In a town where guys like Ryan and Chris wore polos with khakis or faded designer jeans, he stood out. His square-toed black shoes, where the other guys wore sneakers. His dark jeans that weren’t loose or emo-tight, but fit him perfectly. These things set him apart from the typical male East Laker, but they were oddly comforting in the hospital. Familiar.
Besides, who needed visitors when I had a continual drip of hospital personnel flowing through my room? There were too many nurses to keep track of, so I started giving them code names. There was Mary Poppins Nurse, who had a singsong British accent. Business Nurse, who marched in, did her thing, and left. Nurse Hollywood, who left me copies of US Weekly and brimmed with celebrity gossip. Nurse Snoopy, who wore cartoon scrubs and stayed to talk if she had a minute. She was my favorite.
Doctor Kevin wore gloves as he attached the bag to the pole, then connected it to my port. I stared at it, imagining it contained tiny soldiers—each one armed to attack and destroy my white blood cells.
“Well, Mia, now we start the process of getting you better. Are you ready?” Dr. Kevin was unwaveringly cheerful. If he were thirty years younger, thirty pounds thinner, and female, he’d make a great addition to the squad.
No, I wasn’t ready to be filled with toxins. I was terrified of how I’d be affected. I twirled a blond strand of hair around my finger and prayed, please don’t let it fall out. Tearing my eyes away from the orangey poison-slash-medicine, I looked from his optimistic face to my parents’ determined smiles.
I flashed him my best cheerleader grin and gave the required answer: “Let’s do this.”
Gyver was better at hiding his emotions than my parents, but I could read the tension in his rigid posture and attentive eyes. “Can I get you anything? How are you feeling?”
“I still don’t need anything or feel different than five minutes ago. Promise I’ll tell you if I think of something. It’s not often you agree to be my slave; I plan to milk it.” I poked his knee.
Business Nurse entered. Gyver startled and slid his chair backward a few inches. I was getting used to the zero privacy of the hospital. I didn’t like it, but I’d come to expect every nearly normal moment would be interrupted by a blood test, meds delivery, or questions about how I was feeling. This time it was an IV change. The new bag was yellow orange and smaller than my typical fluids. I wasn’t due for more chemo yet. The first dose hadn’t been awful, but I’d been warned the effects didn’t show up right away.
“What’s that?” I asked as she flushed my port, cleaning and sanitizing it so she could stick in a new needle.
“Plasma. Your count was low.” Her voice was business too.
“Blood?”
She nodded, oblivious to my stiffened posture and rapid breathing. Gyver wasn’t; he leaned in and put a hand on my arm.
“But that’s someone else’s blood. I don’t want it in me. It’s not mine.” My hand closed around my necklace, squeezing the clover charm.
“Doctor Kevin ordered it. Please move your hand so I can get to your port.” Her voice wasn’t as patient as her words.
“I don’t want it.” I looked at Gyver with tear-glazed eyes. He was the only one here. Mom had gone home for a “real” shower, and I’d sent Dad to get me a milkshake from Scoops, my favorite ice cream place.
“You need it, Mi. Look the other way and hold my hand.”
Gyver’s steady gaze eased my anxiety. I took a deep breath and gave him my hand.
I squeezed his fingers as the needle slid in; he squeezed back.
There were other cancer patients in the pediatric ward, but I did everything I could not to meet them, acknowledge them, learn their names. I refused to participate in any of the groups or counseling—I didn’t need to vent about how awful this was; I needed to endure it and move on. Besides, I didn’t belong there.
The ones who were bald—not like me. The ones with transplant scars—not like me. The ones with radiation treatments—not like me. The ones who’d grown up on this floor, diagnosed at four and celebrating their birthdays and Christmases in the depressing lounge—not like me. The ones without visitors, the ones whose rooms overflowed with visitors, the ones who welcomed volunteers dressed as clowns and cartoon characters—not like me. The ones who played video games or watched movies in the lounge and laughed like they forgot the battles fought within their cells—not like me. The ones who died—not like me.
“Where’ve you been? I thought you were coming from work—didn’t your shift end an hour ago?” I’d worried his tardiness was a sign he was tired of visiting.
Gyver laughed. “That’s an intense greeting.”
“Someone’s a bit bored today.” Nurse Snoopy smiled as she checked my chart.
“Very bored. I felt gross this morning, but I’m okay now and I’ve been dying for you to get here.”
He leaned in to give me a hug, but I held him off. “What happened to your arm?” The crook of his elbow was iodine orange and bandaged.
“She’s a perceptive little bug, isn’t she?” The nurse patted my knee on her way out.
“I stopped to donate blood. You have to be nice to me today—see?” He pointed to a sticker on his shirt proclaiming the same fact.