Red Band Society

three // therapy and news

Astrid

I woke to an empty bed. Blaise was already gone for therapy. I sat up and stretched my arms out, careful of my IV line. I noticed my saline bag was empty (and probably had been overnight) so I reached out for my wheelchair. It was just past my line of reach. I puffed in frustration, a slight headache coming over me, and swung my legs over the bed. My feet touched the cold tile and I pushed myself up. My legs wobbled, but I grabbed onto Blaise’s bed. I held myself up and took one labored step to my chair.

My fingers curled around the handles and I held my self-up. I smiled and pinched my IV tube before taking it out. I pulled the tube out of the bag and curled it up on my chair. I pushed the chair, taking small, shaky steps out of Blaise’s room. I kept a giant smile plastered to my face as I realized I was walking. Without permission, yes, but I was walking! I led myself to the elevator, pressing the F1 button and waited for the elevator to descend. I had my fingers crossed that no nurses or doctors would walk in and see me standing, using my legs before therapy.

Luckily no one did, but I still had to walk down the hall to my room. My legs trembled, and I thought I would fall. Instead, I let myself sit in my chair and just wheeled myself the last few feet. I opened my door and let myself in. My room was untouched, except for a new saline bag waiting. I smiled and helped myself onto the bed, hooking up my IV line. I laid my head back, aching from the concentration I used. I could feel my meds kicking in and I let my eyes close.

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Someone shook me awake. I had curled into a ball on top of my bed. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked at the person in my room. Dr. McAndrew was standing at my bedside. He looked quite serious and it made me quite worried. My mind was racing, imagining worst case scenarios. Blaise’s heart gave. My tumors were even worse. Leo’s gone. Or—

“Astrid. Can we talk about your tumors?”

Shitshitshit.

“Y-yeah of course.” I stuttered, scared for my life. Literally.

“Okay.” He took a seat in the chair next to my bed. “Well, since they have left your spinal cord, you have slight damage to the cervical area. We will have to correct this damage or it will further damage and possibly harm the other parts of your back.”

I nodded, not quite grasping what he was trying to explain.

“And since your other tumors have grown we’re going to have to keep you under constant watch. You have chemo later today and physical therapy tomorrow morning before surgery prep.”

“Surgery?” I asked.

“Yes. We need to remove the tumors so they don’t grow. They’ve clumped so it’s easiest to remove them now.” He told me before standing and wishing me a good day. I said the same before fuming. I was pretty angry.

Like, if my tumors are just gonna kill me, then why all the fuss? If all you can do is cut me open over and over again, can’t you just put me out of my misery?

I wanted to scream and cry. I wanted to let it out. I pressed the red button behind my bed. A nurse came in a few minutes later, looking confused but relieved that I wasn’t dying. I took in a breath, but let it out as a sobbed escaped my lips. The nurse rushed up and engulfed me in a hug.

“I don’t want any of this.” I cried. She patted my back saying she understood. She didn’t. No one did. Unless you were a Red Band who was slowly dying yet being tortured by endless surgeries and staying in a hospital year-round. And I was unfortunately in that group of Red Bands.

“I know honey. We’re trying everything we can to make you better, we promise.”

“What if I don’t want to get better? Can’t you just, like, put me under?”

“For good?”

“For good.”

“Sweetheart, I swear to you that every single cancer kid has said those exact words. And you want to know what happened to them?”

I nodded with tears still streaming down.

“They had this same talk and they took this as a new life experience. They said that if you’ve never undergone cancer, you’ve never felt real pain. They fought hard and they got better. Don’t you want that?”

I nodded again, wiping at my eyes with my sleeves. I pulled my beanie down farther.

“Okay. Then how about I wheel you to your chemo treatment and I’ll see if I can get you a few movies tonight?”

“Okay.” I sniffled. The nurse, her nametag read Olivia, picked me up out of my bed and set me in my chair. She pushed me out of my room and to the elevator. F5. The floor for surgeries and extra treatment options. Radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, Immunotherapy, Hypertherapy, Stem cell transplant (mostly for the Leukemic kids), Photodynamic therapy, lasers, and even the Blood Product Donation (for the cardiac kids who can’t produce their own blood). Olivia enters the chemo room and parks me right where the doctor will see me. She waves and then walks off.

I pick at my Red Band until it’s tighter.

Blaise

I walk out of physical therapy feeling pretty awful. I had improved my skills and endurance “greatly” as the doctors had said, but I was easily winded and I had a faint ache in my chest. I knew it was my heart being a dick, but it still sucked that it hurt. I headed to the elevators when I spotted Astrid being wheeled out of her room. She had puffy eyes and I could see the shine of tear tracks on her cheeks.

I frowned and waited for the next elevator. Why was Astrid crying? And why was she leaving her room? Nurse Bonnie told me she didn’t have anything today. I was worry struck as I headed to Dr. McAndrew’s office. He was sitting as his desk, doing something on his computer. I tapped on the door and he jumped, closing his computer and motioning for me to come in. I did so and took a seat in front of his desk.

Ugh, I feel like I’m back in the principal’s office.

“So, Blake. How are you?” He asked, brushing off his suit.

“Well aside from a failing heart, just fine I would say.” I said, still quite nervous.

“Well. I’m glad to hear you’re good. But are you great?” He pushed on.

“Uh…” I started.

“No. Of course not. You’re a Red Band with a terrible heart,” He said, sitting back in his chair.

“Gee thanks.” I muttered.

“Who has made it to the top of the transplant list.”

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hey guys (we need a name for you), it's me A.

as you have discovered, I write Astrid's parts (and a little of Blaise's parts becuse I needed a little drama to come up.)

if you read chapter 2, you've found out that C will be gone for a while and he can write, but not update :(

so you guys are stuck with me, hehe (still need a name :) comment ) 

okay bye guys <33 :))