Free Always and Forever by Lurlene McDaniel Page B

“Don’t you understand, Melissa? Your life depends on how hard you fight.”

Chapter Ten

    The chemical war intensified, and Melissa experienced battle fatigue. There were setbacks. A reaction to one of her medications that caused a horrible rash. A brief secondary infection that took an extra week to clear up. Melissa’s stay in the hospital lengthened, and she felt more and more estranged from her former world.
    Melissa knew she wasn’t the only one having trouble coping. Her mother came daily with tense smiles and false bravado. Michael came, always nervous and fidgeting, revealing to Melissa that he’d rather be anywhere but at the hospital. Jory visited often, but Melissa adamantly refused to let any of her other friends come up to see her.
    Late afternoon sun slanted through the blinds as Jory bounced into Melissa’s room, talking nonstop. “Sorry I didn’t get by last night. Steve and Melanie and Dirk and I went out for pizza, and Dirk was cash poor so I had to fork it over—boy, did that steam me. I mean, why pay for your own date?” Jory paused long enough to take a breath, and Melissa forced a smile.
    Jory’s visits were the hardest. She always had stories to tell of school and parties and dates. Melissa listened, hating to hear them, yet longing for them.
    “I’m sure he’ll pay you back, or at least treat you next time.”
    “He’d better.” She tossed her books on the floor along with a sack. “Listen to me, going on and on. How’re things going for you today?”
    “Except for chemo, my schedule’s open.”
    “This must be such a drag for you.”
    “The high point of my day is when they come to disinfect the bathroom,” Melissa said.
    “How is the food? You really should eat more. You look thinner.”
    “I know. I’ve lost twelve pounds in eight days.”
    Jory grimaced. “Can’t keep anything down, huh?”
    “I didn’t think it was possible to throw up so much.”
    “And me rattling on about pizza. Sorry about that.”
    “Let me make my pity party complete,” Melissa said, tugging gently on her hair. A handful fell weightlessly to the floor. “How can you stand to look at me?” she asked, touching the sores that erupted on her face.
    Jory’s green eyes grew wide. “You’re not that ugly. I … I mean … ”
    Melissa released a short, bitter laugh. “Real homecoming queen material, huh? And how about the junior prom? Who’ll want to ask the Bride of Frankenstein?”
    Jory picked up the paper bag that lay with her books. “Here. This is for you.”
    “What is it?”
    “Scarves. I bought them in that boutique we used to shop at in the mall.”
    Melissa momentarily forgot her misery as she fingered the selection of colorful, filmy scarves. “Silk, Jory?” she asked, lifting her hairless eyebrow. Sheknew that each elegant piece of cloth must have cost double digits. The irony was not lost on her. Jory never had to give a second thought to what things cost. Or who would ask her for a date. She didn’t have to struggle with anything more incapacitating than a hangnail. “Thank you, Jory. It was nice of you.”
    “Do you like them? I picked out what I thought you’d like best. They are okay, aren’t they?”
    Her eagerness to please touched Melissa deeply. “They’re great.” Melissa tied a paisley scarf around her balding head.
    “Good grief, you look like a bag lady. Here … let me do it.” Melissa reached for a surgical mask and covered her mouth and nose.
    “Why’d you do that?” Jory asked.
    Melissa felt overwhelmed suddenly. How could she explain to Jory that the disease was
hers
and she had to join the doctors in the fight against it? Melissa knew that being careful and taking precautions from now on meant helping with her cure.
    “Dr. Rowan says I have to be careful not to catch anything. Even a cold could set me back weeks.”
    “What do I look like? A germ bank?”
    “It’s nothing personal, really. I just want to get out of here so