Living With Animals

Chapter 4

Claire's P.O.V.

11:42 a.m.

Lunch. The best part of the day besides gym.

I reach into my locker to grab out my lunch and someone taps my shoulder, causing my gut to drop, and me to flinch a bit.

"Hey, Claire," the person says. I turn around and see Avery standing behind me.

"Hey, Avery." I give her a week smile. I can't give much more than that. I feel terrible and my body feels really weak.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" I shout, slamming my locker closed and walking towards the cafeteria with her.

"Because you look like a ghost."

"I do?" I ask. I didn't realize that.

"Yes."

"Oh. Well, I am fine."

"Okay, if you say so. But you look like death."

"Whatever. I'm fi-" I cut off, as I start stumbling from a wave of dizziness. I regain my balance and the headache is back. I set my hand on the wall to stand for a minute.

"You were saying?" she asks.

"I'm fine Avery. Re-" I stumble again as dizziness overcomes me again, and this time I fall.

I sit there for a minute, letting myself gain stability and letting the dizzy feeling wash over. I stand up and decide that I am not fine.

"You might be right. I'll be right back," I tell her as we enter the cafeteria. I look around to find Laken and find him sitting with the football boys. They're all wearing jerseys, and look rude.

I approach him and his smile fades.

"Sup?" he asks.

"Ooh who's the new friend, Hart?" one of the boys asks.

"Yeah she's kind of hot," he teases getting up in my space. I punch him in the gut and he winces, clutching his gut.

"Get some dignity, ass hat." They all laugh besides Laken. "Y'all too, or I'll knock you back to last Wednesday." That shuts them up.

"About time someone puts them in their place. What do you need?" he asks, sighing. I sit down next to him on the lunch table bench before I get lightheaded again.

"I need Isabelle's phone number."

He pulls out his phone and pulls up her number.

"Thanks." I type in the number and the phone rings. After a few rings, it goes to voicemail.

"Ugh, voicemail. Do you have your dad's phone number?" I haven't really talked to their dad much, but I have a few times. He's a nice person, I just prefer Isabelle over him.

"Here," he says and hands me his phone. I dial in the number, and he picks up on the first number.

"Hello?" he asks.

"Hi, it's Claire. Sorry about this but I need you or Isabelle to come pick me up. I tried calling her but she didn't answer."

"It's fine, hon. I can't get out of work but I can text Isabelle. She should be able to." I sit on the phone for a few moments in silence, then he speaks up again. "She's on her way."

"Okay, thank you. Sorry."

"No worries," he responds, and then hangs up. I walk back over to Laken.

"Thanks."

"Welcome. What's wrong?" he asks, genuinely concerned.

"I've been getting the dizzy spells again and I have a really bad headache. Plus, Avery said I looked sickly pale."

"You do."

"Gee, thanks."

I walk to the office, without getting dizzy and explain the situation.

After 10 minutes, Isabelle comes storming in the office.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm fine I just think that I should maybe go to the doctor as much as I hate to say it," I admit.

"Well then let's go."

Isabelle signs me out and we get in the car to start heading tot he doctor.

~*~*~*~
Claire's P.O.V.

Time: 5:57 p.m.

We've been here for over 5 hours. We've ran blood test and MRI's. The MRI's they assessed right away but the blood test results are just about to come in.

The MRI's didn't show anything. No brain tumors or blood clots.

A doctor knocks on the door and she enters when we yell come in. She was nervous and I could tell by the look on her face.

"So after quite some time, we find what was going on. We had to re-analyze the test multiple times and make sure all of the symptoms matched up with it. The reason we did multiple tubes of blood was to check each one. And each one gave the same results. I hate to say it but the answer is definite and there is no doubt about.

"What you have is extremely common in kids and teenagers and can be cured but it will take quite a lot of time. And the treatment is going to be very expensive."

"What is it?"Isabelle asks. The doctor sighs.

"Acute Myeloid Leukemia."

I drop my phone and my lanyard which I was holding in my hands and my hands are shaking.

"W-What?"

"It's a type of Leukemia. It has a medium survival rate but is chronic and can cause severe problems. This is the reason you've been getting dizzy. You're lucky you came in to the doctor. According to the tests, you have had this for 2 1/2 months. Had you stayed at home any longer thank a week from now, there is no doubt you would of died. We need tos tart treatment soon.Chemotherapy is the best option because something needs to be done quickly, because it's progressing fast."

I start sobbing. My life has fallen apart. My best friend is gone. My parents are gone. I could have been gone.

Isabelle walks over to me and embraces me in her arms, causing me to flinch then relax.

"It's going to be okay! We'll figure this out."

"No we won't."

As she talks to me, the doctor gets our stuff ready and soon we leave. And then it hits me. I remember now. I got this when I was 11, too.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She has Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Extremely dangerous and 67% chance of surviving. Can she do it?

Thank you for reading! I don't have a question today!

-Sav<3
P.S I did not proofread

IMPORTANT: IN CASE ANYONE NOTICED I DID CHANGE DAWSON'S NAME TO JACOB AND THE BOYS LAST NAME TO HART INSTEAD OF TAYLOR!