FicWad

I opened the door and set my guitar on the couch and the picture on the table. "Mom, I'm home!" I called out.

No answer. I looked over at the key tree. Her car keys were still there. "Mom?!" I called again, looking for her now. I ran down the hall to her room. She wasn't there.

I looked in my room. She wasn't there either. The only other place was the bathroom or the kitchen.

Opening the bathroom door, I braced myself. "Mom?" I looked through the crack. I saw her hand on the floor. "Mom!" I gasped, throwing the door open and falling to my knees next to her.

I checked her wrist for a pulse. It was there, thumping away. I ran and grabbed the phone, coming back to her.

With shaky hands, I dialed 911. I put it on speaker and set it on the sink's edge. "Mom, can you hear me? Mom?" I touched her cheek.

"911 emergency hotline. What is your emergency?" The man's voice squeaked through the phone at.

"I just got give and found my mom collapsed on the bathroom floor. She's still breathing and she has a pulse, but she has cancer." I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"I'll send an ambulance to your location. What is your address?" I gave it to him slowly. "The ambulance will be there in three to five minutes. When they arrive, go with them to the hospital."

"Thank you." I hung up, close to tears. I dialed Gee's phone number.

"Hello?" Mikey answered.

"Mikey I need to talk to Gee." I swallowed back tears.

"He's in the shower." Mikey said slowly.

"I don't care. Get the phone to him." I heard running water.

"Gee, Nicks is on the phone. She sounds scared." I heard the phone change hands.

"What's wrong?" His voice was tense.

"Mom was on the bathroom floor when I got home. Can you come over like right now? The ambulance will be here soon."

"I'll be there in a minute." I heard him moving already, turning off the water. The line went dead and I hit end.

"Mom, please don't leave me." I let the tears fall as I pulled her into my lap.

She was lighter than I thought. In what seemed like no time, Gee and Mikey were here, calling for me. "In here!" I called to them. Gee was there first, wrapping his arms around me. Mikey stood at the door.

I heard the sirens a second later. "Gee, will you come with me? I can't go alone." He nodded, holding me tighter. "Mikey, can you lead them in?"

"Sure." He said softly, tears in his voice. In less than a minute, mom was being lifted onto a gurney and I clung to Gee in the back of the ambulance.

Mikey was going to tell Donna and they would meet us at the hospital. The next thing I knew, Gee and I were in the waiting room, watching people swarm around her.

Donna's face filled my vision, her mouth moving in words I didn't hear. She vanished for a while, but when she came back, she sat next to me with a clipboard and a pen in her hands.

Gee's hands held mine, the only thing I could really register. A doctor came up to us, making my eyes focus. "Ms. Williams?" He asked. "I stood up and followed him. "You're mother is very weak. She's got a low iron count in her blood. And in her records, I saw she has cancer and is undergoing chemo."

I nodded again. "Has she been eating right?" I nodded. "Are you sure?" Another nod. "Is your name Skippy?" I nodded again. "Right..." He led me back to the Ways.

Donna went with him, leaving me with Gee and Mikey. I closed my eyes and leaned against Gee.

When I opened them, I was in a different room. Mom was laying in a bed and I was in Gee's lap in a small chair. He was snoring softly, making me smile.

"Nickie?" I looked over at mom, who was watching me, her green eyes the same as mine.

"Mom." I sighed. I got off of Gee, who groaned, and went to take the chair next to her.

I took hold of her hand. "I'm sorry I scared you sweetie." She smiled at me.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded. "Mom, don't lie to me." I looked at her sharply.

"I'm fine honey. I promise. It was just a little iron drop." She held my hand tightly. Her hand was warm.

"Natalie?" Gee asked softly. We looked over at him. He was watching us.

"Hi sweet heart." Mom smiled at him. She waved her other hand for him to come over

He took my hand and touched mom's wrist. "Hi." She motioned for him to come closer. She kissed his forehead when he got close enough. "Are toy sure you're okay?" He asked her.

"Honestly you two were made for each other." She sighed. "Yes, I'm fine. Do you really think I'm going anywhere before you two get married?" My face grew red.

"Mom..." I sighed.

"And don't even get me started on grand babies." I turned to the wall, not letting Gee see how red I was. He was coughing, covering his mouth with both . "Happy anniversary, by the way. I'm sorry you two had to spend it here." She gave me a sorry look.

"Mom, it's okay." I smiled at her. "Just don't talk about babies. We're only fourteen." I squeezed her hand.

"Fine." She sighed sarcastically. She touched my cheek softly. "Go home you two. Get ready for school next week. I'll be home in no time." She stroked my cheek with her thumb.

"Okay." I sighed. I looked up as a nurse walked in. "If anything happens at all. Anything. Call this number. I wrote the home phone number on the pad on the bedside table and left it there. The nurse nodded, fear in her eyes. Gee had to drag me out by my hand."What time is it?" I asked him softly.

"Almost midnight." He looked at his wrist watch. "I'll take you home." He led me out of the hospital and to the sidewalk. "It's okay. She's strong."

I sighed and held his hand tightly. "I thought I was going to lose her, Gerard." I yawned. "Will you stay the night with me?" I asked him softly.

He kissed my temple. "Sure. I just have to get something to wear and tell mom." I nodded.

"Do you think she'll let you?" I asked him. He laughed.

"Any other night, no. Tonight, after everything, I bet she doesn't want you there alone." He sighed.

"I hope she sees it the same way. I really don't want to be alone." I gripped his hand tighter.

We crossed a street at the red light and turned onto his block. He brought me up to the apartment and opened the door.

Mikey was on the low couch, biting his thumb nail down to the quick. Donna was pacing the living room in front of him. "Is she okay?" They both asked when they saw us.

I held up my hand. "She's fine. I gave the nurse the home phone number and told her to call if anything happened."

"Mom, can I stay with Nickie tonight?" Gee asked softly.

"Yes." She didn't have to think. "Make sure she sleeps and eats. We can't have her getting sick too." I was stunned.

"Thanks mom. I'll call when we get there." He ran to pack his bag for the night. Donna watched me closely.

"I'm okay. Just worried." I knew that look. It was the same look she gave me when we'd heard mom had cancer.

"Okay. Just no funny business you two." She said as Gee came back.

"Nothing will happen." I said.

"Nothing funny at all." Gee poked his Mom's side, making her laugh hysterically for a second.

She slapped the back of his head. "You know what I mean." She pointed at him.

He nipped at her finger, making her smile. "I know." He smiled back.

"Make sure she eats when you get there." Donna said as I opened the door.

"Will do." He sighed and shut the door behind him. He rolled his eyes and took my hand.

We got to my house in what felt like no time. I unlocked the door and pushed it open. Nothing had moved.

The house was empty. "I'm going to go shower." I kissed Gee's neck, making him jump.

"I'll make something to eat." He headed to the kitchen. I went to my room and grabbed a set of pajamas and went back into the bathroom.

I half expected to see mom on the floor. But she wasn't. The phone still sat on the floor though. I picked it up and set it on the back of the toilet.

I turned on the water and started to strip my clothes. Kicking them into the corner, I climbed into the shower and shut the door behind me.

Washing my hair took longer than usual. I washed my body and face, rubbing conditioner through my hair. When I was done, I got out and wrapped a towel around myself.

I grabbed my brush and brushed out my hair, the bristles sliding through it easily. I squeezed it out with another towel and brushed it again, braiding it over my shoulder and tying it at the end.

Pulling my pajamas on my damp body, I grabbed the dirty laundry I'd made. I dropped it in the hamper in my bedroom, shutting my door.

I smelt something sweet cooking in the kitchen and headed that way. Gee smiled at me. "Hi beautiful." He kissed my forehead. "Go sit down and plug in a movie."

I picked up one of my favorites. Romeo and Juliet, the Westside Story. I plugged it into the VCR and grabbed the remote. "I'll wait for you." I smiled at him.

He nodded. In a couple minutes, he held a bowl of spaghetti in front of me. I took it and smiled at him.

I hit the play button and twisted my fork in the spaghetti, curling the pasta around it. He smiled at me as the movie started. "You really love this movie, huh?" I nodded.

"Almost as much as I love you." I kissed him quickly.

"Happy anniversary." He breathed, kissing me again, longer. I set my bowl in my lap, my hands holding him there.

When I pulled back, he smiled at me. "I love you too." He sat back against the couch.

When our bowls were empty, he took them to the kitchen. When he came back, he pulled me against him, laying along the length of the couch.

His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me close. The movie turned to background noise. I rolled, my legs falling on either side of his.

"I love you." I kissed him softly, feeling sleep creeping on me. He kissed my cheeks and forehead.

"I love you too." He said softly. There was a short pause. "Are you not wearing a bra?"

I was mostly asleep. "I'm sure not." I sighed. "Why? Are you nervous?" I asked, my eyes shut and heavy.

"N-no." He stuttered. I smiled to myself.

"You still suck at lying." I yawned, stretching my legs out along the length of his. "Night. I love you." I felt his lips on my hair.

"Sleep tight hun. I love you." He pulled the throw blanket over us.








So I should sleep. But I'm not gonna. I'm gonna add another chapter. I might fall asleep before it's done though.

R+R and all that.

Hugs and Fishs,
-Lala