Disguised As A Boy To Attend Belmont High School
Chapter 144: Managing Cancer And HIV Treatment.

Chapter 144: Managing Cancer And HIV Treatment.

Jessica’s expression hardened. "Look, I know you’re not in this for the money, you just want to take down Louise, but I am. I need this. Trust me, no one’s going to suspect a thing as long as we stay calm."

Anabella frowned but said nothing more. She could only hope Jessica’s confidence wouldn’t get them all caught.

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Olive, Mark, and Lara made their way to the 3RM room, with Mark opening the door. Aiden flinched as he quickly closed his laptop.

"Aiden, how are you feeling?" Mark asked as he stepped inside with Olive and Lara, his brow furrowed with concern.

"I’m fine, just tired," Aiden replied, forcing a weak smile. Suddenly, he started coughing uncontrollably, prompting his friends to rush to his side. They patted his back, trying to ease the violent cough. Aiden hastily brought out a handkerchief to his mouth, then glanced at it, his expression tightening as he saw the blood he had vomited.

"Oh geez, Aiden. When did this start?" Mark’s eyes widened in shock, and Olive and Lara mirrored his expression. "You’re already vomiting blood, man."

"It’s nothing," Aiden muttered, trying to brush it off. "It didn’t just start. I can manage it." He wiped the remaining blood from his lips and gave a strained, but warm smile.

"We need to head to the hospital. Now," Olive declared, her voice tense with urgency.

"Would you and Lara just stay back?" Aiden replied weakly. "I don’t want you all to miss classes because of me. Mark can accompany me alone."

"Who cares about stupid schoolwork?" Lara snapped, her tone serious. "We’re all going to the hospital with you. School can wait, your health is more important."

"Exactly!" Olive added, her expression resolute. Aiden could see in their faces that there was no point in arguing further. The girls were serious.

Reluctantly, Aiden allowed them to help him out of the 3RM room, placing his arms over Mark and Olive’s shoulders for support. But as they neared the hallway where other students were walking, Aiden quickly removed his hands from them.

"I don’t want people to start guessing. I can manage to walk to the car," he explained hastily when he saw the questioning looks from his friends. They nodded, understanding, and walked closely beside him, like protective bodyguards, until they exited the building and got into Mark’s Maybach. Mark started the engine, and they drove straight to the hospital.

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Mark’s Maybach pulled into the hospital parking lot, and the group got out, guiding Aiden toward the entrance. As they stepped into the building, the pungent aroma of antiseptic and cleaning agents hit them, the unmistakable smell of a hospital, a place that promised healing but also held a distinct discomfort.

Mark made his way to the receptionist, presenting Aiden’s medical records. After a brief exchange, the nurse directed them to sit in the waiting area for the doctor. They sat in silence, a cloud of anxiety hanging over the group.

After what seemed like an eternity, Doctor Thompson appeared, prompting the group to quickly stand up, their faces filled with worry. Aiden, however, remained seated, too weak to stand.

"Good afternoon, Doctor," Mark greeted, giving a respectful nod. The others echoed his greeting. "We’re here for Aiden to start his treatment."

"He vomited blood earlier, Doctor," Olive blurted out, her voice cracking with concern.

Dr. Thompson’s face grew serious. "Aiden, we need to start your treatment immediately. Cancer and HIV. We’ll need to balance both."

Mark’s eyes widened, disbelief written across his face. "HIV? What are you talking about? It’s cancer he has."

The entire group froze, their gazes snapping to Aiden, whose face remained expressionless.

Dr. Thompson glanced at Aiden, then back to the group. "He didn’t tell you?" His tone softened, though his words carried the weight of the revelation. "Aiden already had HIV before the cancer diagnosis. Now, we’ll have to balance both treatments."

The room seemed to still as shock set in. Aiden sighed heavily, covering his face with his hand.

"I thought we agreed you’d tell them," Dr. Thompson said, shaking his head slightly. "I didn’t want to do it for you, but it seems I had no choice."

Lara’s face paled, her voice barely above a whisper. "Aiden, you have HIV?"

Olive looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Why didn’t you tell us? You should’ve told us!"

Aiden’s shoulders sagged. "I didn’t want to burden you guys."

The air in the room seemed to thicken, as if time had stopped.

Mark’s voice wavered with disbelief. "But we thought it was just cancer. You should have told us. We’re not going to judge you."

Lara stepped forward, her voice choked with emotion. "Why keep it a secret?"

Olive’s voice was fragile, on the verge of breaking. "We’re your friends, Aiden. We’re supposed to be there for you."

Dr. Thompson cleared his throat, his voice calming. "Aiden’s HIV diagnosis is manageable with treatment. I didn’t tell you because Aiden asked me not to. But given that you’re the only support system I know he has, I felt it was important for you to know the full scope of his health so you can help him better."

Mark rubbed his forehead. "How stupid of me to just leave it when Aiden said he wasn’t going to show us his full treatment plan."

The weight of Aiden’s secret hung heavy in the air, but beneath the shock, his friends’ concern and love for him began to emerge.

"Why didn’t you trust us, Aiden?" Mark asked quietly. "Why didn’t you just tell us everything?"

Aiden’s voice was barely audible. "I was scared. I didn’t want to lose you guys."

Lara stepped closer, her eyes filled with tears. "You’ll never lose us, Aiden. We’re in this together."

Olive wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. "We love you, no matter what."

The group’s words pierced the thick silence in the room. Aiden’s emotions, though tightly bottled, began to surface as he wept quietly into Mark’s shoulder.

Dr. Thompson spoke again, his tone reassuring but firm. "Aiden’s HIV complicates his Hodgkin lymphoma treatment. We’ll need to adjust his chemotherapy schedule to accommodate his antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV."

Mark straightened, still trying to grasp it all. "How will that work, Doctor?"

"We’ll monitor closely for any drug interactions," Dr. Thompson explained. "Antiretroviral therapy will help manage the HIV, while chemotherapy will target the cancer. We’ll run regular tests to ensure everything is balanced."

Lara asked, her voice wavering, "Will the treatments conflict?"

"They can," Dr. Thompson admitted. "But we’ll adjust as needed. We’ve handled cases like this before, and Aiden has a good chance as long as he adheres to both treatments."

Olive looked at Aiden, her voice trembling. "What about the bleeding?"

Dr. Thompson’s face grew serious again. "The vomiting blood could be a sign of internal bleeding. We’ll address that immediately." He turned to Mark and the others. "There’s a new treatment plan I can show you now that you’re aware of his full diagnosis."

The doctor began listing the treatments: "Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV, chemotherapy for the lymphoma, medications to manage potential drug interactions, regular blood tests to monitor both the HIV viral load and cancer progression, and imaging tests to track how well the cancer responds."

"Aiden’s cancer is at stage III," he continued. "It has spread to multiple lymph nodes. We’ll be focusing on aggressive treatment to stop the cancer’s progression. Fortunately, his HIV is currently under control due to his medication, so we’ll continue adjusting as necessary."

Mark’s face hardened with determination. "We’ll support him through all of this."

Lara and Olive both nodded, tears glistening in their eyes. "Every step of the way."

Dr. Thompson smiled faintly. "With your support and our medical expertise, Aiden can get through this."

The hospital room, once filled with dread, now held a fragile sense of hope.

"Alright, Aiden," Dr. Thompson said. "Your chemotherapy schedule is set. We’ll be monitoring your progress closely." His reassuring smile seemed to give Aiden a small measure of peace, though the worry still lingered in his eyes.

As the doctor prepared to take Aiden in for his first session, Lara spoke up. "Can we stay with him during his appointment?"

Olive added softly, "Do you want us to come with you?"

Aiden hesitated before shaking his head. "No, I’ll be okay. Just wait for me here."

Dr. Thompson nodded. "It won’t take long. You can wait here in the meantime."

The group reluctantly agreed, watching as Aiden disappeared into the examination room.

Once seated in the waiting area, they exchanged worried glances. Lara broke the silence, tears streaming down her face. "Do you think he’ll really be okay? I already felt terrible about his cancer, and now he has HIV, too..."

Mark pulled her closer, his voice gentle but firm. "Aiden’s strong. The doctor said both conditions are manageable. We just need to support him."

Olive, staring intently at the door Aiden had walked through, murmured, "But how did Aiden contract HIV? He’s always been so careful. So neat. How did it happen?"

Mark’s expression darkened with curiosity. "Yeah... just how did he get it? The Aiden I know wouldn’t be reckless."