Fourth Down: Second Quarter - 12. Chapter 12

“How are you feeling?”

“Nervous, scared?” Belle said to me as she held my hand, while the nurse on the other of her was inserting a drip into a piece of tubing that was just poking out of the neck of her top.

When we had arrived for her first bout of cancer treatment, she was taken into radiology, where they attached these tubes into her chest. Apparently this was done so they wouldn’t have to keep sticking her with needles every time she would have to come in.

We sat there for the next few hours chatting and reminiscing about the weekend camping trip we had. Laughing together about how the boys had filled an ice box with ice water. Then when Ethan had managed to distract Madox, making sure that his back was to the older boys. They dumped its entire contents over his head and shoulders causing to immediately stand where he was sitting, and chased after them promising sweet revenge, resulting in fits of laughter from those who had witnessed it.

As time wore on the number of visits increased with each visit leaving her considerably weaker. When she started losing her beautiful hair, she came to us asking if we could shave the rest off for her. While we did that, Dale had taken Ruth shopping, and had come home with a number of beautifully designed silken scarves that Belle would use to wrap her head in.

After our latest visit, Belle had fallen asleep in her big comfy chair as the stuff that was supposed to help her, was being pumped into her system. Looking at her, she was now a shell of her former self. Along with her hair, she had lost so much weight. She had long lost her appetite, and would eat very little, and oftentimes what she did manage to eat would end up in the bowl of her toilet. Just before nodding off, she was telling me how Ruth was planning on staying home from school to look after her, and how they had got in an argument about it, Belle not wanting her illness affecting her childrens’ grades.

Standing up, I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialled Dale’s phone, “Hey,” I greeted him quietly as I stepped into the hall.

“Hey, is everything ok? How’s Belle doing?” Dale asked, his voice full of worry for our friend.

“She has just nodded off,” I informed him, “Hey, remember our conversation the other night?”

“You think it’s time?” Was his response.

“I think so,” I sighed, “She just told me that Ruth is planning on staying home from school to look after her.” I informed my husband.

“Ok,” He sighed on the other end of the line, “I looked into it, and it shouldn’t be too difficult for us to get everything we need. Have you spoken to Bob?” He asked.

“Yea, I spoke to him just last week,” I informed him, “He said that he was happy for me to take time off work to care for Belle if we needed to.” Apparently Bob was one of Belle’s teachers when she attended the high school,before he became its principal and was rather fond of her.

“Ok.” He sighed, “I have spoken to Evan, and he has said that both he and Madox would be happy to supply us with the medical supplies, and Olivia has taken it upon herself to learn how to treat her properly if the need arose.”

I sighed in relief, just like when I needed it, my friends had corralled around me in my time of need, and now they were willing to do the same for Belle.

“Ok, I’ll talk to Belle about it on the way home,” I said with some trepidation, hoping that Belle would see that we were trying to help her.

Ending the call, I walked back into the room.

“There’s my handsome friend.” Belle weakly smiled when she saw me re-entered the room, “Everything ok?” She asked, probably having noticed the worried look on my face.

Shaking my head, and stealing my nerves, I smiled, “Na everything is fine,” I told her. Once again taking her hand in mine as I took my seat next to her.

“You are up to something,” She looked at me shrewdly, and jokingly pointed a shaky accusatory finger in my direction.

I just laughed nervously, “You got me,” I surrendered, with a gentle smile towards my dear friend.

“Ok so what are my friends secretly planning? I know it has something to do with me.”

I sighed with resignation, we were going to have to do this now, “You know how Ruth was planning on staying home from school?”

“Yes, and you know I am against it. What, are you planning on taking us in and looking after us?” She laughed.

I just looked at her with a sad smile on my face, causing her to sober up.

“Shit,” She sighed, allowing her head to fall back against the soft cushion of her recliner. “So instead of her taking time off, who is planning on doing that?” She asked, rolling her head in my direction, so she could look at me.

“That would be me,”

“Hunter… You really don’t have to do that, I’ll be ok, and you are still new to the school.”

“I have been there a few months now, and it’s fine.” I try

“ I am not going to let you ruin your career, just to look after me.” She tried telling me sternly.

I just smiled, “Well fortunately, that won’t be a problem.” I told her.

“What do you mean?” She asked with some suspicion.

“Let’s just say that some important people there still think fondly of you.”

“I have no idea what that old man sees in me.” She sighed. “Ok so what’s the plan?” She asked with resignation.

We then spent the next few hours discussing what we were planning to do. By the end she was smiling while tears were openly flowing down her face.

“What did I do to get such wonderful friends?” She asked rhetorically after everything was discussed.

All I could do was smile.

Belle ended up sleeping on the car ride home. Once I had parked into the driveway, the goal was to get her settled on the couch in the living room, while I hopped over to her place to grab a few things. That was the idea, until I opened the door, only to be greeted by our friends.

“Hi,” I greeted my husband, pecking his lips, as I supported our friend inside, “What are you doing home so early, and why is everyone here?”

“Well after you called, I got the ball rolling, and we just finished setting everything up.” He informed me as he helped me to guide Belle, not to the couch, but towards the dining room.

On entering, I saw that the table and chairs had been moved neatly to one side, and soft white curtains were hung up dividing the room in two, concealing the space behind. Evan pulled one of the curtains aside so that we could step through. What lay concealed caused Belle to gasp. Inside there was a large comfortable looking hospital bed against one corner of the room, in the other corner was a comfortable looking recliner, with a hospital table rolled next to it, there was also a few medical equipment, placed between the recliner and bed.

“Thanks guys,” Belle weeped as we led her to rest on the reliner.

“Just happy we can help.” Olivia said, kneeling down on one side of the recliner, taking our friend in her arms. “How are you feeling?”

“Just tired,”

Just then Ian walked in from the kitchen, and placed a cup of tea he had brewed for his mother on the table, bending down to wrap his arms around his mother.

“I guess this saves me from staying home.” Ruth grouched from the entrance for the makeshift room, before a sad smile formed on her face, and she too by her mother’s side, embracing her in her arms.

“I picked them up from school along with the twins, who are upstairs in Ethan’s room.” Dale answered my questioning look, as we led everyone who was not a Jacobs from the room, giving them some privacy. “We have set up a room for Ruth in my study, and set up a bed for Ian in Ethan’s room.

I just nodded as we walked into the kitchen, noticing that Ian had made tea for everyone. I let out a sigh as I took one of the mugs and sank onto one of the stools. Dale just wrapped his arms around me.

The next few months were hard, though no one complained. We included Belle and her family in everything we did. If she was able, Belle would join us in the living room which is now where we shared most of our meals, and just spent time together as a family. Both Ruth and Ian helped out around the house, and did as we asked of them. Olivia would come around every day and spend a few hours with her, she would also on occasion spend an entire day with her if Belle was having a particularly hard day.

***

“Any news Dr?” Belle asked Dr Araka.

The Dr let out a sigh as he looked at Belle with sympathy, “Not good, I’m afraid, Unfortunately, the cancer has not been reduced, but on the other hand, it has not increased.”

“So what are her options?” I asked.

“Well,” He glanced at me, then placed his full focus on my friend, “Belle, you can either continue, which I can see has already taken its toll on you, or we can cease treatment, and I will write out a script for some medication to make you more comfortable.”

“I think I’d like to stop the treatment.” Belle said quietly, after taking a moment, trying to hide the scared quaver in her voice.

She then smiled a sad smile towards me as I took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Letting her know she was not alone. Dr Araka gave a solemn nod, as he wrote out a script for her meds, telling us both what each was for, and when they should be taken.

Belle then slept the entire ride home, and went straight to bed as soon as we got in. That night while Belle slept, and Dale was getting the twins ready for bed, I had a quiet family meeting. As I discussed what the Dr had suggested and Belle’s decision to cease her treatment, I held Ian who was quietly sobbing on my shoulder, while Vicky held Ruth, whose eyes were just as wet as her brothers.

Our decision was to keep Belle as comfortable and stress free as possible. Over the next few months, Belle regained some of her strength that had been sapped from her with her chemo treatments, even her hair had started growing back. Thanksgiving passed and before we knew it Christmas was upon us.

Vicky had both mine and Dale’s parent’s staying with her, as we had a full house. Both sets of parents just adored the Jacobs’, with my Mother and Mother-in-law spending almost all of their time with Belle, and my Father and Father-in-law doted over their grandchildren, which now included both Ruth and Ian. Christmas was spent at ours, where there was food to be had and presents to be be shared as well as laughs. During dinner, I looked over to Belle, who had the biggest smile on her face.

Over the next few months into the new year, Belle had gotten most of her strength back and tried arguing with us that she could help around the house. As the school year was coming to a close, both Ruth and Ian were preparing for their exams, which we tried to help with as much as we could. Ian would spend the evenings studying by his mothers bedside, as she would help him.

Things were going so well that we were not really prepared for the sudden change in her health shortly after the Summer Holidays had started. In the span of a few weeks, Belle was almost bed ridden again.

“How are you feeling?” I asked as I came in to say goodnight.

Looking at my friend, I could scarcely believe the sudden change in her appearance. This time last year, she was so vibrant, and so full of life, now she could barely lift her head from the pillow.

She just smiled at me, while weakly squeezing my hand.

“Is there anything I could get you? Water?” I asked her.

“A cuddle would be nice,” She said cheekily, “Do you think Dale would mind if I stole his husband for a bit?

“I don’t think he’d mind,” Came a voice from behind us.

Dale was just coming through the opening in the curtained doorway, a glass of water in one hand. Placing it down on her table, after which he lend down, placing a kiss on Belle’s forehead. Then proceeded to do the same on me before he walked out.

Looking down at the bed, I wondered how I could do this. Belle lay in the centre, on her side. Both cats, who never left her side, were curled up against her belly. I ended up walking to the other side of the bed, then proceeded to lay down next to her. Taking in her frail body, and holding her against me.

“If all it took to get you into bed with me was to simply ask for a cuddle? I would have done it sooner.” She laughed, as she tried to cuddle further into me.

I just laughed as I rubbed her arms, which felt a bit cold.

“You know,” She said in a whisper, “I’ve had the biggest crush on you since the moment I saw you.” She said with a wan smile.

“I do remember Vicky telling me how when you looked at me that first day, it was like a tiger looking at her next meal.”

“She’s not wrong.” She said with a giggle. “It was such a bummer when I found out you were married, and to a guy no less.”

“He is amazing,” I sighed.

“And so are you.” she said, trying to look me in the eye. “Thank you,” she added just above a whisper.

“Don’t mention it.” I tried to smile back, just barely holding back my tears.

We spent the next few hours just talking, as she slowly drifted off to sleep. I spent the next few hours just holding her, as I quietly wept while she slept, not realising her heart monitor had flatlined.