As the sun came in through the blinds, I opened my eyes only to have them burn from exhaustion. I hadn’t gotten much sleep and even when I finally found sleep, it wasn’t peaceful. I turned my attention to the bed where Shelby was laying, eyes open, just running her fingers through Lanie’s beautiful blonde hair. A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye.
“How is she?” I whispered.
“She’s sleeping,” she whispered back. “But she made it through the night really well, as far as I can see. She seems so peaceful. It’s hard to believe there’s this horrible disease inside of her.”
I got out of the chair and walked towards her. “We’re gonna make it through this, Shell.” I whispered and I put my hand on her back reassuringly. “I’m going to do whatever I can to help. I’m not going to walk away.”
She looked at me, utterly shocked. “Really? The famous Nick Carter is gonna stick it out this time?” She questioned. I sucked in a deep breath. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Sorry. It slipped.”
“I understand,” I nodded. “I’m going to go and see if this place has any coffee. What time is it?” I asked, making sure we weren’t breaking any rules.
“7:15,” she said. I walked out and sighed heavily. Coffee wasn’t what was on my mind. I just needed to get out of that room. I grabbed my cell phone from my back pocket and dialed Brian’s cell number. Through the visit with the doctor the night before, I had honestly forgotten that my best friend had come with me.
“Hello?” I heard him yawn.
“Shit,” I muttered. “Sorry Bri, I totally forgot what time it is,” I muttered and rubbed my hand over my eyes. “I was just calling to say how sorry I was I kinda ditched you last night.”
“Totally expected, bro,” Brian said. “No apology necessary. The guys and I are all across the street from the hospital. If you think Lanie and Shelby are up for it, we all want to come by and visit for a while later on in the morning.”
“That would be awesome,” I smirked at how my friends really did stick by my side during this hard time. “I’m sure Lanie would love to see all of you guys again. Shelby could use the cheering up, too.”
“How about you?” Brian asked. “How’s everything taking a toll on you?”
“I’m fine,” I lied through my teeth. No one needed to know I was struggling. I needed to be there for my family…especially Lanie. Her and Shelby needed me now more than ever and I wasn’t going to let myself run away. Not this time.
“Nick, don’t lie to me,” Brian said softly. “I know you better than you must think. Your daughter has cancer, for God’s sake. I’m here for you, man.”
“I know you are,” I nodded and tried to stop the word ‘cancer’ from playing over and over again in my head. “But hey, just come by in a few hours whenever all the guys are up and awake. We’re in the same room, 203.”
“Alright,” Brian sighed, giving up on talking to me about my feelings. I figured he would return to the conversation at a later date. “We’ll be there later.”
“Okay, thanks,” I sighed. And with that, I hung up. As soon as I did, the nausea returned to my stomach. I had to find a way to shut it off. I had to be strong. I had to wear a mask.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks, again, for the reviews! They really keep me writing [so keep them coming!]. Normally I wouldn't put out two chapters in one day [at least, I try not to do that] but I'm really into this story. I'm actually going to turn it into a series of watching them deal with Lanie's cancer. So, once you see the final chapter of My Girl, don't flip out. IT WILL BE A SERIES. Keep reviewing!!
