I Promise - Scömìche

Chapter Twenty: Side Affect

Scott's POV

It's been five weeks since Mitch's first chemotherapy. The doctors said that he shouldn't have to take radiation, which means he won't lose his hair. I think he was most excited about his hair than that the tumor was shrinking dramatically and he has a 90% chance of living.

I wake up to Mitch freaking out and yelling. I run out to the kitchen where he's sitting on the ground crying his eyes out. 

"Mitch? Mitch! What's wrong?!" I kneel down to him, but he won't answer or look at me. "Mitch, answer me!" I take his chin so his eyes now lock in mine. "What's wrong?"

"I can't hear anything!" Mitch says loudly.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't hear what you're saying! Everything is silent!"

"We're gonna take you to the hospital. Okay?"

"What?" I only know the letters in sign language, so I signed 'hospital' to Mitch. He knows sign language because he had a brother when he was younger, and he was hearing impaired. Mitch is amazing at sign language. His brother killed himself the day his mother was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. His mom died four months later. It was a hard time for Mitch, and he didn't tell me all of this. Kirstie did when the whole blowout happened in high school/college.

We walk into the hospital with Mitch clinged to my arm. I walk up to the receptionist with Mitch still by my side.

"Can I help you?" she says, smiling worriedly. 

"Hi, yes. My finacé lost all of his hearing this morning, and we don't know why."

"Alright, do you have a normal doctor here?"

"Yes. It's Dr. Fahey."

"Alright, sit down over there, and he'll be with you in a few minutes."

"Thank you so much." I walk Mitch over to the waiting room, and we both sit down. I look at him, and he looks back at me. "Can you hear anything?" Mitch has a confused look on his face. I mouth what I said very slowly, and he just shakes his head. He lays his head on my shoulder and taps his foot. Mitch, well, he isn't that patient of a person.

"Mr. Hoying and Mr. Grassi?" Dr. Fahey says, walking up to us. Mitch and I stand up, being really quick.

"Hi, yes. Mitch can't hear anything."

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up this morning with him crying, and I walked out. He said that he couldn't hear everything."

"Let's go to a room and check him out."

We take the elevator and are soon in the room he was in a couple of weeks ago. Mitch sits down on the bed and I take a seat next to him. A younger lady walks in a few seconds later.

"This is Alyssa. She can sign. Can Mitch sign?"

"Yes, very well."

"Mitch, you started chemotherapy a couple weeks ago, right?" The aid signs everything the doctor says, and Mitch signs back.

"Five weeks ago." Alyssa says.

"This is just a side affect."

"Will it go away?" Alyssa asks for Mitch.

"It should, but Scott, you might want to learn sign language. It can last for awhile."

"Thank you, doctor."

"Scott, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah, sure." We walk out into the hallway, and the doctor shuts the door.

"Mitch won't need anymore chemotherapy."

"Why, is he okay?"

"Yes, he is. Go call his family real quick and come back in with them on speaker phone."

"Uhm, alright." I call his dad as Dr. Fahey walks back into the room.

"Hello?" I hear Mr. Grassi answer.

"Hi, Mr. Grassi. It's Scott. We're at the hospital."

"Is Mitch alright?" he asks, worriedly.

"Yeah, I think. The doctor told me to call you and put you on speakerphone when I walk back in." I walk in and see an aid smiling and a Mitch looking confused.

"Mitch," the doctor says and the aid signs. "You are officially cancer free." A smile appears on everyone's face, and Mitch, his dad, and I are crying our eyes out. 

A little while later, Mitch and I go home. The doctor gave him hearing aids to use until he gets his hearing back, and Kirstie is coming out for a week, so he's going over to her hotel for a little while. Things between her and I are still a little awkward, so I said I'd stay home and clean up. What he doesn't know is that when we stopped at the store on our way home, I also bought a sign language book. I'm also gonna call up a couple friends to help me out with a surprise. Mitch and I have been engaged, but we haven't talked about it since I found out about his cancer, so I have a plan.