An Alphabet of One Shots

N Is For ' Neuroblastoma'

TW: Implied/Referenced Character Death.

You can probably gather from the name that this one is not a happy one, and it does not have a happy ending, so please don't read it if you may be triggered.

 I am also not a medical professional and this is very much based on personal experiences/knowledge.
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The once-white walls were covered in colourful illustrations of flowers and superheroes. The room was only meant to accommodate one person, but inside two little girls sat perched on a large hospital bed, their respective monitors, and machines at their sides. Carina DeLuca and Maya Bishop had met just six months ago, but anyone would have thought they had been friends forever. The Paediatric Cancer Ward was scary for anyone, but the two 4-year-olds didn't let it get them down. Within minutes of meeting one another at a chemotherapy session, they had been inseparable.

It had become evident almost immediately that separating the two again would never be easy and so, with the agreement of both sets of parents, the youngsters had been allowed to move into one room together. They both had identical Neuroblastoma tumours and were undergoing the same treatments and so it was deemed they would not be any extra risk to each other. It made it slightly easier for the families to know their girls were not alone when they had to be isolated after certain treatment procedures.

Neither the Bishop family nor the DeLuca family could have imagined this is where they would end up. Maya and Carina had no siblings and so it had been easy to spot when they lost all their boundless energy and when bluish lumps had begun to adorn their fair skin. The doctors caring for both girls had been quick to diagnose the issue and get them set up with treatment. It was hard to explain to a 4-year-old what was going on, but Maya and Carina seemed to take it all in their stride.

After their first few rounds of treatment, Carina had woken to find that locks of her luscious brown hair were on the pillow instead of on her head. Although she had been warned about it, the little Italian couldn't help but feel sad that she was losing a massive part of her identity. Maya, in a bid to cheer her best friend up, had decided that she would have her hair shaved off that day. The girl knew she would soon be in the same position as Carina and so it didn't really matter to her that it would be gone sooner. With the help of the nurses on the ward, Maya had put Carina in charge of the clippers and the pair giggled as Carina cut chunks of blonde hair away. Carina had allowed Maya to do the same to the rest of her hair, knowing it would soon all be on the pillow if she did not. Mrs DeLuca surprised the girls with matching hats to keep their little heads warm; both had all kinds of zoo animals on as the girls were obsessed with any creature that existed.

On days when neither girl felt up to doing much, they would stay cuddled up in bed together watching Disney movies whilst surrounded by all their favourite stuffed toys. They alternated between watching them in English and Italian, finding comfort in their native languages whilst also learning snippets of the other. When they had more energy, the pair could often be found drawing, colouring, or pretending they were explorers in the wild. The staff on the ward had a soft spot for the inseparable duo who were always polite and welcoming, regardless of how they were feeling. They would always ask the nurses about their days and make sure to use their manners. It might not have seemed much, but the doctors and nurses were very grateful to have such kind patients.

The families of the two girls had become one big support system, often covering for one another if work commitments popped up or if other things needed handling. Whilst they would never wish what they were going through on their worst enemies, it helped to have people who understood. Mrs Deluca had quickly become a favourite of Maya's, and the other patients, as she would often bring in homemade Italian treats for everyone to enjoy. Neither girl had much appetite when going through treatments, but they would enjoy a few treats here and there when they felt up to it.

That's how life was for the families for close to a year. It seemed that just when it might be even remotely possible for the girls to go home, something else would get in their way. Neither girl ever gave up though. They were each other's biggest comfort, and they held each other's hand through every step of their shared journey. If love had been all it took to cure them, they would have been healed in seconds. Unfortunately, that just wasn't possible.

After exhausting every option possible, the team of doctors that had cared for the girls broke the gut-wrenching news that there was nothing more that could be done. Whilst it had been almost expected with how quickly the pair had seemed to deteriorate over the last few weeks, neither family was prepared to say goodbye yet. The one thing that everyone could agree on was that the girls should not have to spend their final moments in a hospital bed stuck inside the same four walls. It was decided that the families would take the pair to a cabin the Bishop family owned in the local forest. It was nothing special, but it would provide the perfect respite that the girls needed and would allow them to be comfortable.

Everyone tried their best to explain to Maya and Carina what was happening and whilst they weren't certain the youngsters fully understood, it was only right they knew what was going on. The duo had only two requests for their families. They wanted to spend a final weekend at the local zoo and aquarium so they could see all the animals together, and, when the time came, they wanted to be buried together. The two requests were immediately agreed upon. Although it was no decision that any family should ever have to make, there was some solace in knowing that the girls would be together forever.

The next couple of days were spent rallying around the two and making sure they were as happy as could be. That weekend, request number one was fulfilled, and the pair got to spend their days exploring and learning about all the animals together. Maya and Carina cuddled up in a wheelchair under their favourite blankets and hand in hand, they marvelled at the things before them. They would whisper secretly to themselves and giggle quietly at jokes shared between them. Once they had discovered everything there was to know, they returned to the cabin where they were tucked up in the large double bed they shared. Sporting matching octopus pyjamas, and with multiple new cuddly toys to accompany them, Maya and Carina cuddled impossibly closer and fell to sleep with matching smiles on their faces.

The next morning, they were found in exactly the same position, peacefully intertwined together and seeming the most comfortable they had in months. The pair had passed away together in the night. The families felt they had both held on to share one last joyous weekend together.

Request number two was also carried out as promised, and following their celebration of life, the girls were buried together. Forever.

Maya Bishop and Carina DeLuca

Loved to the moon and missed beyond the stars

Ti amiamo per sempre