Miracle {Hysterical Sequel} COMPLETE

You're A Damn Miracle

Robin walked down the hall, pushing Max because she wouldn't move fast enough on her own. "Did they say 56 or 46?"

Max pointed to a door. "56, right there."

Robin stopped walking. "Oh boy...okay..." She took a deep breath. This was not a comfortable situation for anyone, especially Robin. She was afraid she'd say something wrong. She knocked quietly.

Lukas' mom, Sue, answered the door. "Yes?"

"I came to see Lukas..." Max said awkwardly. Even though Lukas told them a lot about each other, Max and Sue didn't see a lot of each other. Lukas never really invited Max over, and Sue never seemed to invite her either.

"Maxine? It's been awhile." Sue pointed out. "Lukas didn't tell me you were still in a wheelchair."

"Oh..." Max shrugged. "I'll probably be in one for a lot longer. Can I please see him, is he okay?"

Sue nodded and let Max into the room. She looked at Robin. "Are you her sister?"

"Heh, no!" Robin shook her head. "I'm Robin, a family friend. She doesn't have a sister. She had a brother but he-" She stopped before over sharing. "She had a brother, may I come in too?"

"Robin, that sounds familiar..." Sue had heard Lukas mention that name before. "Come in, darling."

Max wheeled herself over to Lukas, the boy sitting pitifully on the bed. "Hey, you don't look so good."

"I see you're still mean." Lukas joked to keep the mood light.

Max huffed. "I mean, you look really sick."

"I am..." Lukas cleared his throat. "How did physical therapy go today?"

"You already asked." Max told him and looked at Sue and Robin. "Can we... have a second?"

Robin gulped. Alone with a distressed mother. There's a million things she could accidentally say. "yeah, got it." Robin left the room, Sue trailing behind.

"Everything okay?" Lukas coughed to clear his throat again.

"You know you're not allowed to die, right?" Max crossed her arms.

"Uh, who said anything about dying?" Lukas tried not to laugh. Laughing made his sides hurt.

"Well the worst tends to happen to me so, ya know..." Max shrugged.

Lukas reached over and turned the wheelchair to get Max's attention. "This isn't about you, honey. I'm going to be fine."

Lukas was right, this wasn't about Max. She was being selfish. Not wanting him to get sick, so she could continue having someone to tend to her emotional needs. Max needed to change her mindset.

"You're right...I'm sorry. I just really love you, and I'm scared you won't be around to love me." Max admitted.

"Honey, it's okay. We don't even know what's wrong, I'm not going to die." Lukas put his hand on her cheek.

Max took his hand and held it instead. "Lukas, it's not about me. Tell me how I can make you feel safe and loved?"

"Just you being here helps." Lukas told her genuinely. His heart felt at peace when Max was in the room. She was all he needed.

"Then I won't leave your side until you're better." Max decided. It was her time to be the caregiver. "I promise, I'm going to be here no matter what."

Lukas would of yanked her into his arms if he could. He didn't have the strength, and Max needed to be handled gently. "I love you Max, I love you."

"I love you too, so much...you're my miracle." Max went soft in the moment, starting to tear up. "you're a damn miracle. Always there for me, no matter how fucked my situation is." She rubbed her sleeve across her face. "I'm going to do the same for you, you stupid miracle."

Lukas started laughing painfully, but he had tears in his eyes. "You need to calm down honey, you're making me nervous...things are going to be okay."

-

Max did eventually have to leave Lukas' side. The results were back and they had to be discussed privately with Lukas and his parents. That alone made Max's skin crawl and itch.

"It'll be okay..." Robin tried her best to comfort. Thankfully Max's phone rang so the comfort role could be passed to someone else.

"Hey mom..." Max said as she answered her phone.

"Where did you go? I laid down for a nap, got up, and you were gone again." Susan wasn't mad, just curious.

"Oh, I'm with Robin again..." Max was afraid to say the rest. "You know how Lukas hasn't been around because he's not feeling well? He got some tests done and I'm at the hospital waiting for results..." Max could visualize her mom's facial expression changing.

"Oh my god, is he alright? Darlin', should I come down there too?" Susan was horrified.

"It's nothing serious, it's okay..." Max tried to play it off as no big deal. Then the doctor left the room, and some cries escaped before he shut the door again. "Mom...I need you." Max whimpered.

"I'm on my way baby, hold on! I'm coming as soon as I find my keys!" Susan promised a promise she wouldn't of fullfiled a year ago. Changes really can happen with the right people, right resources.

Max hung up as the doctor approached her. "What's going on?"

"Are you Maxine?"

"What's wrong?" Max didn't have time to answer simple questions.

"I guess so..." The doctor smiled. "Can I take you in a room real quick? I want to have a talk."

"Is it that bad?" Max winced.

"No, but confidentiality is important. I only got permission to tell you." The doctor led Max to an empty room.

Max wasted no time once the door was closed for privacy. "What's wrong with him?"

The doctor sat down and pushed up his glasses. Max would of stood up and slapped him if she could. He was making everything feel so cinematically terrible. "Well..." He paused as if this was a soap opera.

"Sir, that's my boyfriend. I may be young, but I'm brutally in love. If you don't spit it out, I will become hysterical." Max warned, hostility laced her voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to agitate you." The doctor apologized. "Lukas has Hodgkin's lymphoma."

Max wasn't exactly sure what that was, but it definitely sounded scarier than the flu. "explain."

"With Hodgkin's lymphoma, white blood cells called lymphocytes grow out of control, causing swollen lymph nodes and growths throughout the body..." The doctor tried to explain simply without using the 'c word'.

"Is that... serious?" Max felt herself tearing up again.

"Not in his case. There's a 90% chance that he'll be just fine." The doctor probably should of started with that statement.

"Okay, and what is the treatment for this?"

"Well...that's to be discussed with his family." The doctor shrugged. "Common treatments are chemotherapy alone, or chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy."

Just like that, Max's worldview shifted.