Love Sick
Seven
Justin's Point of View
The next morning, I enter Janet's hospital room and see her older sister consoling her as best she can. As far as my mom and I had been told, Janet had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. We don't know the rate of survival or the conditions of the illness or her treatment options. I cautiously walk to them and sit beside Janet, beginning to rub her back. She looks up at me, but then quickly turns away and places her head into the crook of her sister's neck once again.
"What's wrong?" I ask Jacqueline.
"You wouldn't understand." Janet's muffled sob is barely audible.
"She's probably right." Jacqueline nods.
"I- I may not be able to understand, but I'd still like to hear your thoughts." I try again.
This time, Janet struggles to sit straight and wipes her eyes. "I have ovarian cancer."
I sit and wait for the next statement. She may shut down if I say that I am already aware of this.
"I may have to have my ovaries removed, which means that-" She turns to her sister once more and lets out a sob. Jacqueline slowly finishes her sentence. "Which means she will probably never be able to have a child."
"You're right, Janet." I say quietly. "I don't understand. But that doesn't mean I don't want to help."
"How can you possibly help me with this? Are you a doctor, a nurse, a surgeon? Do you know medical procedures and cancer treatment options?"
"Janet, don't yell at him." Jacqueline says softly. "It isn't his fault." Janet collapses into her shoulder again as Jacqueline nods an apology to me. A nurse speaks on the room's intercom. "Miss Janet, do you know a Selena? She says she's a friend."
A second voice sounds over the intercom. It was a crude version of Selena's, telling the nurse that she must have the wrong room number. She was looking for a Justin Bieber, not some girl named Janet. The nurse tries to tell her that Janet is a patient here, Justin is not. I decide to relieve the nurse of her trouble and walk to the desk where Selena stands, still arguing with the hospital employee. Selena looks at me and then back at the nurse, as if to say "See? I told you he was a patient here." The nurse ignores her and goes back to transferring patients' information from the paper file folders into the computer. Selena runs to me, grasping my biceps with her hands. "Justin, are you okay? Why aren't you in the regular hospital-issue gown? Are they releasing you already?"
"Actually, Selena, the nurse was right. I'm not the patient." I quickly add "But I can let you meet the girl the nurse was talking about. Her name is Janet and she's really in need of some cheering up. She was just diagnosed with cancer and-"
"That's not necessary." She quickly cuts me off, checking her watch. "Look, I'm already late for a meeting."
"Wait. Do you want me to give her your regards?" I ask, hoping there is still a shred of good in her. She breathes deep and straightens up and speaks in the most fake "interested" tone she could do. "I'm happy that you are okay. I hope that girl gets healing from whatever illness she has- I really didn't pay attention to what you said after you told me you weren't the patient. But call me when you get away from here. I gotta go." She turns and walks back toward the elevators to head down to the parking garage. As soon as I recover from her shocking display of cruel character, I walk back to Janet's room, wondering how in the world I could have ever let myself fall for a girl like that.
The next morning, I enter Janet's hospital room and see her older sister consoling her as best she can. As far as my mom and I had been told, Janet had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. We don't know the rate of survival or the conditions of the illness or her treatment options. I cautiously walk to them and sit beside Janet, beginning to rub her back. She looks up at me, but then quickly turns away and places her head into the crook of her sister's neck once again.
"What's wrong?" I ask Jacqueline.
"You wouldn't understand." Janet's muffled sob is barely audible.
"She's probably right." Jacqueline nods.
"I- I may not be able to understand, but I'd still like to hear your thoughts." I try again.
This time, Janet struggles to sit straight and wipes her eyes. "I have ovarian cancer."
I sit and wait for the next statement. She may shut down if I say that I am already aware of this.
"I may have to have my ovaries removed, which means that-" She turns to her sister once more and lets out a sob. Jacqueline slowly finishes her sentence. "Which means she will probably never be able to have a child."
"You're right, Janet." I say quietly. "I don't understand. But that doesn't mean I don't want to help."
"How can you possibly help me with this? Are you a doctor, a nurse, a surgeon? Do you know medical procedures and cancer treatment options?"
"Janet, don't yell at him." Jacqueline says softly. "It isn't his fault." Janet collapses into her shoulder again as Jacqueline nods an apology to me. A nurse speaks on the room's intercom. "Miss Janet, do you know a Selena? She says she's a friend."
A second voice sounds over the intercom. It was a crude version of Selena's, telling the nurse that she must have the wrong room number. She was looking for a Justin Bieber, not some girl named Janet. The nurse tries to tell her that Janet is a patient here, Justin is not. I decide to relieve the nurse of her trouble and walk to the desk where Selena stands, still arguing with the hospital employee. Selena looks at me and then back at the nurse, as if to say "See? I told you he was a patient here." The nurse ignores her and goes back to transferring patients' information from the paper file folders into the computer. Selena runs to me, grasping my biceps with her hands. "Justin, are you okay? Why aren't you in the regular hospital-issue gown? Are they releasing you already?"
"Actually, Selena, the nurse was right. I'm not the patient." I quickly add "But I can let you meet the girl the nurse was talking about. Her name is Janet and she's really in need of some cheering up. She was just diagnosed with cancer and-"
"That's not necessary." She quickly cuts me off, checking her watch. "Look, I'm already late for a meeting."
"Wait. Do you want me to give her your regards?" I ask, hoping there is still a shred of good in her. She breathes deep and straightens up and speaks in the most fake "interested" tone she could do. "I'm happy that you are okay. I hope that girl gets healing from whatever illness she has- I really didn't pay attention to what you said after you told me you weren't the patient. But call me when you get away from here. I gotta go." She turns and walks back toward the elevators to head down to the parking garage. As soon as I recover from her shocking display of cruel character, I walk back to Janet's room, wondering how in the world I could have ever let myself fall for a girl like that.