the moon [h.s.] - EDITING

fifty-six.

ONE WEEK LATER
DECEMBER SEVENTH

Harry has done endless amounts of research about lupus over the week. Luna was right, it's such a complicated disease. He wishes he could do something about it. He could raise awareness, he thinks. He has a platform. He's spoken about many issues before in his column raging from injustices, movements, pride, and more. Yet, he hasn't really spoken about a disease.

He's at work and Luna is at a doctor's appointment. He offered to go. He insisted he'd be there for her, but she assured him that the appointment would be short, quick, and a waste of his time. Of course, Harry didn't care. He wanted to be there, but eventually, Luna convinced him not to. Now, he's been checking his phone every minute in case she texts him. He plans to drop by her flat during his lunch break. She should be home by then.

In the meantime, Harry gets up from his cubicle to see Beth. Her door is open, but he knocks at it to get her attention. She looks up from her desk. "Harry! Just read your January piece. Great stuff. How's your February piece coming along?"

He steps inside her glamorous office. "Um, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," he says. He feels nervous.

"I'm listening."

"I want to dedicate my next piece to raising awareness on a particular disease," he starts. He has to get it approved first. For a moment, he's afraid she'll say no.

"A disease? Which one and what for?" She has an eyebrow raised and she's looking right at him. She has a look on her face. It's the face she makes when she's about to dismiss him.

"Yes, a disease. I want to dedicate my next piece to Lupus," he tells her. "Hear me out, we have such a huge platform. We've used it for good, but I don't think we have used it enough. Not for diseases, anyway... To tell you the truth, someone I love dearly has this autoimmune disease. I just want to honor her and many other lupus patients through raising awareness, sharing knowledge, and resources. It's a very common disease in more young women than in men and especially in people of color. I feel like lupus isn't talked enough about. So, I want to write about it."

Beth hums and sits back in her white and fancy chair. She has the tip of her pen against her bottom lip. She looks like she's thinking. "I'm hearing you, Harry. I am... Don't you think your readers will get bored?"

Harry presses his lips together. She's your boss, he has to remind himself. "No," he says.

"Oh! Is that the disease the Sienna Davis has? You know, she went through the whole kidney transplant thing. What if the brilliant H interviews her?! I could get her publicist on the phone right now!" She sits up and reaches for the phone on her desk as if she has a golden idea.

Harry would rather not interview a celebrity he hardly knows anything about. He's come across singer Sienna Davis through his research. She's only done one televised interview about her lupus story from what Harry's aware of. He doesn't think she'd be up for another. He lets Beth try to get that interview. He doesn't think she'll get it though. He decides he's going to write his next piece about the disease anyway. "I'll be at my cubicle if you need me," he tells her before leaving her office.

»»

Harry is finally on his lunch break. Luna already texted him that she was home. He makes it to her flat. He stopped by Luna's favorite Italian deli before arriving. He has her preferred sandwich wrapped up in a bag and he can't wait to give it to her.

He knocks on the door when he arrives and he smiles when Zavier opens it. "Hey, Z."

Zavier lets him in and smiles back at him. "Hey! Luna's in her room."

"Yeah? How is she?" He asks while walking inside. He knows she'd been dreading to go to her doctor's appointment ever since she made it. He only hopes she's doing well.

"She seemed good. She just said she wanted to lay down when she came home."

Harry nods and thanks Zavier for the information as he heads towards Luna's bedroom. He knocks then opens it as he hears a faint "come in". He sees her in bed. "Hey, babe... I brought you some lunch. Your favorite sandwich from DeLuca's." He closes the door behind him.

Luna sits up slowly. She looks at him and only smiles lightly. She has tape and a cotton ball strapped against the inner side of her elbow. "Thanks, but I'm not hungry." She sighs.

Harry walks closer to her and sits across from her on her bed. He sets her sandwich in the bag aside. "How'd it go? Tell me everything?"

"I think she was judging me," she starts. "The doctor, I mean. Her name is Dr. Brown. She said I shouldn't have stopped taking my meds. Even though I told her, it made me feel worse... Still, she was judging me." She laughs a little then shrugs. "Other than that, it went okay. They ran some blood tests and now I have a slightly altered treatment plan. I was actually waiting for you. I need to stick a needle in my thigh and I hate doing that."

"You have to... stick a needle in your thigh?" Harry asks.

She sighs. "Yeah... Once a week. Santi always used to hold my hand during it. Will you hold my hand this time?"

"Of course," he tells her. He smiles once Luna slides her hand into his. She stands up from the bed and she pulls him up to leave her bedroom. She grabs a paper bag from her desk on the way out.

"I have to keep the medicine in the fridge," she explains as she leads the way. She lets go of his hand for a moment to open the fridge. She took out a tiny bottle filled with a clear liquid. She then sets it on the counter and goes through the paper bag. "I hope this doesn't freak you out," she says while ripping opening an alcohol wipe from its paper package. She rubs it on a spot by her thigh to clean.

Harry watches as she brings out a syringe needle and fills it with the liquid. "It won't freak me out," he assures. He smiles once she puts out her left hand. He holds onto it.

She punctures herself with her free hand. She slides the needles just underneath her skin and injects herself. She whimpers slightly from it, but she gets through it with Harry's help. When she's done, she lets go of his hand again to clean up and discard her medical waste. "There," she says. "All done."

"How do you feel?" Harry asks. He isn't sure how fast her medication is supposed to kick in or if she's going to endure any side effects.

"Good... I feel normal. You know, until I wake up puking in the morning. That's if my body decides to." She's smiling, but Harry can tell she's not looking forward to it.

"Maybe I can stay over tonight? In case you need anything."

"No... I don't want you to see me like that. It's gross," she tells him.

"Luna, baby... I said I'd be there for you, remember?" He reaches over to touch her cheek. His thumb runs across it.

She sighs. "Okay... Only because Zavier's working tonight. I don't wanna be alone."

Harry nods and smiles as she agrees. He steps closer and kisses the top of her head. "You don't have to be alone... I'm right here."