Status: complete
Forever Young, Forever in Love
chapter 1
Wendy strolled down the aisle as To a Wild Rose played. She let go of her father’s arm and took the steps that placed her across from her fiancé. She stared into the deep blue eyes of her Peter. They were so like the eyes of another Peter, to whom she owed her life.
~
“Come on Wendy!” Peter trilled as he ran through the playground.
“Slow down!” she called after him, her laughter making him run even faster.
He ran over to a jungle gym and steadied himself across a long beam.
When Wendy caught up to him, he took her hand.
“You trust me?”
“Of course!”
Peter lifted her up, placing her at the top of a jungle gym.
“Close your eyes.”
Wendy faltered before clamping them tightly. Peter held her firmly before lifting her up and swinging her around.
“You can fly Wen!” he exclaimed, swinging her through the air.
Wendy’s hair flew behind her as the wind caressed her face. She braced her hands on his shoulders and enjoyed the ride.
After they tired themselves out, they headed to the patient common room. Nurse Betty strode over to them.
“Peter! Everyone’s been looking for you!”
She grabbed his arm, leading him to his room. Belle, Sly, The Twins, Curley, Turtle, and Nipper eyed him warily.
“Wasn’t our idea, swear!”
Peter looked to the eyes of his parents and then down at the cake with two flaming candles. Today was his 13th birthday. Peter’s face was bright red and his fists clenched. He let out an exasperated cry and fled the room.
Peter’s heart murmur grew every day, and the doctors didn’t think he’d make it to 16. His illness kept him in the hospital for most of his life. He hadn’t gotten to experience what most children did, but he never let it get his spirits down. Fear of dying wasn’t responsible for him fleeing the room, but the fear of growing up crippled him. He refused to let go of the one thing he had control over.
~
As the priest began the opening words, Wendy turned to face Sly, Curley, The Twins, Turtle, and Nipper. Even Belle sat in a pew, a few rows back. She could see Peter in their faces. Being in their presence took her back 15 years. She could remember their frolicking trough the medical ward, how they’d all have camp outs in each other’s rooms before a surgery. She remembered the pure joy on their faces when they found out they could go home. She just wished she could’ve seen that look on Peter’s bright face.
~
Tears streamed down Wendy’s face as Peter sat at the foot of her bed.
“Don’t cry Wen! I’m here!” Peter cooed.
Wendy rolled her eyes as she continued to sob. Peter hadn’t meant it in a comforting way, he meant how could she be crying in his presence.
“Look, I know a way for you to get better.”
Wendy gave him an incredulous look. Doctors had checked every possible solution, there was no way for her to get a donor in time.
“What’re you talking about Peter?”
“I’m going to help you,” he said in a resolute tone.
“How?”
“I’m going to give you my marrow.”
“Peter, don’t be ridiculous. It’d kill you.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, I won’t let you!”
Peter glared at Wendy for a long moment.
“Don’t you get it kid? There’s no point in staying around if you’re not here. Besides, I’m going soon anyway.”
“Peter, no,” Wendy said matter-of-factly.
“Wendy, yes,” he said placing so much emphasis on his last word.
She let out an audible sigh. Wendy had tried to convince Peter that this was the most grown up thing he could possibly be doing. He shrugged off her accusations. Once Peter’s mind was set, there was no going back.
Peter’s parents, and Wendy’s had graciously agreed on his solution only Wendy refused to come to terms with what was happening. She willed her body with every hope she had to get better. This way the whole thing would be avoidable. It seemed the harder she wished, the sicker she became. Peter had become increasingly angry with her as she continued to refuse his help. But today she could barely lift her head, as soon as he saw her, he caved.
“Are you going to be nice to me today?” she said in a barely audible whisper.
“Depends, are you ready to let me help you?”
She shook her head no and he rolled his eyes.
“Wendy, please.”
Peter sat at the foot of her bead and stared at her for a long moment.
His pleas for her to given in were answered one day when Wendy became unresponsive. Peter was rushed to the op room to start the procedure. He woke up a day later to see Wendy on a gurney beside him. Her eyes shot to his. She stuck out her tongue at him.
“So this is the thanks I get?”
Wendy laughed a little. She reached out her arm and Peter stretched his to grip her hand.
“Love you, Peter.”
He smiled and gripped her hand tighter.
It took Wendy a week to get better, by that time Peter was barely holding on.
She took her spot at the foot of his bed. Not ready to say goodbye.
“Why did you have to be sooo stubborn?” she complained.
Peter managed to laugh.
“Wen?”
“Yeah, Peter?”
“Promise me something?”
“Anything.”
“Promise you won’t forget me.”
“Never.”
~
After the ‘I do’s’ were said Peter and Wendy ran hand in hand down the aisle. As the wind blew back her hair, Wendy couldn’t help but feel like she was flying again.
Peter’s voice saying, “You can fly, Wen,” filled the air around her.
Wendy smiled as she thought of her Peters and how she would never forget.
~
“Come on Wendy!” Peter trilled as he ran through the playground.
“Slow down!” she called after him, her laughter making him run even faster.
He ran over to a jungle gym and steadied himself across a long beam.
When Wendy caught up to him, he took her hand.
“You trust me?”
“Of course!”
Peter lifted her up, placing her at the top of a jungle gym.
“Close your eyes.”
Wendy faltered before clamping them tightly. Peter held her firmly before lifting her up and swinging her around.
“You can fly Wen!” he exclaimed, swinging her through the air.
Wendy’s hair flew behind her as the wind caressed her face. She braced her hands on his shoulders and enjoyed the ride.
After they tired themselves out, they headed to the patient common room. Nurse Betty strode over to them.
“Peter! Everyone’s been looking for you!”
She grabbed his arm, leading him to his room. Belle, Sly, The Twins, Curley, Turtle, and Nipper eyed him warily.
“Wasn’t our idea, swear!”
Peter looked to the eyes of his parents and then down at the cake with two flaming candles. Today was his 13th birthday. Peter’s face was bright red and his fists clenched. He let out an exasperated cry and fled the room.
Peter’s heart murmur grew every day, and the doctors didn’t think he’d make it to 16. His illness kept him in the hospital for most of his life. He hadn’t gotten to experience what most children did, but he never let it get his spirits down. Fear of dying wasn’t responsible for him fleeing the room, but the fear of growing up crippled him. He refused to let go of the one thing he had control over.
~
As the priest began the opening words, Wendy turned to face Sly, Curley, The Twins, Turtle, and Nipper. Even Belle sat in a pew, a few rows back. She could see Peter in their faces. Being in their presence took her back 15 years. She could remember their frolicking trough the medical ward, how they’d all have camp outs in each other’s rooms before a surgery. She remembered the pure joy on their faces when they found out they could go home. She just wished she could’ve seen that look on Peter’s bright face.
~
Tears streamed down Wendy’s face as Peter sat at the foot of her bed.
“Don’t cry Wen! I’m here!” Peter cooed.
Wendy rolled her eyes as she continued to sob. Peter hadn’t meant it in a comforting way, he meant how could she be crying in his presence.
“Look, I know a way for you to get better.”
Wendy gave him an incredulous look. Doctors had checked every possible solution, there was no way for her to get a donor in time.
“What’re you talking about Peter?”
“I’m going to help you,” he said in a resolute tone.
“How?”
“I’m going to give you my marrow.”
“Peter, don’t be ridiculous. It’d kill you.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, I won’t let you!”
Peter glared at Wendy for a long moment.
“Don’t you get it kid? There’s no point in staying around if you’re not here. Besides, I’m going soon anyway.”
“Peter, no,” Wendy said matter-of-factly.
“Wendy, yes,” he said placing so much emphasis on his last word.
She let out an audible sigh. Wendy had tried to convince Peter that this was the most grown up thing he could possibly be doing. He shrugged off her accusations. Once Peter’s mind was set, there was no going back.
Peter’s parents, and Wendy’s had graciously agreed on his solution only Wendy refused to come to terms with what was happening. She willed her body with every hope she had to get better. This way the whole thing would be avoidable. It seemed the harder she wished, the sicker she became. Peter had become increasingly angry with her as she continued to refuse his help. But today she could barely lift her head, as soon as he saw her, he caved.
“Are you going to be nice to me today?” she said in a barely audible whisper.
“Depends, are you ready to let me help you?”
She shook her head no and he rolled his eyes.
“Wendy, please.”
Peter sat at the foot of her bead and stared at her for a long moment.
His pleas for her to given in were answered one day when Wendy became unresponsive. Peter was rushed to the op room to start the procedure. He woke up a day later to see Wendy on a gurney beside him. Her eyes shot to his. She stuck out her tongue at him.
“So this is the thanks I get?”
Wendy laughed a little. She reached out her arm and Peter stretched his to grip her hand.
“Love you, Peter.”
He smiled and gripped her hand tighter.
It took Wendy a week to get better, by that time Peter was barely holding on.
She took her spot at the foot of his bed. Not ready to say goodbye.
“Why did you have to be sooo stubborn?” she complained.
Peter managed to laugh.
“Wen?”
“Yeah, Peter?”
“Promise me something?”
“Anything.”
“Promise you won’t forget me.”
“Never.”
~
After the ‘I do’s’ were said Peter and Wendy ran hand in hand down the aisle. As the wind blew back her hair, Wendy couldn’t help but feel like she was flying again.
Peter’s voice saying, “You can fly, Wen,” filled the air around her.
Wendy smiled as she thought of her Peters and how she would never forget.