FicWad

There were three things in this world I had grown to hate over the last five years of my life. Hospitals, cupid and boys in bands. Karma was on my ass again, threatening the life of the last thing that kept me sane, at least, what I thought as sane.

Serafina Beverly Wenz was born a healthy baby on December 25th, me going into labor after placing that last piece of tinsel on the tree. Heather was the only one to help me out in the time of need. Although Serafina was born healthy, that didn't mean she didn't eventually get cursed by the Wen(t)z curse.

Turns out I was a carrier of Aplastic Anemia, a rare and serious blood disorder in which bone marrow stops making enough new blood cells. The odds of it all were crazy. And Serafina had to be the ¼ child that was born with it. Serafina didn't get very lucky. Barley at 4 months and she had her first blood transfusion. The donor, her own mother. Serafina has a very severe form of Aplastic Anemia, meaning she'll probably need another blood transfusion. My only hope was that I could still save her from all of this.

My eyes grew heavy as I sat there alone on the plastic chair, heart heavy with overwhelming loneliness and fear. I felt selfish, almost wanting somebody beside me to comfort me more than the doctors to come out and tell me they were done with testing. I heard footsteps and decided to keep my head down.

"Evie?" I blinked fast and glanced up to find Joe and Pete.

Two people I didn't really want to see.

Scratch that, two people I didn't want to see together in front of me. Pete seemed confused with his surroundings. Joe sat down next to me and eyed me suspiciously.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. I gulped and looked at Pete.

"Serafina is just being tested," I whispered. Joe widened his eyes and Pete looked breathless.

"Where's Heather?" he asked. I gulped.

"She went to go get her medical information," I mumbled. At least I wasn't lying. Pete sat on the other side of me. Joe gulped and nodded.

"She sent us here to take care of you," Pete licked his lips nervously before standing again.

"I'm gonna get us some food, and coffee, alright?" he asked. Joe nodded and waited until he was out of ear shot to look at me. I started to tear up.

"Joe, I have to tell you some things about Serafina," I whispered. Joe didn't respond. His eyes flicked behind me and I turned slowly to find the doctor, standing with that look of disappointment. He quietly led us into a family room and looked at Joe.

"Is he the father?" he asked. I widened my eyes and shook my head.

"No, Joe's just a close friend," Joe nodded and laced his fingers in mine as I shook slightly. The doctor sat down in the chair across from the sofa.

"Your lucky Serafina's disorder was located within the first few months of her birth," he paused to clear his throat and open his folder. "And she's already undergone a blood transfusion, right?" Joe's hand tightened and I glanced over for a minute, licking my lips nervously before nodding.

"Yes, I donated," Doctor Aaron nodded.

"Well, Serafina seems to be rejecting it, and we found that whoever passed your blood into her body didn't realize you two don't even have the same blood type," My hand twitched.

"What does this mean?" I asked. Doctor Aaron sighed.

"Serafina might have to have either another blood transfusion with the right blood type, or a bone marrow transplant," I gulped and he took a breath. "We are also going to test her for leukemia," My hand clamped over my mouth and Joe brought me into a side hug.

"Shhhh," he whispered, kissing my temple. I hiccupped and heard Dr. Aaron clear his throat again.

"Miss Wenz," he spoke. I looked at him slowly. I nodded.

"What?" I asked. He looked at Joe for a moment.

"Because Serafina has type B blood, it's going to be very hard to find a donor because she is not so high on the priority list," I closed my eyes. "We can test all your friends, however," I nodded and Dr. Aaron walked towards the door of the small room. "I'll be back when we are ready," Joe's arms tightened around me.

"I'll test," he mumbled. I shook my head.

"Joe, you really don't have to," I looked away and watched as he glanced down at his pocket, standing up to pull out his phone as it vibrated.

"Hello?" he asked.

I looked away as he talked, not paying attention to the words he was saying. Instead I was fighting an inner battle of weather or not to tell Pete about his unknown daughter. I took a breath and flinched as the couch indented and I turned to see Pete with a small smile on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I gulped.

"I'm just worried," I whispered. Pete nodded and watched the door as it opened again and Heather slipped in. I glared at her slightly and she shrugged.

"What's going on?" she asked, trying to play the role of a worried mother. I forced back tears.

"Serafina is probably going to need a blood transfusion," Heather cut me off.

"Again?" she asked. Pete widened his eyes and Joe hung up his phone sitting down on the other side of me.

"I think I made a mistake," I looked at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked, hearing Heather explaining to Pete what was going on, actually tearing up as she spoke about 'her' baby. Joe looked sheepish.

"The entire gang is coming. But I told them to keep their god damn mouths shut about," Pete looked over and Joe shut up immediately. Pete coughed.

"I'll test," he paused. "Serafina is such a wonderful baby; I'm willing to spare some blood to save a life," I gulped.

"If you have the same blood type," I blinked. Pete frowned.

"What about you?" he asked. I closed my eyes.

"I donated last time," I paused, wanting to cry. "She rejected it," Joe let his eyes dart between the two of us.

"I'm going to go wait in the lobby for everyone, Heather?" she nodded and flashed me a reassuring smile before exiting with Joe.

My breath left with them.

I looked down at my hands in my lap and watched as one of Pete's hands circled around them. My eyes slightly widened at his left hand.

"You're engaged?" I asked; my voice cracking as I tilted my head up. Pete took a deep breath before nodding.

"Adine's pregnant, it felt right to do, you know," I sighed and lowered my eyes, suddenly realizing that maybe I shouldn't tell Pete. Dr. Aaron walked back in and cleared his throat. He glanced around.

"Where did that other fellow go?" he asked. I shook my head and followed him, Pete following me as we walked into a small examination room. "Is he testing?" Dr. Aaron asked. Pete nodded and hopped up on the table as Dr. Aaron got a needle ready. Pete widened his eyes and I looked away as he rolled up his sleeve, preparing himself.

"My name is Pete Wentz," Pete smiled lightly as he glanced at me. "There's a't' in it though,"

Dr. Aaron nodded and dribbled more information that Pete spilled out to him. His hand twisted around mine again and he looked at me, wincing slightly as Dr. Aaron proceeded to draw blood from Pete's bicep.

"All done, you can go back to that waiting room now, or go see Serafina,"

My heart leapt and I nodded feverously. Dr. Aaron led me and Pete through a hallway outside the family waiting room. When you looked through the glass, you could see the different babies under a year old in their incubators, too young to understand their surroundings. Dr. Aaron left us alone and I rested my palm flat against the pain.

"I hope I helped at least a little bit," I closed my eyes before gulping again and turning my head to look at Pete, trying to find baby Serafina in the sea of sir names.

"Pete," I whispered. He darted his eyes to me and twitched his eyebrows as he noticed the tears slipping from my eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, moving closer to wrap an arm around my waist, loosely.

I shivered against his touch and turned my head back to see WENZ in bold, obvious letters at the base of one incubator, baby Serafina's eyes wide open and staring up at me from the second row. Pete kept his gaze on my profile.

"I have to tell you something," I whispered. Pete didn't even seem to know what was happening inside my mind. Nothing fazed him.

He nodded slowly.

"What is it?" he asked, lifting his hand to turn my face to look at him. We locked eyes for the longest time and I blinked softly.

"Serafina," I whispered. He blinked softly as well.

"What about her?" he asked. I gulped and took a shaky breath.

"She's yours," I whispered.