Chapter 86

Dr. Shortle was just leaving Cilla's room when Jon got there. He was alone today, Richie having begged off. He didn't think he could take spending the day at the hospital, not even for Cilla. "Tell her I'm sorry man. I just can't do it again today."

Jon couldn't blame him. He couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been for Richie to sit there in Cilla's room yesterday after all he had been through with his father. "It's all right man. She'll understand. And hopefully she'll be coming home soon."

Now, he had to wonder what he was going to find behind the heavy door. Did the doctor bring her good news this time, or more bad? "Only one way to find out" he muttered as he pushed the door open.

Cilla was lying on the bed, her body angled toward the wall of windows. The long spill of dark hair had been braided today leaving the smooth skin of her upper back exposed through the open back of the hospital gown. Crossing the room he leaned over her, pressing a kiss to her forehead, cheek. "Hey baby, how're you doing today?"

She turned and smiled at him. "I'm feeling pretty good today. The doctor was just here."

He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. “I know. I passed her on my way in. What did she have to say today?”

She smiled hugely. "The MRI came back clean. The cancer hasn't spread."

More carefully than he thought he could, he pulled Cilla close. "That is the best news I've heard all week Sweets."

Laying her head on Jon’s shoulder she wrapped her arms around him. “She also said I could go home possibly tomorrow.”

He turned his head, burying his nose in her hair and kissing her head. "That's great baby. But you're not planning on staying at your apartment alone are you?"

Cilla picked her head up to look at him. "I live alone, have you forgotten that? Besides, where else would I go?"

Jon helped her settle back against her pillow. "My place."

She shook her head. She wouldn't impose on him like that, Sid either. She could take care of herself. "I'll be fine at my own place Jon. You're a busy man. You don't need me there getting in your way. Besides, don't you go to the Hamptons for the month with your kids?"

"You're not going to stay alone Sweets." He moved to sit in the chair. "I'd like you to come to the Hamptons with us. Steph has been asking to see you but I told her after you were out of the hospital."

"I can't go to the Hamptons now. I have an appointment with the doctor over at Sloan Kettering and we have to decide when to start my chemo. Dr. Shortle figured that would be in about three weeks. I need to be here in the City."

He reached over and took her hand. He wasn't going to be dissuaded. She wasn't going to get her way on this one. "I can bring you back for your treatments and we won't even leave until after your appointment. I don't want you to be alone baby." Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed her fingers. "I can't go through the tests and treatments for you, I would if I could. Let me take care of you the only way I can right now. Please?" As much as he wished he could trade places with her, this was the best he could do.

Cilla sighed. How could she argue with him when he was so determined to do this for her? “What about my apartment and my shop? I can’t keep having Sid and his mom take care of things. Sid is one thing, but Josie, she has a life of her own. She was only going to help out for a few days. I can’t ask her to drop everything for me.” God her life had been turned upside down and inside out over one scary, nauseating six letter word. Would things ever get back to some kind of normal?

Jon ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Was everything going to be a battle with her? “Don’t you usually close up for two weeks in the summer anyway?” He waited and at her nod he continued. “Why not think of this as an extended vacation? You have more than earned one.”

As she sat mulling over what he said the orderly came in with her lunch. She looked dubiously at the tray. Nothing thus far had held any appeal for her. Lunch wasn’t looking promising. The soup might be salvageable if there was a salt packet or two on the tray, but the sandwich was a definite no. The coffee was also a no. She learned that the hard way that morning. She grimaced at the thought and opened her juice.

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

She sipped her juice, looking at him over the rim of the cup. “I’ll stay with you, but-“

He shook his head, “I knew there was going to be a ‘but’.”

Cilla smiled. “But, I need you to not baby me. I can take care of myself. And I’ll need to get with Sid and tell him what’s going on. I’ll also need stuff from my apartment.”

He nudged her soup toward her, “we’ll get everything you need. Now, you need to eat.”

She wrinkled her nose at the bowl of soup, “I’d rather have a BLT and potato salad.” She eyed him carefully, wondering if he would remember the night they spent together before he left for Europe.

He winked at her. “I just bet you would. When you’re healed, you can have anything you want.”

She laughed. “Anything?”

He smiled at her, “absolutely.”

It was good to see her in better spirits he thought as she ate. The road ahead of her was going to be long and bumpy, but for now, her smile eased his mind and loosened the band of fear around his a little and her laughter was music to his ears.