Page 14 of Then Came You

"It’s nothing." I wave her off, hoping she doesn’t make a big deal. I can’t stand to see her squint while trying to read on her brick of a phone.

Her blistered and chapped lips quiver. "Thank you. I don't think I have the words to describe just how happy this makes me." I'd give her the world if I could. I promise, one day I will.

"How are you feeling?"

"Weak, but I love being here." I can read between the lines. When we're home, Tori is forced to stay in her room while Mum has 'company.'

"Can you milk staying here a little longer?"

It costs an arm and a leg when she does stay, and I'm one step away from selling a kidney, but this is the best place for her.

"I'll try.” I know she prefers it here over home, and I don’t blame her. She drops the subject. “Anything new with Blade?" I filled Tori in on how we met the day after he dropped me home.

Blade has been one big bright distraction for me over the last couple of weeks. I don't know him well, but it feels as if I do. I trust him. It was instinctive how I gravitated to him. He made me feel a level of safety that I hadn’t felt since Dad died.

Unfortunately, he has since vanished since I saw him last.

"Nothing," I deflate, opening her popper and handing it to her so she doesn't get too thirsty.

"That doesn't mean anything. He's a busy single father." She dribbles some of the juice down her chin as she tries to placate me.

Another reason I like visiting Tori in the hospital. The free food and snacks. I offer her a Jatz, but she shakes her head. Nibbling on a cracker, I bask in how perfect he was.

"You know what I liked about him the most? He was so humble, like everyone is his equal. He didn't talk like he had money, you know?" She nods.

“I really hope he comes back. You hide it well, but you’ve seemed so hopeless over the past few months, like you don’t seem to be really living.”

She’s spot on, but I won’t tell her that. I’ve been dying inside trying to keep us afloat and alive.

“It was strange how we just connected. The conversation was great, and for once, I wasn’t second-guessing myself, even after Cindy sort of made me.”

“Cindy’s a bitch.” Tori has only met my friends a handful of times over the past few years and every time we’ve debriefed, she’s always said Cindy is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I don’t get a chance to ask her advice on what to do with that friendship, but I do get the chance to see her perk up slightly when a young tradie walks by, decked out in a fluoro orange vest. Tori squirms in her seat as he cheekily winks at her.

"Uh, Tor?" I shake the thin blanket on her lap. "Tor?" She tilts her head back, snapping out of her trance.

"Hm?"

"Don't you 'hm' me. Who is that?" I pry, whispering as low as I can, but it's difficult with my excitement levels skyrocketing through the roof.

"He came in a few days ago for the first time. His name is Jake. He has Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia." I try to slyly glance around the room, but it's so sparse there's no way he isn't going to see me checking him out.

"Have you spoken to him?"

She hesitates, teeth chattering. "Not really." The chemo has hit her body and made her temperature drop. I pull the blanket up to her neck so she stops shivering.

"Well, you should. He might need a cancer buddy?"

"Stop. There's no point when one of us could die any day." Way to hurtle me back to reality. I give her my most evil death stare. I don't even want to entertain those sorts of thoughts. That inevitable day cannot happen within the next 80 years because then I'd truly be alone.

There's a 69 percent chance of survival rate for someone her age. Once we are done with chemo, there is the stem cell transplant procedure she will need to have. After extensive testing, I'm fortunately a match. I heave when I think about the alternative. With no dad, a deadweight for a mother, and no family, we would have had to go on a waiting list, which could take years.

Luckily, the transplant isn't scheduled until later in the year, so at least I have time to try and scrape the money together. If I'm still short, I'm going to have to eventually tell Xander the whole truth. He knows about Tori's condition, but he doesn't know the extent of our family situation.

"You don't have to stay. Thanks for visiting." She casts her eyes down. I can tell she's getting tired, but I'm not leaving her side. I can't always be here for her treatment, which I hate. No one should have to go through cancer alone.

I clasp my hand with hers. "I'm staying."

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