the exception

44. medication

yall- i really apologize for how extremely short this chapter is. ig u could say its kinda a filler. its late andddd im running on low energy- im super sorry again but enjoyy :)

"It looks as though her mother's sickness has genetically transferred and is now finding a way to develop and reproduce inside her."

Ricky's pov

I gulp and stare at the doctor blankly. My mind wasn't, and couldn't, process what he was telling me. Everything was a blur, and I couldn't focus. Thoughts were circling my mind as I stood there silently looking at him.

"I-", I try forming a sentence, "W-what does- what does that mean?"

He sighs, "Wish I could tell you. The good news is that we've caught it early on. We're going to start her on the medication we put her mom on...it slowed the spreading for a few days so we could figure things out."

I take a deep breath, running my hands over my face, "Is she- is she gonna be okay?"

He nods, "We'll make sure of it."

I nod, "Does she- does she know? Do we need to tell her?"

"She does need to know. I was going to give you the option of you telling her or I can inform her.", Doctor Stefan says.

I bite my lip, thinking, "I- I'll tell her."

He nods, "Alright. I'm going to get started on researching this. We'll bring meds in a few hours."

"Okay...thanks.", I say, twisting the door handle and walking back into the room.

I walk past the curtain and see her lying there, her eyes half open. She manages to crack a small smile when I come up next to her.

"Is...is everything okay?", she whispers.

I take her hand and gently caress it with my thumb. I look at her and feel a lump form in my throat.

"Neens...", I quietly talk, "You- you have your mother's sickness in you. And...it's developing and reproducing...the doctors are going to do everything they can to cure it."

She blankly stares at me, her lips partially separating. She blinks and I see a small tear drop roll down her cheek. Her eyes become glossy, and her bottom lip begins to quiver.

"Am I- am I gonna...", she breaths out.

"No- no no no Neens.", I say, tucking her hair behind her ear, "They're not going to let you. I- I'm not gonna let you. I promise angel..."

She nods her head and sniffles a little. I give her a comforting smile to calm her nerves, even though mine were skyrocketing. I had to hide my worries, so she could just relax and heal.

"I love you Neens", I whisper, kissing her forehead.

"I love you", she smiles.

Nina's pov

I lie on the hospital bed, feeling pain all throughout my body. My mind was so foggy. All I remember was hearing glass shatter before everything went black. Next thing I know, I wake up on a hospital bed, with Ricky by my side. I'm just glad he's here, although I can see how nervous he is. I've never seen him so anxious.

I honestly wasn't expecting to be told that I have the same sickness as my mom. It...definitely is scary. But, I'm just- gonna stay strong? With Ricky by my side, everything will be okay.

I clear my throat and try turning over, but I quickly freeze when I feel pain jolt through my body. I sigh and let myself relax again, feeling the pain subside.

"Hey...do you need something?", Ricky asks.

"I'm thirsty...", I mumble.

"I'll be right back, okay?", he says. I nod my head as he exits the room.

I sit in silence and manage to turn my head. Even though it was pitch black out, I stare out the window, seeing the world move on while I feel like mine has paused. I hear the door creak open, and I turn my head back, seeing Ricky walk in with a cup of water. He helped me sit up a little bit and since my arms were hurting, he helped me carefully pour the water into my mouth.

I smile, "Thanks...you know you don't have to-"

"Nina please don't start with that...", he sighs.

"What? I'm just saying you don't have to stay here. It's 11pm on Christmas eve. You should be with your famil-"

"You are my family.", he interrupts, "And I'm not leaving you alone."

I nod my head, slightly smiling at him as I move my hand the slightest, brushing my fingers against his. He looks up through his lashes at me, smiling a little, taking my hand in his. He brings my hand up and gently kisses the back of it. I sigh a smile at him.

Ricky's pov

It's around 2am and Nina's finally fallen asleep. I sit quietly on the sofa chair, next to her, praying for everything to turn out okay. I hear a quiet knock on the door and look up, seeing Nurse Olivia peeking through the window. I quietly get up and head to the door, opening it slowly.

"Hey...", she whispers, "Sorry if I woke you up-"

I shake my head, "No it's okay. I haven't been sleeping."

She sadly smiles as I quietly exit the room. We stand in the silent hallway.

"Okay- I have the medication for her. It's just these chewable tablets.", she says, handing me a medication bottle, "When she wakes up, have her take two. She'll take them...morning, afternoon, and before she goes to sleep."

I nod my head, "Thank you...a lot."

She smiles, "Of course. Let us know if you need anything. If you need to go to your house or anything...even just run out, call me up and I'll stay with her."

I smile, "Thank you- I really appreciate it."

She nods, "It's the least I could do. I won't say I know how you feel but...I've been in this situation too...kinda."

I frown, "Oh- I'm sorry...what happened? If you don't mind me asking-"

She shrugs, "My younger brother got in a car crash when he was 17. Broke some bones and stuff...the hospital he was at didn't do a whole lot of caring for him. He uh- he didn't end up making it but- I just want to make sure you and your girlfriend feel cared for and everything."

I sadly smile, "I'm really sorry...and thank you so much. We both really appreciate it."

She smiles, "Let me know if you need anything. There's that button on the counter that'll notify me if you press it."

I nod, "Thanks."

I quietly enter the room again and take my spot on the sofa chair. I see Nina shuffle around a little and she looks over at me with tired eyes.

"Hey beautiful...you okay?", I ask.

"I-I'm really cold...can you- can you come here", she shivers.

I bite my lip, figuring this was a symptom of the sickness seeing as it was rather warm in the warm. I nod my head and she scoots over. I lie next to her, and she finds a way to comfortably lie on me. I pull the blanket over us as I rub my hand up and down on her back, trying to warm her up.

"Goodnight Neens...I love you. Everything's gonna be okay...", I whisper, placing a gentle, soft kiss on her rosy, pink lips.