We're going to need more than five minutes

Did that hurt?

[A/N: I know I just updated yesterday, but I really, really wanted to get this chapter out 🙈]

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Her mother was there at the airport waiting for her when she got off the plane later in the evening, and she just broke down in her mother's arms crying behind her mask and sunglasses that she was still wearing even though it was already late and dark outside. She simply didn't want to burden the other passengers with having to look at a living corpse for the entire flight.

Dee brought her straight home and tucked her into bed, stroking her hair and reading poems from one of her favorite books until she fell asleep, which didn't take long because her body and mind were just completely exhausted.

The next day around 11 am, Trish rang her bell to bring Lola and Levi back home and check on Lana. She was barely up and had just sat down with a cup of coffee to awaken her spirits.

After her dogs had greeted her with the usual excitement and ran past her into the house, Trish hugged her tight: „Hey there, you! How are you holding up? You look terrible!"

Those words alone made Lana cry again, and she could barely look at her dear friend who had by now lost all her hair due to chemo. Despite all her struggles, Trish always managed to look at the bright side and never lost her smile and optimism. And she felt the shame creep up her cheeks when she thought about how pathetic she herself was behaving. Suddenly she could see it right in front of her: there were people battling with illness, there were people out there fighting for their lives, and she was losing it over some ex boyfriend? She was the one who got to look terrible here?

„I'm so so sorry, Trish", she sniffled, „I'm such a mess and I have absolutely no right to be."

„Nonsense! You have every right to feel exactly how you're feeling. What you mustn't do though is destroying and ruining yourself because that would make all of us who love you very sad, okay?"

„Thank you, but... I don't think I can stand a lecture now..."

„That's why I'm gonna stop right there. I just want to check on you, make sure you're okay and are in good enough shape to stay by yourself until tomorrow when we come to check on you again."

They walked into the kitchen where Trish set a few shopping bags full of groceries down on the kitchen counter, apparently she was planning to cook for her. „So tell me, how do you feel?", she touched her forehead as if her friend was at risk for a fever, „Did you have to throw up again?"

„No", Lana could barely suppress an eye roll, „I didn't drink any alcohol last night, so no."

She still felt a bit dizzy and nauseous though, but she wasn't going to tell her.

„Alright. That's good! That's a start! Speaking of drinking though", she handed her a large bottle of water, „You need to drink, please, and stay hydrated! Your lips look all chapped and your skin is super dry. Alright, so... I'm gonna do some meal prep for you so you're well fed for the next few days and get some healthy and nutritious food into your system, I got a feeling that's something you've been lacking recently. You can help me if you want to, but if not, don't worry about it!"

Lana was seriously intending to help, but eventually didn't find herself able to focus on any task at all, so she just sat there, watching her friend do what she did best, which was magic in the kitchen, and even though she kind of still wanted to be left alone, it also felt good not to be, just like her mother had told her.

And thankfully, Trish knew exactly what to say and what not to say, she was talking about the food she was preparing and telling her about a few things that had happened to her recently that she hadn't told Lana yet, but for most of the time she didn't say anything at all. She didn't make a single comment about Lana or Jordane, and she was eternally grateful for it.