4:06 - A Tale of Leukemia

Who Am I | Chapter 5

005 | The Art of Utopia

FRIDAY, marked the day, Boo had a weekly check-up with Dr. Patrick, where the man reviewed recent X-rays, blood tests, and other imaging tests, to measure the size of his Tumor, and too see if the Treatment had begun to slow or stop his Cancer from spreading completely.

Boo's parents tended to keep him out of the Office room while they were going over results, as if that wasn't suspicious enough, they had invited Teddy to keep him company during those hours, without him having to ask or beg them.

Teddy had brought happiness and noise into the otherwise, dull waiting room. The nurses liked him strictly for the fact he made other cancer patients laugh with his stupidity, and brought  cookies from home for the staff.

And on the days Teddy couldn't come or had school, Boo found himself tired and bored, and falling into a depressed spiral. 

Recently, however, Boo found himself actually being 'happy' to attend to his Chemotherapy sessions, ever since Andrei and Boo had gotten officially introduced, Andrei had made it a habit of walking into the Children's hospital, and having long hour conversations with the shy, and emotionally drained, fifteen-year-old, talking about the most randomest things, that had Boo throwing his head back in laughter and slapping his knee in glee.

And every time Andrei would succeed in making Boo laugh, he would give this cute lopsided 'I did it, I made him laugh' smile, that had Boo inwardly swooning.

And every time Andrei would step into the hospital, he would give Cassandra a chaste kiss, and immediately go and hangout with Boo, and lounge lazily in one of the cold lobby chairs for the rest of the day.

Today, however, he hadn't shown up.

Which wasn't a shocker really, because Andrei had a bipolar list of attendance days, for when he'd show up to the hospital. He might show up for two weeks at a time, and then skip the next. Or he might miss a day or two, and show up for the rest of the week.

Andrei was twenty something, he was a grown man. He could do what he wanted, without feeling pressured to hangout with him.

But that didn't stop Boo from missing him though.

''Hey again, boys, need anything else? Like food, snacks? A blanket?'' It was Cassandra in all her young glory, wearing her blue Nurse scrubs, and her hair held back in a high pony-tale, with the ends curled.

Her curls reminded him much of his, before the Chemo kicked in and destroyed every last bit of his hair follicles.

He was completely and utterly bald now, no edges no hair, no curls, nothing. Bald, like his dad.

It only meant his hair would come back straight this time around, when the Chemo was done and his cancer was put to rest for the second time.  His hair never came back as it did before, he remembered the first time he was diagnosed with Leukemia. How terrified he was to die.

His hair had been luscious and silky then, as his French genetics and European Ancestors, blessed him with.

Then the Chemo struck, and you could see the shininess of his head.

Then the cancer was killed, and his hair was able to replenish over the years and grow back curly this time.

And here he was, doing this all over again. Bald.

He hated being bald, because it made Cancer all that more real. And people stared with fake sympathy, which would disappear the second he was healthy again, and be replaced with angry 'straight' people looks.

He preferred to wear fluffy beanie hats, and bandanas anyways, so it really didn't matter. Teddy had said he had liked the softness of his bald head whenever they cuddled, not that his opinion mattered anyway.

''Some more crayons and markers would be nice.'' Teddy quipped, pulling Boo out of the dizzying stupor he seemed to have fallen in.

Cassandra shot him an untrusting look over her shoulder, probably thinking he'd scribble over the walls and lobby chairs again, though in his defense, Teddy was only eleven the last time he had asked for them. 

Oh, well.

''Ooh, that looks nice.'' Boo complimenting, finally getting a sneak-peak of the portrait Teddy had been working on for the past half-an-hour. The bright markers and crayons he picked out, looked as if they wouldn't blend properly in the crayon painting, though somehow he made it work. ''Your mom?''

''Yeah.'' He confirmed, offering no further elaboration.

Teddy had lost his mother at a very young age, and though he never actually met her, her image and smile had been encrypted into Teddy's mind.

It was impressive how well he remembered the defining points that made up her face, down to the smile lines, and gapped front teeth.

She was absolutely beautiful, if Teddy's portrait did her any justice.

Boo wondered if Teddy missed her at all, knowing Teddy probably would never tell him. Being overly quiet about his home-life, Boo was sure he had never even met the man who had birthed the cute Ginger.

''Here's more Markers, most of the Crayons are broken up, and lacking paper.''

Boo caught her arm before she could disappear, she shot him a questioning look.

''Do you know, how much longer until my parents are done?''

''What that really means, in the Boob, dictionary, is, if there's anyway you could give us the inside scoop on what their currently talking to Dr. Patrick about,''

Cassandra shot them both an amused look, ''I'd love too, but that's violating a patients privacy, which is... which amendment?''

''The fourth.'' Teddy stated as a matter of factly. Face unchanging. ''The fourth amendment. Yeah, lady, I pay attention sometimes in History.''

''That was Civics.'' Boo corrected.

''Civics, History, same difference.''

''Actually - '' Before the words could be let out, Boo's parents stepped outside the office, expressions composed, though, if you looked close enough you could see tensed shoulders, that belonged to tight-jawed, DNA sharers.

His parents looked upset.

Dad was the one who approached them first, slipping on a tired smile, that Boo noticed didn't reach his eyes. ''Hey buddy, I called your dad. He's on his way to pick you up.''

''Gee. Thanks, Mr. S.'' Teddy grinned, a smile also not reaching his eyes.

Boo wasn't one for faking smiles, or beating around the bush, therefore he took on both parents with a solemn expression. ''What'd he say? Dr. Patrick?''

''Boo, mon chéri.'' His mother greeted in her usual way, this time seeming more at low spirits. ''On en parlera plus tard.''

We'll talk about it later.

It it were good news, they'd be ecstatic to talk about it now, but since it was bad news, they'd put if off until Chemo-brain affected him, and he completely forgot about it.

At this moment, he hated everything and everyone.

And couldn't find nothing in him to smile.