The Fighter

Chapter 49: 'Up and Adam'

Lord, just a little more time

Oh, in no time at all

This'll be the distant past
Ooh

"Make it stop!" Mark was covering his ears, with a dramatized expression of pain on his face. 

Xavier was smug as we listened to "Ballad of the Dying Man" by Father John Misty from his 'Death' playlist. It was the most morbid thing we could have done together. "Just let it get to my favorite line," He said. 

Eventually the dying man takes his final breath
But first checks his news feed to see what he's 'bout to miss
And it occurs to him a little late in the game
You leave as clueless as we came

"There," he said decisively.

"Jeez," I muttered, horrified. The song was catchy but in the context we had going on, it was just the most wrong thing he could have made us do.

Mark grabbed Xavier's phone, putting a stop to the music. "No more of this bullshit. I'm playing some motivational tunes." He winked at me. "From my 'Get Better' playlist." He started us off with "Harder Better Faster Stronger" by Daft Punk, which was arguably worse than FJM's mournful tunes.

Beep. Beep.

"Okay, that's two hours, time to walk around the unit again." Mark said as he studied his watch. Rising from his seat, he made his way to Xavier's bedside.

Xavier groaned. "Are you sure it's been two hours?"

"Come on, up and Adam," Mark said, pulling down Xavier's bedsheets to reveal his bare legs.

"What did you say?" I laughed.

"It's 'up and at 'em' you dumbass," Xavier said, before Mark pulled him swiftly up by the arms. "Oy, careful!"

I was support for Xavier's other side, as we helped him get to his feet. He needed to walk as much as possible to avoid any blood clotting, and to workout his lungs and heart. The hospital gave us a walking route that would get us to one mile by the end of the day. Mark pulled along the machines Xavier was hooked up to as we made our way out of the room.

"No one looks at my ass today," Xavier said, already starting to breathe heavily, as he baby-stepped. "I'm looking at you Sophie." He leaned heavily on my side, managing to tug on my hair.

I pulled my head away from his hand, tightening my grip around the back of his gown. "I didn't look at your ass last time. Why are you making up stories?"

Mark and Xavier laughed, which forced us to stop so Xavier could catch his breath. "Ow, it hurts to laugh... this is so unfair."

"No pain, no gain," said Mark, raising his hand to fist bump to the lyrics: Harder, better, faster, stronger

"That's what you get for laughing at my expense." I added, tugging on his blue, speckled gown. He pushed my head playfully.

I think we were all invigorated by Xavier's newfound energy and zest for life. The doctors had reminded him, just that morning, that he was done with chemo for good, and that he should spend his 'final months' recovering. 

We walked around the unit, laughing and making fun of each other the whole time as all kinds of weird songs played. I tried not to get my hopes up, thinking about what a future with less tragedy would be like. 

If he could just make it into the drug trial, I just knew, everything would change...and if it would be anything like this, even with the whole ganging-up-on-Sophie game they both played, I'd be the happiest girl in the world.