Disguised As A Boy To Attend Belmont High School
Chapter 135: Cancer Diaries.

Chapter 135: Cancer Diaries.

Mark’s eyes locked onto Aiden’s frail form, his expression softening as an overwhelming wave of emotion washed over him. The sight of his friend lying helplessly on the hospital bed was almost too much to bear. "Aiden," he whispered, his voice cracking as he fought back tears.

Olive instinctively raised a hand to her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. "Oh no, Aiden," she whispered, her voice trembling. "How come he’s like this? What exactly is wrong with him?"

Lara’s face fell as she scanned the machines surrounding Aiden’s bed. "He wasn’t like this the last time we visited him at his house, how come he turned out like this now?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

Mark hesitated, looking down before speaking. "I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me over the phone. He just keeps asking for Lucas."

Olive’s gaze drifted to the door as if willing Lucas to appear. "Lucas should be here," she murmured softly. "I really hope he comes."

Aiden’s eyes flickered open, weakly scanning the room until they landed on his friends. A faint smile crossed his lips. "Hey," he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath.

Mark stepped forward, his eyes filling with tears. "Hey, man. We’re here."

Aiden’s gaze drifted to Lara and Olive "Thanks for coming," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Lara blinked rapidly, her eyes glistening. "Of course, Aiden. We’re here for you."

Olive moved closer, her hand gently brushing through Aiden’s hair. "We’re not going anywhere," she whispered, then froze as she withdrew her hand, noticing several strands of his hair in her palm. Her breath hitched. "Why is your hair falling out? You’ve lost so much already."

Aiden’s eyes closed, a sigh escaping his lips. "It’s because of my illness," he murmured, his voice fragile. He then managed to sit up in bed with Olive and Lara who helped him after which he glanced toward the door, his expression filled with sadness.

Mark let out a heavy sigh. "You’re still expecting Lucas, aren’t you?" he asked, his voice soft but strained. "He’s not going to come, man. Just... forget about him."

Aiden swallowed hard, fighting back tears, but they escaped despite his efforts. His chest shuddered with quiet sobs.

"Come on, man. Don’t do this," Mark said gently as he moved closer, wrapping Aiden in a tight hug and patting his back. "Everything’s going to be fine. I promise."

Aiden buried his face into Mark’s shoulder, his voice cracking. "Is he never going to forgive me? I feel so miserable for what I did to him. I’m so sorry. I just want the three of us to go back to how we were before."

Mark pulled back slightly, looking Aiden in the eye. "He will, Aiden. He’s just still angry. But he’ll come around. Don’t hurt yourself over this. We’ll fix things."

"What exactly is the problem though? What kind of illness are you suffering from?" Olive asked, with a look of concern. Instead of replying, Aiden turned his head to the wall, not willing to tell his friends and his silent only got his friends more worried.

Just then, the door to the ward swung open, and a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a white coat, with a stethoscope draped around his neck, entered alongside a nurse in blue scrubs.

"Ah, finally. People who came to check up on him," the doctor said with a warm smile as he approached the children and finally stood before them.

Mark immediately turned to the doctor. "Good afternoon, sir. Please, what exactly is wrong with him?" His voice was firm, though his worry was evident.

The doctor looked at Aiden, raising an eyebrow. "What? You haven’t told anyone about your condition yet?"

Aiden subtly shook his head, silently pleading with the doctor not to say anything.

"I’ll tell them soon, doctor," Aiden said, forcing a weak smile. "Don’t worry about it."

Mark frowned, frustration creeping into his voice. "Don’t mind him, doctor. His parents aren’t here, so we’re his family now. We deserve to know what’s going on. What’s wrong with him? He’s lost so much weight, and his hair..."

The doctor sighed, looking back at Aiden. "I really thought he had explained everything to his loved ones. We need someone to sign some documents before we can begin treatment."

Aiden shifted uncomfortably. "I’ll tell them myself. I just need time to prepare them before... breaking the news."

Olive’s eyes widened with concern. "Prepare us? Is it that bad?"

Mark’s frustration boiled over. "Aiden, please stop. I know you and Lucas are close, but where is he now? You keep holding back because of him, but I’m here too. We all are. We deserve to know what’s happening." He then turned to the doctor again. "Please, tell us. What’s wrong with him?"

The doctor exhaled slowly, his tone growing serious. "He’s suffering from Hodgkin Lymphoma."

Mark, Olive, and Lara exchanged confused looks. "What’s that?" Mark asked, his brows furrowing.

"It’s cancer," the doctor clarified. "Blood cancer, to be precise."

Their faces drained of color. "C-cancer?" Mark stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

"Yes," the doctor said gently. "Hodgkin Lymphoma affects the lymphatic system. It’s more common in young adults, especially between the ages of 15 and 35. Some of the symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, fatigue, weight loss..."

"Oh my God," Olive gasped, her hands flying to her head in shock.

The doctor cleared his throat, continuing. "There are treatments , chemotherapy being the primary one. It’s designed to kill cancer cells and slow the disease’s progression. Typically, chemotherapy lasts six to twelve months, with sessions every two to four weeks. However, there are side effects like hair loss, fatigue, nausea, increased infection risk, mouth sores, and digestive issues."

Mark stood frozen, terror gripping him. "How could Aiden hide something like this?" he whispered, tears spilling down his cheeks.

Lara’s voice trembled. "Please... continue, doctor."

The doctor nodded. "Chemotherapy usually involves a combination of drugs either ABVD or BEACOPP. Sometimes radiation therapy is recommended, depending on the stage and how the cancer responds to treatment during chemotherapy."

Mark wiped at his eyes. "Will he get better after the treatments?"

"Yes doctor. Would Aiden get better afterwards." Lara chimed in, her eyebrows raised up in curiousity.

"We won’t know until he starts responding to the chemotherapy," the doctor said solemnly. "That will guide us in determining the next steps."

Olive, her face pale, asked in a shaky voice, "And what happens if he doesn’t respond?"

The doctor’s face darkened. "If the treatment doesn’t work, the cancer could spread, and we’d have to explore other options, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapies. There are always clinical trials, but success depends on how Aiden’s body responds."

The weight of the situation sank in, leaving the room thick with unspoken fear. "We just have to hope for the best," the doctor said, looking at each of them. "But Aiden’s going to need you all. Your support will be crucial in the coming months."

Tears continue to stream down Mark, Olive, and Lara’s faces. Aiden, unable to bear their heartbreak, turned away, facing the other side of the bed.

"I’m not going to die, guys," he whispered, voice trembling as he tried to smile. "Stop acting like this is my funeral."

At his words, his friends rushed to his bedside, overwhelmed by emotion. Aiden turned back to them, tears brimming in his eyes. "I’m not going to die," he repeated softly. "I won’t."

Mark, still wiping his tears, gripped Aiden’s hand tightly. "But why didn’t you tell us? You’ve delayed your treatment. When did this all start?"

Aiden’s voice was weak. "It started before we went to the vacation house... I started noticing things then, but I ignored them. It got worse these past few weeks, hair loss, swollen lymph nodes, all the signs. I finally had to come to the hospital when I couldn’t ignore it anymore." He swallowed hard. "I never thought... cancer."

"Before we went to the vacation house?" Lara exclaimed, her eyes widen open in shock. "That was last term. You could have told us, then you would have started getting treatment."

"I’m sorry guys." Aiden replied, his voice low and weak.

Mark’s heart ached as Aiden spoke. He held Aiden’s hand tighter. "You’re going to start treatment now. I’ll sign whatever papers need to be signed, and we’ll get this going. You’re going to be fine, man."

Aiden forced a smile. "Thanks, Mark. And... thanks to you, too," he said, looking at Olive and Lara. "I didn’t think you’d all be here with me, especially after... everything."

Olive and Lara smiled through their tears, shaking their heads.

"One more thing," Aiden said, his eyes locking with Mark’s. "Don’t tell Lucas about this. I don’t want him to be heartbroken. I wasn’t asking for him to tell him about my illness, I just wanted to say goodbye, make peace with him and die peacefully afterwards. But now... now that I’ll be getting treatment, I’ll have time to fix things with him myself."

Mark’s chest tightened as Aiden continued. "Please, Mark. Promise me. I’ll tell him and the others when I’m ready, after treatment. But for now... promise me."

Mark swallowed hard, his eyes filled with emotion as he met Aiden’s gaze. He stretched out his pinky finger, locking it with Aiden’s in a solemn vow.

"I promise."