The same day:
Kenna's POV
As I walk towards the room where my chemotherapy is going to be conducted, I can't help but turn into a nervous wreck.
I mean, why wouldn't I?
I know this is going to be painful.
Danica knocked on my door two minutes ago, telling me it was time for my first chemotherapy.
Chemotherapyâit's such a long word. I'll call it chemo.
After using the washroom, I headed out, with Danica and mom following closely behind us.
.
.
When we reach the room, Danica turns the door handle, and the door swings open.
I try to take in the appearance of this room.
It's dimly lit, there are plenty of medications placed on the royal wood tables around the room, and a large convertible chair bed is at the center of the room.
Dr. Hart is nowhere in sight. I sigh and enter the room, following Danica.
She motions for me to sit in the large chair.
Before I can make my way to the chair, mom gives me a tight hug and plants a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
I smile at this and return it.
I make my way to the chair and sit on it, trying to get comfortable. It's really soft, and I relax as soon as I sink into it.
Tyler emerges in the room via the back door, which I hadn't noticed in this room, probably because of the dim lights in here.
"Hey, are you doing okay?" he asks me with concern in his voice.
Yes, totally.
I stare at him, not knowing if I should be honest or sarcastic.
How can he even ask me that?
"Oh, I'm sorry. That's really silly of me to ask you while I know you're nervous as hell," he says, as if reading my mind.
I nodded once because he called himself silly.
Silly Tyler.
"Miss Joy, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room." Danica interrupts my thoughts, speaking to mom.
"Well, Miss Joy, we aren't really allowed to let anybody in here during the chemotherapy. But, you know, you can stay here if you want to stick around Kenna. Though it might be pretty hard for you to look at her like that", Tyler chimes in.
Danica looks at Tyler in disbelief.
This man keeps creating his own rules around this place.
Mom looks at him with confusion.
"I mean, she might yell, scream, or even cry," he says.
Okay, I was freaking out by now.
"I don't think I can watch my baby like that. But she's a strong girl. So, I think I'll stick with her here," mom says, tearing up.
I can see the smile on Tyler's face even in this dim lighting.
"Yes, she's a strong girl," he repeats.
Yeah, a strong girl who will yell, scream, and cry.
"Danica, please fetch a chair for Miss Joy," he says to Danica.
She walks into the room from where Tyler had emerged earlier and returns with a plastic chair in her hands. She placed it in one corner of the large room.
Mom sits in the corner of the room as she watches me from a distance.
Tyler turns towards me and speaks, "Okay, so, um, Kenna one, I need you to calm yourself. Like really calm down, so we can begin. Two, I need you to trust me on this", he says, looking deep into my eyes. "And also Danica," he adds a second later, causing Danica to clear her throat.
I couldn't help but nod.
I mean, it's not like I have another option. I have no option but to trust this man with my life.
And so I do.
I trust him entirely with my life. And the woman beside him.
"Tell me when you're ready, and we'll begin," he says, calming me down.
"I'm ready. Let's begin," I say, sounding ever so confident.
Let's get done with this thing.
.
.
.
My chemotherapy ends almost an hour later.
It's a simple process of inserting a tube with a needle into a vein in my right arm. It sounds so simple, but the pain it caused was terrible.
Let's skip the details because I can barely remember anything.
I just remember being in a lot of pain, mom sobbing in the corner of the room, Tyler and Danica looking at me with painful eyes and soothing me with their humble words.
.
.
Once I was done with the chemo, Danica and mom help me walk back to my hospital room.
I couldn't walk on my own; that's why they helped me by holding my arms.
I felt dizzy and too weak to even walk.
As I make my way past this long corridor to my room, I see the view blur ahead of me. I can't see straight.
"Mom," I say wearily, clutching her hand tighter than ever before.
"What's it, Kenny? Are you okay?" she asks.
"I can't; it's blurry. I-I can't see anything", I say, almost breathless.
I almost felt my eyes close, but Tyler rushed to my side.
How did he even get here?
"Kenna, look at me. I need you to focus," he says, grabbing my hands into his own.
I try to keep my eyes open and focus on him. His face is swirling around me like a whirlpool.
"Kenna. Focus. Don't shut your eyes," he says, almost begging me not to do so.
I try to focus. I try to look into his eyes.
His deep blue eyes. They're magical.
I look deeper into them and realize that I can see them clearly. The blurriness has gone away.
Yes, the man's got magical eyes. It's official.
I look at him and blink. There's a tiny smirk on his face.
"Okay, well, it's good to see you too," he says, chuckling.
"Um", I say, looking awkwardly at mom and Danica, who look at me the same way.
Tyler lets go of my hands and backs away slowly.
Mom and Danica resume holding my arms.
"Danica, please make sure Kenna is comfortable back in her room and that she doesn't pass out," he says sternly to Danica.
"Yes, Tyler," she replies, motioning for me to walk.
"I'll see you later, Kenna and Miss Joy," he says before disappearing in the opposite direction.
.
.
.
After lying comfortably in my room and watching television for the past 3 hours, Danica announces it's time for my lunch. I then realized how hungry I was.
I have eagerly waited for her to make her way back into my room ever since she left to grab my special meal, promising me she would be back soon.
It had been almost seven minutes since she went to get my meal.
Mom says, "Kenny, remember this is a hospital. Don't think you're going to get bacon and eggs over here," she says, laughing at her own joke.
I join in too. Well, maybe not bacon and eggs, but probably chicken pasta? Who knows?
Danica said it was special.
As if on cue, Danica walks in with a cream tray.
Why is everything cream-colored in this hospital?
I look in excitement as she makes her way towards my bed with a grin on my face.
My face drops when she lowers the tray, only to reveal...
A bowl of greenish soup, two toasty slices of brown bread, and a cup of orange juice.
Seriously? That's all I get after a long day with so much pain?
Mom burst out laughing, looking at my reaction, and Danica soon joined in.
I look in horror from mom to Danica as they laugh at my annoyed face.
.
.
It takes me nearly 25 minutes to complete the meal, the longest time to complete any meal in my life.
But you couldn't blame me, could you?
.
.
.
The day passed by, and all mom and I did was watch television.
Danica was here with us for most of the day, exiting the room once in a while and emerging soon after.
I realized that it was eight p.m. and Tyler hadn't visited me yet.
After about twenty minutes, there was a faint knock on my door.
The door handle swung open to reveal Tyler.
Here he is, finally!
He walks in so confidently, like the models who walk on the runway in the fashion industry.
Danica says, "Um, I need to get some coffee. You want some Erin?" looking at mom.
"Definitely, I need some," mom replies, and they quickly made their way out of my room, shutting the door behind them.
And here I am. Completely alone with Tyler.
_
A/N:
This is the longest chapter ever!
-Carita D'Costaâ¤ï¸