She Keeps Me Warm | Hartbig

Chapter Twenty

{ a/n- minor medical discussion, mostly about blood. just a little warning for you }

Grace is placed on a stretcher and as the paramedics are wheeling her away, Hannah rushes after them. Mamrie follows quickly behind, pulling her phone out to call someone. Hannah falls in step beside the stretcher, taking Grace's pale hand in hers.

"It's going to be okay Gracie, I promise. I promise it'll be okay." Hannah whispers, tears sliding down her cheeks. Grace is unresponsive, her chest barely rising and falling. Hannah climbs into the ambulance with her.

"And you are?" The head paramedic questions.

"Her girlfriend." Hannah answers immediatley, her eyes not leaving Grace.

"Okay." The paramedic responds, shutting the door.

"I'll meet you at the hospital mini Hart!" Mamrie calls.

The drive to the hospital seems to take forever. Hannah watches Grace's unmoving form, her heart jolting in her chest everytime Grace's breathing stalls. The hand Hannah is clutching now has a slight blue twinge of color, like Grace is unoxygenated. They finally pull into the hospital emergency parking lot and Grace is wheeled out of the car and off into a part of the hospital. Hannah goes to sit in the waiting room, taking her phone out to see more messages than she can count.

Tyler: what the hell just happened did Grace pass out? what's going on?

Swike: call me when you know what's going on with Grace, okay?

Mamrie: I'm about five minutes from the hospital. I'll be right there

These are just a few of the many messages flooding Hannah's phone. She quietly shuts her phone off as Mamrie comes rushing in the doors.

"Hannah, come here." Mamrie says immediatley, hugging Hannah fiercely.

"What if she's not okay?" Hannah sobs into Mamrie's shoulder.

"I don't know Hannah. I wish I could promise everything will be okay but I can't. We just have to have hope, yeah?" Mamrie replies. The two of them wait in the waiting room for a little while, until a nurse comes asking for Hannah.

"Miss Hart? Your girlfriend is awake." The nurse says. Her name tag reads Brittani.

"Oh my god, she is? Can I see her?" Hannah asks, wiping away fresh tears.

"Of course, come on back." Brittani says, leading Hannah to a room down a hallway off the waiting room. Grace is awake and sitting up, an oxygen cannula in her nose and an IV in her hand.

"Hey there." She says, her voice hoarse and raspy.

"Oh my god, Grace, you scared the shit out of me." Hannah mumbles.

"I'm sorry my love." Grace answers. Hannah comes to her side and hugs her gingerly.

"Don't be sorry." Hannah insists. "What happened?"

"I don't know, the nurse said to wait until you were back here to find out." Grace replies.

"Miss Helbig, Miss Hart?" A new voice says. A woman with olive skin and jet black, silky hair steps in the room. "I'm Dr. Maria. May I explain Miss Helbig's condition?"

"Condition?" Hannah asks.

"Well it turns out Miss Helbig has an untreated case of leukemia, cancer of the blood. She's what we'd call a high risk case. We'll refer her to an oncologist in your area of California and she can begin treatment. Basic treatment would start with a blood biopsy and chemotherapy, possibly resulting in the need for a bone marrow transplant. She should have relatives tested to see if they are full or half matches for a transplant. Otherwise she'll go on the transplant list." Dr. Maria explains.

"Wait, I have cancer?" Grace exclaims, the high octave level causing a small coughing fit. When she's finished coughing the doctor answers.

"I'm afraid so." Dr. Maria replies. Grace closes her eyes, feeling like her whole world is crumbling down around her.