"Hey, Awsten," Jack came in. "How are you buddy?"
Awsten was asleep. He hadn't slept for so long and his body was finally getting the rest it needed.
Jack felt terrible for waking Awsten up, but he knew he had to. "Awsten, you're ready to go home now." Jack gently shook Awsten awake.
Awsten looked up, a frown on his face. "Wha?"
"Your session is over. We're flushing your body with saline and finishing up in about ten minutes-" he stopped. "You got a package, by the way." Jack handed Awsten a little box of pink and purple flowers.
There was a letter inside.
His face lit up. He took the letter out, opening it up. It was just plain white paper this time, but it had a cute border of love hearts around it.
'Awsten,
I've missed you at school.
I've missed everything about you. Your laugh, your smile, your pretty body. I've missed how funny you are, how interesting you are and how dramatic you are at times. I've just missed your presence. I hope you're okay.
I wonder what you do with these letters. I know you read them, but I don't know what you do with them. I hope you keep them. It's okay if you don't.
I miss you, Awsten.
From, someone who feels like they have a hole in their chest.'
Awsten felt good to know that someone missed him. He wish he knew who the writer was.
"Let's get you changed, bub." His mom said. She grabbed his clothes and swung his legs over the bed, pulling his jeans on gently. She grabbed his hands, helping the boy stand.
Awsten immediately wobbled and fell back against the bed, not able to stand. It hurt so much. He felt like crying.
Ginny sighed and helped Awsten stand again, holding him up with one arm. She helped him pull his jeans up. "There we go," She sat him back on the bed and picked up the shirt Awsten had stolen from Geoff, slipping it over the boys head. She helped him put one arm in and left the other one out because it would get caught with the tube. "Good job."
"Hey buddy," Jack came in. "So how did you go?" He stopped the saline bag flow with the clip and gently removed the tube from Awstens arm. He put the plug in the end of the tube and placed some tape over the little cannula connector so it would stay in place.
"I hated it," Awstens mom pulled his shirt on fully. He was so achey. "My legs and arms are still numb."
"Numb? Oh, that's not good.." Jack frowned. "Alright, I'll give you some medication to help that. Ive prescribed you some anti-nausea tablets, pain medicine and I'll see if I can find anything to help with the numbness. The pain medicine should help with it though. If you have problems with walking I can always just lend you a wheelchair. It's quite common for kids in chemo to have nerve and muscle pain, especially joint and bone pain."
"We'll take the wheelchair." Said Ginny.
"M-mom! No!" Awsten whined. "No, we won't, I'll be laughed at-" Awsten shook his head.
"Awsten, we're taking the wheelchair. You can't even get dressed without falling over. You need it." Ginny said firmly. "Do we need to pay?"
"Just put in a fifty dollar deposit so the hospital knows you'll give it back." Jack replied.
Ginny nodded, hoping she had the money.
"Anyways Awsten, over the next few days you will feel really fatigued and sore. But in about a week and a half you should feel a little better. In two weeks is your next chemo round, and I might change your dosage around. Anyways, you're free to go after some paperwork. Do you want that wheelchair?" Jack smiled.
Ginny handed him fifty dollars. "We'll take it," She took the paperwork and sat in the chair, starting to fill it out. "Thanks, Doctor Barakat."
Jack smiled and left the room, giving the money to the receptionist in the cancer ward and collecting a wheelchair for Awsten. He came back in, wheeling it up to the bed. "You need some help in?" He asked Awsten.
Awsten nodded shakily, letting Jack hold his hands and held lower him into the black wheelchair.
"There we go.." Jack said softly. "You're free to decorate it as long as it can come off," He smiled and took the paperwork from Ginny. "See you soon, alright? I'll call you later and check up on things." He left.
Awsten was silent as his mom wheeled him out of the hospital.
He wanted everything to just be normal again.
