Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Late Night

Jamie:

The month of July came around fast, as well as my birthday 5th of July, I am not going to say anything, my birthday is the one day I don't like, Avery's was in February, before I started working here, she had turned 19.

It's the 1st of July ,since our moment in the hospital room, I have tried my best to ignore this feeling and with Avery staring, accidentally touching me or even holding my hand as we walk, or even cuddling close to me when we read, is not helping. It wakes me up at night sometimes at how strong it is, I wonder if she is like this too? Though, she has never been in love, how will she know?

Since about the 23rd of May, I have made sure Avery sticks to her word about getting out, everyday, except for when she has treatment, so far, we have been to the park, been shopping, had gone out for dinner with her parents a few times, gone to the museum as well as zoo, her parents are happy she is getting out and living her life, the doctors this time or even earlier next year, she might pass, they said it could even happen any day.

Nevertheless, we have done a bit, things she has never really done, Avery has said to me she wants to travel but with the amount meds she has and her weekly treatment we can't. I would love it if she could experience something other than New York life, but it will have to do.

It was about 10:24pm, I had just finished writing a part for the story, I have to leave out some details, those being the interactions between Dr. Kimberly and I as well as what has been happening between Avery and I. I leaned back on my chair as I looked out my window, out at the city, I closed my laptop as I stood up to get ready for bed, Avery said she didn't want to go out tomorrow because she felt a bit sick, I called to ask why she would feel sick, again, they said it is the meds or the morphine, since her operation, she has been given more to take and well she hates the taste of it so I can think it might make her feel sick.

I changed out of my clothes into something comfortable to sleep in, I went to brush my teeth as I was doing this I looked at myself in the mirror, I think I should ask Maddie one day to give my ends a cut, maybe Avery can get her hair cut short, lately her hair has been falling out and she has said something about cutting it. Maddie has cut our hair since high school, she even cuts my dads when we go see him, even my mothers hair. My phone started to ring, I picked it up and saw Avery was calling me. Confused, I answered.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I could be dying and needing your help and THAT is how you answer the phone?"

"ha ha, are you?"

"No, I wanted to hear your voice, so I called you to see if you were awake, now I am going to ask, shouldn't YOU be sleeping?" At the end she gave a harsh cough, shes been coughing a lot lately. When we asked the Dr, they said it is her lungs, all we got was a heavy does of pain meds for her lungs.

"I was going to sleep, I just finished writing. You interrupted me while I was brushing my teeth. Your lucky I was awake, I don't like to be woken up just so you can hear my voice… is here anything else you wanted? Other than to hear me talk?"

The line went silent.

"I gave it some thought, and I want to go out tomorrow, but to meet someone, but we have to go to the bookstore I order from. We are going to buy some books, but it is also to meet someone."

"Can I guess who?"

"Your asking questions, but yes." I heard her lay down. I walked to my bed, laying down.

"Sandra?"

"Bingo! Don't worry she knows how I look just we have never meet. I want to meet her before, you know."

"Yeah."

"Also, maybe we can ask Maddie to come over when she is not busy to cut my hair? I'll pay her."

"She wont make you pay, I was actually thinking about getting just my ends cut."

"Your hair looks fine, mine is the one that is falling out."

I smile

"You going to go bald?"

"Not again, no. Just like a short hair style, so I don't have to brush it."

"I see. Avery?"

"Yes?"

"I know you called me to hear my voice but I am right next door, why not get up, and come see if I was awake and sit and talk?"

"What if you were sleeping?"

"You could have-

"Woken you up for you to get mad it wasn't an emergency? No thank you, I don't know, your voice sounds nice over the phone but it does as well in person but, I don't know."

"You could have come in, your the only person, and well your parents, that I don't mind If you wake me up."

She ended the call, I looked at my phone, worried now, maybe she is going to sleep-

"I'm going to take this to my advantage to wake you up whenever I want." Avery said as she walked through my door, closing it behind her as she made her way to my bed, lying down next to me.

"I regret saying you can, so, what's wrong that you came in to my room?" I turn to my side as did she. I tucked my hands under my head

"Well, now I wanted to see you."

"Couldn't you wait till tomorrow? You see me everyday."

"I could have but I didn't want to, I think seeing you everyday is why I get up even though it's getting harder to."

I stare at her, I give a small smile.

"The morphine isn't working as well anymore."

"No, it does some days then it doesn't. I hate taking it, mom said she is going to try get the patches so I don't have to drink it."

"Patches are better, my mom used them when she was in hospital."

"You don't talk about her much."

"It makes me sad."

"I know, that's why I don't ask about her. Though, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"If you weren't doing this job, what would you be doing?"

I thought for a moment.

"Writer."

"I could see you as a writer, your very good at what you have already wrote."

"And you? If cancer wasn't a thing in your life, what would you do?"

"Well, I'd be at college right now, NYU, so I'm not far from home and I would be studying to be a screenwriter."

"Really?"

"What?"

"Nothing, your just so smart and really know how to speak, I would have thought you'd be a psychologist or teacher."

"No, I can't really help people, I prefer to make something for them to enjoy, rather than find out why they have none in their life or be the reason it's gone."

"Teachers don't do that."

"Well from what I have heard."

"Depends on the person really."

"Right." She laughed as she moved closer to me, I could feel her legs touching mine, put her leg over mine, hers are much smaller than mine, I saw that as I looked down, we weren't close up on each other but we were close. We stared at each other, the room was silent, all you could hear was a the noise outside, the room was dim due to the city lights, you could her wheeze as she breathed, I knew it was her chest getting bad. I bit my lip as I put my hand on her cheek, softly brushing my thumb up and down on her face, moving close to her. We didn't move we lay like that for awhile before she moved herself off me. I looked at her confused as she sat up, holding her chest.

"Are you OK?" I put my hand on her back as I sat behind her. She rubbed her chest as she tried to breath, I got up and ran to her room to get her meds, I looked for the black pill bottle. Everything is still organized from the last time, so I could get it fast, as I did I went back to my room to see her still trying to breath but she was coughing. I sat in front of her as I took two pills out and gave them to her, she swallowed them dry but it seemed to work a bit, I placed my hands on her knees, the position I am in is… weird if anyone were to walk I right now.

"Avery?"

"Hi." She coughed hard a few times

"Hey, lets get you to bed, OK?"

She didn't answer she just nodded, I helped her up as we slowly walked to her room, she was holding her chest the whole time, probably sore after coughing. I pushed the door open for us both to get in, we got to her bed as I help her lay down, I covered her up, making sure she was comfortable, feeling her head in-case she has a temperature, she didn't. I went to get some normal pain meds from her TV stand, giving to her with the water next to her bed, once she took them I rubbed her hand. She was falling asleep I could see it, I looked at her clock, it was nearly 11pm, I leaned down and gave her forehead a soft kiss, I rubbed her head where I kissed it, staring at her as she went to sleep. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. I walked slowly away from her, I closed her blinds, picked up a few things on the floor, moved her shoes to the one side. She isn't a messy person, well not anymore since I have been here.

I sighed as I left the room, quietly closing the door, I leaned against it for a second as my heart started to burn, I rubbed it I knew why it was burning, I was sore not physically but emotionally, seeing her like this makes my heart sore, I wish I could take her pain and bare it for her, I know her parents feel the same, the day she was rushed to the ER, I could see they wanted to do anything to be the one being in surgery rather than her. I walked back to my room to get some sleep.

The next morning I woke up the normal time but I woke up with my curtains being wide open? I sit up to see Avery sitting on my office car, reading a book, fully dressed as I stared at her she noticed, smiling as she looked up from her book.

"Good morning sleepy, I was waiting for you to wake up, we have a busy day today." She said coming to pull me out of bed, I laughed at her eagerness to go out

"OK, OK, I'm up, I just need to change and do something with my hair, then we can go, alright?"

She nodded as she sat back down to finish reading her book, was she gonna stay here as I changed? She wont notice. I went to the closet to get something to wear as I made my way to the bathroom to change.

Avery:

I've been awake since about 4am, my chest was killing me, I knew Jam was sleeping, so I sat in the dark, in pain, waiting for 7am come round then I would make my way to go see Jam wake up. I'm still in a lot of pain and I feel sicker than ever, more than I ever did. I knew what this meant but I wasn't going to focus on that, all I could think about right now was her. I was excited to meet Sandra today, I let her know I will come personally to get my order, she almost screamed when I said that, I guess she wants to meet me just as much.

I moved to sit on Jams bed, I was getting stiff, I sat down as I saw the bathroom door was half open, I could see her getting dressed. I have never seen anyone naked or half dressed, other than TV characters, virgin, I know. I know I had to look away but I couldn't help but stare, the door wasn't open really big but I could see her changing her bra and shirt, I saw her bare back a bit, my eyes looked down her back, her skin looks so smooth, soft, mine had just bone sticking out with the backache.

I looked at when she walked out, I pretended to be reading my book, I actually lost my place, great. I closed it as I turned to Jam, smiling, she looked beautiful.

"What, something funny?"

"No, you just look really pretty today." I said as I stood up to stand in front of her, I brushed her hair out of her face, licking my lips as I stared at her, she was doing the same. She put her hand on my hip, the other one where no stitches were. She moved me to the side to get her shoes, I just laughed putting my hands in my pockets.

"Avery, what's with the beanie?"

"My hair is falling out you know."

"Has it gotten worse?" I actually started pulling my hair out this morning when I got dressed, it is much worse than yesterday, I really need to get a hair cut, or a buzz cut.

"No, just want to hide my hair, what's left."

Before she could say anything, she has her shoes on, I pulled her to the door, showing her I wanted to leave.

Jamie:

I had to grab my things as well as Avery's bag before we left, she has telling me where to go today, I didn't think she knew New York to well but I was wrong, we only were going to one place, Shakespeare and Co. and Barnes and Noble, we stopped there first to get some books, I left her to do her own thing as I went to look for a gift for her, I know Avery hates gifts but I wanted to get a teddy for her, she always takes this blanket, it's small, she hides it in her bag, I think it is a comfort blanket, it goes everywhere she goes but this one was for when she couldn't sleep or radiation treatment, she has to start I next week, the chemo is done but she will restart after a month of radiation. I found the perfect thing, it was a small husky teddy, blue eyes, grey and white, and its on sale. I went to buy it before she saw me get it, once I had it, I put it in my bag and waited for Avery.