Chapter 84

The drive to Philadelphia was a nightmare. All Jon wanted to do was get there and get back as soon as he could. He’d hated to leave, hated that his life had to take him away when Cilla needed him. He glanced out the window; Jesus he could fucking walk faster than the cars were moving. He shook his head; he should have chartered the damn helicopter.

In the midst of blaring horns and cursing a blue streak his phone rang. “What?” he snarled into the blue tooth.

“Hey man, who pissed in your wheaties this morning?”

Jon rolled his eyes. Leave it to Rich to call while he was in the midst of a hissy fit. “I’m stuck in traffic. What do you want?”

Richie could see his friend growling at everyone who wasn’t moving fast enough to get out of the way. “Why didn’t you just take the jet or the chopper?”

Jon huffed out a breath, as if he hadn’t asked himself that question a hundred times already. “I wanted to drive. I like to drive, usually.” Driving helped clear his head and hell if he didn’t need a little time to think after the last few days. That and having to concentrate on the road, kept him from worrying about being away from Cilla right now. “Did you need something or were you just calling to bust my balls?”

Richie snickered. After 25 plus years his friend knew him so well. “When do you think your sorry ass might be darkening my doorstep?”

Jon peered out across the river of color, chrome and rubber, finally seeing the sign for his exit off the fucking Turnpike. He changed lanes and punched the accelerator. “With any luck, in about 45 minutes.” Well, luck and no cops he thought.

He took a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about something.” He decided while he was still awake in the wee hours of the morning that he needed to tell the guys what was happening with Cilla. He was going to need them as much as she needed him to get through this. He only hoped Richie could handle it without taking any steps back in his recovery.

“That sounds pretty serious Jonny. You want to give me a head start now?”

Jon shook his head, “I’ll give you the whole story when I get there.” He clicked off before Richie could say anything more. He cranked the radio, tapping the steering wheel in time to the music, taking the now familiar route to one of his favorite cities. The music and the lighter flow of traffic calmed him and by the time he crossed the Ben Franklin Bridge he was in a much better frame of mind. It seemed only scant minutes later that he was parking in the garage of Richie’s building.

At Jon’s incessant knocking Richie checked his watch before opening the door. Forty-five minutes, exactly. How the hell does he do that? “You know I hate it when you do that.”

Jon brushed past him and into the entryway. “Why do you think I do it?”

Richie rolled his eyes. “Come on in why don’t you.”

Jon set his bag down and tucked his keys in his pocket as he wandered through to the living room. The sun shone through the wide windows and Jon stood staring out at the city below. Running his fingers into his hair he blew out a breath and turned around.

Richie was standing there watching him. “What is it man? Spit it out.”

“It’s Cilla.”

“What about her, is she okay?”

Jon shook his head. “No man, she is not okay. She had surgery yesterday. She’s in the hospital.” He sucked in a breath. “She’s got cancer man.”

Richie’s face fell. He hadn’t expected that to come out of Jon’s mouth. “I’m sorry man. What kind? How is she doing?” He knew first hand what a diagnosis like that could do to someone.

Jon crossed the room and sat in an oversized chair. “Ovarian cancer. She had a hysterectomy yesterday and seemed to be all right when I left last night.” He looked up at Richie, “how did you do this man? The waiting yesterday damn near killed me.”

Richie sat on the sofa opposite Jon, “there are no instructions for this Jonny. You just need to be there for her. If and when she starts chemo, don’t baby her, don’t try to do things for her. Keep things as normal as possible.”

Jon huffed out a breath. “I don’t know about chemo yet. The doctors were waiting to see what stage it was in. She has to have an MRI today.” He looked past Richie and out the windows. “I just wish like hell I could be there instead of here.”

Richie knew exactly how Jon was feeling. “I know man, but you’ll get through it. You always do and then you can get back. I’ll go with you if you want me to. Where is she, Sloan Kettering?”

Jon shook his head. “No, Lenox Hill, but they’re going to move her over there.” He met Richie’s eye, “thanks.”

~

Sitting on the stage waiting for the festivities to start was agony. All he could think about was Cilla, wondering if she had had her MRI, if the doctor had gotten the results from the lab, wondering if she was alone or is Sid was with her. He hoped that was the case. He didn’t want her to be alone. Crossing his arms over his chest he tried not to think too much about her and concentrate on the task at hand. He pasted a smile on his face and let the press take their pictures. Christ, could they start already?

The roster was read; as each player was named he shook their hand and had to smile for a picture. Then he had to speak to the crowd that had gathered. He should be ecstatic; this is what they had worked so hard for. He just couldn’t find the enthusiasm. He forced a smile and rattled off the words he had written, but he just couldn’t summon the excitement.

After the last flash went off he disappeared. Enough was enough already. He made it back to Richie’s in record time. “Come on man.” He called Richie from the car. “Let’s go.”

Luck just was not on his side today. He got back across the bridge and was flying down 73 and got pulled over. Then, they got stuck on the Turnpike, again. Fuck! He pounded his fists on the steering wheel. “Why, today of all days, did I decide to fucking drive?”

Richie tried not to laugh. Patience was not one of Jon’s better attributes. “Calm down man. She’s not going anywhere, right? We’ll get there soon enough and you turning the air blue in here isn’t helping any.”

Jon cranked up the volume on the radio. He hated it when Richie was right.