asked. Nicky nodded, not wanting to talk. She felt trapped, she couldn't breath and she felt as if her whole world was spinning.

"I'm going to be sick," she muttered. Red quickly stopped the car and helped Nicky out, just as she vomited. She held her hair back with one hand and rubbed her back with the other. When Nicky finished, she helped her back into the car.

"It's okay honey, we're nearly home."

***

Nicky had another heart surgery at seven. On her first day back at school, after four months of being off, Alex embraced her with a big hug.

"I missed you so much Nicky," she whispered in her left ear.

"I missed you too," replied Nicky.

Finally the two stopped hugging when they were faced by Jessica Wedge.

"Looks like the freak is back then," she said, crossing her arms surrounded by her 'friends', who laughed. Before Alex or Nicky could say anything back, Jessica pulled out a pair of long, scissors from her pocket.

"What are you doing?" asked Alex confused. Her face was matching Nicky's, confused as to what the other girl might do next.

"Grab them," demand Jessica as three girls took Alex and moved her over to a corner, screaming at them to let her go. Three more girls came over to Nicky and did the same, just not moving her away. Jessica smiled a big, toothy, grin. She took Nicky's bag and jacket off and began cutting up her shirt. Both Alex and Nicky were screaming at her to stop. The commotion had also gathered a large crowd of students.

As Jessica finished cutting it she separated the two pieces of fabric, exposing Nicky's frail, pale body and a fresh new scar running down the centre of her chest, to just above her belly button.

Jessica began running her finger up and down the new scar, then the smaller, older scar that was slightly more to the left. The people around them began to laugh as Nicky flinched away. Her new scar was still painful to touch and slightly red.

Some how Alex had managed to break free. She grabbed Nicky and pulled her away from the crowd. Alex held Nicky as she cried hysterically.

**

Nicky was laying on her bed at Red's, looking up at the ceiling. A PICC line? She had researched it before and knew that it was something she definitely didn't want. These past few months she had felt worse than usual. She was more tired and just didn't feel like doing anything. She rolled over onto her side and let the tears fall down her face.