Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
I laughed at her command but twirled on the spot as if I’d been meant for it. It had been a long time since I’d been in ballet, but the turn came back to me effortlessly.
Jem looked breathless with delight. “I need one. Frank, get me a matching princess dress.”
“Right away, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing at the waist. He fiddled with a few more things. “All right, I’m going to leave you with your visitor for a few minutes, but after that, you need to rest. You always get exhausted after a chemo session. I don’t want the excitement to wear you down even more.”
“Aye, aye, captain,” she said, offering him a mock salute.
Jerry nodded at me. “I’ll be back in ten.”
“Sounds good. Thanks.”
Jerry disappeared down the hallway, and I took a seat in the chair opposite Jem’s bed. She leaned back in her bed and released a huff of air.
“I wish you’d come at a different time, Princess Katherine,” Jem said.
“Well, why don’t you let me know a good time, and I can come again?”
“You mean it?”
“Sure. I’m going to volunteer here regularly now.”
Jem looked at me with naked disbelief in her eyes. As if people had said that one too many times. Even this angel of a child had cynicism. “Okay. Well, Thursdays are bad. But on Wednesdays, I get to do art. Can you draw?”
“Not at all,” I told her. “But I can dance.”
“I love to dance,” Jem told me. “Dance and draw and run around and slides and singing and getting my nails painted and playing dress-up and having tea.”
“I like all of those things.”
“Oh, good. You’d be a villain again if you didn’t like fun.”
I cracked a smile. “Another reasonable reference.”
I wanted to ask more questions. I wanted to ask why she was here and how long she’d been sick. I wanted to ask about her parents and how often they showed up and why they weren’t here now, right after she had treatment. I wanted to find out how this precious child had so much life, considering her circumstances.
I could see that her playing pretend was her way of coping. I knew a little too much about that. But without meaning to, I cared for this kid. I saw my old self in her. I wanted to know more.
“Hey, Jem,” I whispered. “Why are you here?”
She smiled softly at me, stifling a yawn. “Cancer ward.”
“Right. But…”
Jem waved her hand faintly. “It’s called ALL—acute lymphoblastic leukemia.” The big words sounded ridiculous, coming out of her small mouth. “My white blood cells are eating my body like a dragon breathing fire at the princess.”
I tried to hide my horror. I knew what leukemia was. I’d heard about it. And I’d known that she had to be here for something bad, but it still hurt to hear.
“Well, it’s good that you’re a dragon-slaying princess then, isn’t it?”
Jem’s eyes lit up. “You get me.”
She sank back into her bed. Another yawn hit her, and she tried to keep her eyes open.
“How about I come again next week? I bet I can bring in a surprise,” I told her.
“I’d like that,” she said through a yawn. “I’ll wait for you. Don’t be late.”
I stood as Jerry stepped back in, letting me know that our ten minutes were up. Jem was nearly asleep. I swallowed and then exited with Jerry.
“Are you okay?” he asked when we left. “You look a little shaken up.”
“She… she told me a little about her diagnosis—leukemia.”
He nodded. “It’s always hard to hear, but it’s actually the most common type of cancer in children.” He gestured for me to walk with him. We fell into step. “We’re hopeful in her case.”
“How does she stay so… happy?”
“That’s just Jem. She’s a ray of sunshine. Never let the diagnosis bring her down. She’s always been confident that she’ll beat this.”
“That’s incredible.”
“She really is. I wish I could say the same about her parents.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I noticed that they weren’t here either time I’ve been here.”
He wrinkled his nose. “I doubt you’ll ever meet them. It’s good that you’re coming around more to see her. She could use a friend.”
My stomach twisted at that. I didn’t like the idea that her family had abandoned her to this hospital. As mine had abandoned me. Even if my stay had only been for six excruciating weeks. This was something else altogether. How could they do it when their daughter was so amazing?
“I have to get back to my shift, but I hope you come back.”
“I will,” I told him confidently. Fear of hospitals or not, I wanted to see her.
I hurried down the hallway, another idea about what to do for Jem…and maybe the whole ward buzzing through my mind. I passed a group of women who also looked like they were here for volunteer hours and continued down the hall. I was almost to the exit when I heard my name.