Jack

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Jack

"I'll be back after practice, please tell her." Eric said kissing his sister and then fist bumping me on his way to the door. "No more stories."

"Not even soldier Eric," Maddie said and she began smiling.

"You wouldn't," he asked shocked.

"She has one more treatment after this one. I will if I need to and you will take it like a man." She said smiling.

"Easy sis, I still have easy bake oven to work with." Eric said and she looked shocked. He laughed as he was running from the room.

"Easy bake oven?" I asked.

"Never you mind mister," she said smiling at me. The she crawled under my arm and we waited. Haley woke a little around noon and after her parents got to see her she had asked for both of us. She looked tired but she smiled as we entered the room.

She immediately reached for Maddie's hand, and Maddie didn't even hesitate, as she took hers. Maddie was perfect, and even if I ever had any reservations about giving up hockey, watching her with Haley squashed them.

"More stories," she asked and Maddie smiled.

"Eric said I can't tell you any more stories," Maddie said pouting. When Haley looked sad then Maddie piped up, "So we just won't tell him."

Haley and Maddie laughed together as Maddie got comfortable on the bed with her. "I'm saving the best story for your last treatment as a reward, but I have a few more I can tell."

Maddie went into a story about their childhood pet, a cat named smoky. Apparantely Eric, as a child used to chase the cat and grab its tail. One day the cat got tired of that and when he grabbed his tail, he turned and jumped on Eric's head and Eric and the cat went screaming through the house together.

It was a good story, and I smiled and laughed in all the right places. Maddie and her continued on and while I was being left out; I felt good being there and being both of their rock so to speak.

"Haley, I have to go back to work. We have some important charity stuff I have to be back for. Your last treatment is Friday; I will be here for that." Maddie said sounding sad that she couldn't stay but I knew it was hard in a position like hers.

"I understand, mom and dad said it was real nice that you came, and I couldn't expect you to be here the whole time. Even my dad has to work, but Mom will still be here." She said like the growing young adult that she was. It was amazing what being in her situation would do as far as looking at the world in a whole new way.

"That's a good thing. I think your mom would like to spend some time with you." Maddie said and I believed her as quick as Haley did. There was just something about Maddie when she seemed to know something.

"Jack, I hope you get to play again." Haley said looking at me now.

"Don't you worry about that munchkin?" I said giving her a fist bump.

We left the room and hugged her mom and said we would be back for the final dose Friday night. She smiled and tears were starting to form so we slipped away and were leaving the hospital when we were stopped by a familiar voice.

"Jack, can I have a statement for the viewers?" Miss Alvord said and Maddie started heading toward her.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back to keep her from doing anything she might regret. Of course part of me wanted to know what she would do to her, I was envisioning wonderful things.