Megan
This was the fifth hospital we had been to.
Each hospital had told us the same thing: I had Leukaemia, stage 2.
I guess my parents just hadn't been happy with the other hospitals as we were still looking for one to have my treatment in.
But this was it. St Thomas Hospital, LA, California.
It was quite a way from home but my parents wanted the best care they could get for me.
I looked up from my lap as I heard a knock at the door. It was a doctor, my doctor.
My parents stood up as he walked into the room. "Dr Hood," he introduced himself. "Marissa," my mum said as she shook Dr Hood's hand.
"David," my dad said as he too shook his hand.
Then he turned to me, where I was sat in a chair. "My name is Calum," he told me with a smile "You're Megan?"
"Yes," I answered, managing a smile. He seemed nice; it wasn't fair to put my bad mood on him.
I was just tired. I had no energy recently. I hated it.
"I'm going to be your main doctor whilst your here with us, and one of my best friends, Dr Clifford, will be your other doctor," he told me, still smiling kindly.
"Ok," I said.
"So the blood work has come back and, as previously said, Megan does have stage 2 Leukaemia," Calum spoke to my parents. "We have a room ready now so as soon as we're done here we can head on back and get you comfortable," he said to me.
"Cant wait," I mumbled, too low for him to have heard.
"Megan's first chemo has been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon so we should probably get her in to rest as soon as we can. There are enough beds in the room for the three of you so you can stay in the room comfortably whilst you are looking for a house here, unless you've already got one," Calum said and that's when I turned to look at my parents.
"Actually," my mum said "we won't be staying."
"I'm sorry?" Calum said, not seeming to follow "Do you have house nearby that you'll be staying at?" He asked.
"No," my dad said "we're flying back to Iowa tomorrow."
Calum looked shocked to say the least.
"You're not staying here with Megan?" He asked, somewhat disbelieving of what my parents were saying, looking to me and then back to them.
"No. We can't afford a house here for a start," Mum told Calum.
"The hospital does help families with relatives, especially kids, in hospital to find housing in the area," Calum informed my parents who shared a glance with each other.
"We really can't move down here," my dad said, making my heart drop further, me looking back down to my lap.
When Calum said the hospital helped with housing I felt hope but I don't know why. I knew they weren't staying here with me. I shouldn't have expected anything else.
"It isn't possible to leave our jobs for that long," my dad explained "We simply can't be down here."
"I would just like to stress how difficult this whole process is going to be for Megan. She will need her family during this time, to be here to support her," Calum said.
"She is a strong girl," my dad said "She will be fine on her own."
"And she'll have you," my mum added.
I didn't look up from my lap. I could feel the tears coming to my eyes and I desperately pushed them away. I could not cry now.
"Yes, she will most definitely have me," Calum said, looking to me but I didn't look back. "But I really do suggest that you stay here, at least until she is comfortable."
"We can't," Dad said firmly "Our flight leaves early tomorrow morning so we will be staying the night then leaving early tomorrow."
"You can't push the flight back until after her first chemo at least?"
"No, we have to go tomorrow morning," Mum said.
Don't cry, don't cry.
"Ok then," Calum said, turning to me, a sympathetic look on his face "Let's get you to your room then."
I nodded and slowly stood up. I had no energy, I could barely stand. It came in waves. Some days I could get up and run, some days I could barely stand.
Calum noticed though my parents didn't seem to, or they just didn't care enough to help.
"Do you feel tired?" Calum asked as he wrapped an arm around my waist, supporting most of my weight as we walked to my new room.
"I just have no energy," I explained. "Is that wrong?"
"No, sweetheart, that's completely normal," Calum assured me, smiling kindly. I smiled back up at him.
We got to the room and Calum helped me up onto the bed. I lay down, relaxing into the pillows. My parents went and sat on the sofa over the side of the room.
"We're just going to get your vitals and then you can rest, okay pretty girl?" Calum asked and I nodded.
He listened to my heart and lungs, took my blood pressure and heart rate. He said everything looked good and left saying he'd be back to check on me in a bit.
"This place seems nice, doesn't it," my mum said to me.
"As nice as a hospital can, I guess," I muttered as I closed my eyes.
"And Calum seems really nice," she continued. Does she not know any adjectives other than nice?
"Yes, he does. I'm really tired, Mum, could you let me sleep," I snapped.
"Megan, apologise to your mother," my father said sternly "She is only trying to make conversation with her daughter before we don't see you for a bit."
"I'm sorry, Mum," I said reluctantly.
"I accept your apology," she said, making me want to roll my eyes.
They didn't say anything else and it wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep.
Calum
I met up with Ashton and Michael, in my office, just before I was due to go and check up on Megan.
"Her parents aren't staying," I told them.
"At all?" Ashton asked, as equally shocked as I had been.
"No, they fly home early tomorrow morning. They're not even staying for her first chemo. What kind of parents just drop their kid off at a hospital and fly back home across the country after no time here? Especially when their child is a cancer patient and is going to need their support now more than ever," I ranted.
Both Michael and Ashton could see how annoyed I was with Megan's parents; I wasn't exactly trying to hide it.
We spoke for a few more minutes before Michael and I headed into Megan's room, whilst Ashton went to see another patient saying he'd come by to see Megan later today.
Megan was asleep but her parents were awake so Michael introduced himself.
I had to take her vitals so I walked over the bed, planning on taking her pulse first. She looked so peaceful whilst she slept, her lips curled into a small smile.
I took her wrist in my hand as gently as I could, hoping not to wake her. But even so, her eyes shot opened and she looked around panicked. Light sleeper.
"It's just me," I told her and she relaxed slightly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's fine," she answered immediately, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just taking your vitals," I told her as I continued with what I was doing.
"Who's that?" Megan whispered to me, her eyes flickering to Michael and back to me.
"That's Michael, your other doctor," I told her with a slightly amused smile.
"It's nice to meet you, Megan," he said with a reassuring smile.
"Nice to meet you too," she answered.
"Okay, vitals look good," I announced, stepping away from the bed slightly.
"Another doctor's going to pop in a bit to talk to you, Doctor Irwin, but apart from that you shouldn't be bothered for the rest of the day. If you need anything then push the button by the side do your bed," I told Megan and she nodded in understanding saying "Okay."
"Is there anything I can get you three now?" I asked.
Megan looked like she was about to say something but her mum spoke before she could "No, we're all good, thank you."
"Megan, anything you'd like?" I said just to her.
"Nope," she answered quietly after a moment of hesitation. I was sure that's not what she was going to say but I couldn't force her to tell me.
"Alright then," I said as Michael and I made our way to the door "I'll come say goodnight later, okay?"
"Okay," Megan agreed, smiling slightly as we left.
