Chapter Text
It was a light gray room. Nothing was on the walls. Two neatly folded, hospital blue, clothes sat on the table next to the bed. My eyes scanned the rest of the table. They landed on a piece of paper and a pen. I was told to write down my wish. I knew what to wish for. I knew what this meant. Was I really dying? I didn't know. All I could do was hope for the best. Isn't that what everyone else does? Hope? All well. I grabbed the paper and pen off the table. After pulling out my hardcover book to write on, I relaxed into my bed. I wrote down my one and only wish. It hasn't changed since 2015 It won't change. After writing down my wish I folded the paper and set it, and the pen, aside. I was hoping for some rest. Partly because of was tired, and partly because I knew when I woke I would most likely be bombarded with an abundance of unreasonable questions. After all with a last name like Wambach this wouldn't take to long to hit the news.
A couple of hours later I woke up. I was starving. I hadn't eaten in a while the hospital wouldn't let me. I noticed the paper and pen was gone, replaced with food that looked disgusting. But I eyed the food. I was hungry. God knows how long it will be before I get a good meal. Days maybe? The hospital would probably keep me for a couple of days. I continued to eye the food.
"Your not going to eat that... right Tegan?"
I looked over to where the sound was coming from. It was my sister, Brina. I guess she could tell I was eyeing the food.
"Oh, hey Bri. What's up?" I said completely ignoring her question. Knowing her, she probably has food somewhere in her backpack.
"Nothing much. I came as soon as I could. Now I'm hungry and by the way you were looking at the food over there, I'm pretty sure you're hungry. So lets eat." she says pulling out a paper bag.
I was right. Brina always has food. I wasn't surprised she got to sneak food in here. "Taco Bell! I'm probably not allowed to eat that." but then again I was hungry. "Okay I will only eat them if..."
"If I got you your favorite taco. Which I indeed did. What kind of sister would I be if I got your least favorite taco."
Yeah that's Brina light hearted, kind, loving, positive sister. "Your right who would do that?"
She handed me the taco and we ate in comfortable silence until Brina spoke.
"Tell me, how are you?" Brina gave me a look. A look that told me I probably shouldn't lie. I wouldn't in the first place. Brina can read me like a book. I sighed, leaned back a little further into my bed and took a deep breathe.
"After you, Mom and Mama left I spent that weekend with Uncle Paul. I had a cold before you guys left, if you remember." She shook her head. She must of remembered. "Well it got worse so Uncle Paul took me to the doctors to see what was going on. They said they had to run some test to make sure that everything was all right. But it was the exact opposite." She kept nodding her head. I knew she was thinking back to when I was first diagnosed with cancer. I did become a survivor. "Well the doctors wanted to make sure that the cancer wasn't back but..." I stopped I couldn't continue. Brina wouldn't make me either she knew what I was saying.
"Brina," I said when I got the courage back. "Brina its back."
Just like that I saw my only sister break before me. This isn't the first time either. She broke when she was told I first had cancer.
"Cancer Tegan?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper. "Ca.. ca.. cancer again." she got out between sobs. "Why isn't Abby or Sarah here?"
"I couldn't bring myself to tell them." Brina understood. She couldn't image how hard it is to have cancer and then again to have it for a second time.
"The nurse is on the phone trying to reach them they should be here soon Bri." Now I was crying. Its hard to hold it together when everything around you is falling apart.
Brina thought that she was going to lose her sister for good. She couldn't bring herself to look at me. I understood how it felt. I felt the same way when my biological mom died.
[-(-)-]FLASHBACK[-(-)-]
I was just 4 years old when my mother died of cancer late one Tuesday night. My dad came by weekly to check on us. That was the day he was suppose to come. He walked into the living room where I held my mothers head. She had already passed. I was a smart little kid. I knew a lot for my age, but when my dad came into the room I felt drain. Almost like with his presence my knowledge disappeared. I ran to him, hoping for comfort and support. My dad laughed at me. He began to beat me. I screamed but know one could save me. My mother was dead. My dad had released me of his embrace and then call 911. After 911 came and went my dad took me back to his apartment. He beat me and beat me. He did things to me I could no longer tolerate. I ran far away hoping he would never find me. I did find someone though. Sarah and Abby. They took me in, introduced me to their family. I felt like I belonged. My dad had been arrested later that month.
[-(-)-]END OF FLASHBACK[-(-)-]
I looked at Brina. She was two years older, two times tougher, but right now she was defeated. Her heart was broken. Her faced showed it. Her little sister had cancer again. The worse thing is that she had to say cancer then she had to say again in the same sentence. And at the age of 13, her sister couldn't be strong for herself. The cancer would break her sister. Brina had to be strong for her.
I noticed the look on my sister face turn from depression to strength. I knew what was going through her mind. I was thankful for it because at the moment I didn't think I could be strong for myself right now.
Brina looked at Tegan with a whole different demeanor. Tegan wasn't in this battle alone and she never will be. She got up from the end of the bed and leaned closer to Tegan.
"I got a secret to tell you." Tegan cracked a smile.
"Yeah what is it?"
"Ain't nothing happening to you without me by your side." Brina broke out into a smile. The tears had stopped flowing for a moment. She pulled her sister in for a hug.
Just then the door had swung open breaking the two apart.
"Hey I'm your nurse Nora."
"Hey." said both the girls.
"I'm here to inform you that we are working on making your wish come true."
Tegan beamed. She knew that her wish would be a perfect thing for her family. She had a plan. This wish just made it 100% easier to help herself and her family with Tegan's cancer.
All you need is family to help heal. But your immediate family isn't enough. Sometimes you need to expand your horizons to the family who has been there most when you need them.