Finding Jaime

Chapter 98

"I'm going upstairs," Jaime said.

"Bad news?" Joe asked as he watched Jaime go upstairs.

"Some. But not for Jaime. A kid he met in chemo isn't doing so well."

"Oh. That's too bad. Poor kid. How's Jaime, though?"

I sighed. Joe looked worried.

"He's cancer free. We go for another scan in six months and he's still on some of the meds but he's officially done with chemo and there's no sign of any cancer leftover from his tumour. He's clean."

"That's amazing!" Joe cheered. 

"It's a little bittersweet given the news about Ethan. He's only nine. Jamie's worried and wants to be tested for a bone marrow match, but because he's had chemo, he can't donate bone marrow. Ever."

"Poor kid. I'll get tested. Just tell me where and when. And how. Doesn't hurt?"

"The testing? No. It's just a swab of your cheek to see if you're a match. I'll get details for you. I know Jaime and Ethan's family will be thankful for that."

"We'll get the others to, as well," Joe said, pulling out his phone and typing.

"Okay, the kids are watching a movie with Marvel. I'm gonna get going now that you're home.  Keep me informed."

I hugged my bandmate, thanked him for his help and went into the living room where my other three kids were sitting. The boys looked a little bored as Marvel danced to Frozen, but they were being tolerant because they all knew why we'd gone to the hospital and Marvel needed the distraction.

"Kids," I said.  Bronx turned off the movie.

"Hey!" Marvel said. "I'm watching Frozen!"

Then she saw me in the living room doorway.

"Dad? How was the appointment?  How's Jaime?" Saint asked.

I sat in front of them on the coffee table, and picked up Marvel.

"Jaime okay, Daddy?" Marvel asked.

"Well, yes. Jaime is okay. The scans showed there is no sign of cancer. The margins where his tumour was are clean, there's no sign of any cancer anywhere else in his body."

Saint and Bronx cheered. Marvel clapped.

"Jaime no sick no more?" She asked.

"Well, we aren't 100% sure, so he'll still take some medicine but he doesn't need anymore chemo right now. The doctor will check him again in six months."

"What about his headaches?" Bronx asked.

"The doctor thinks stress but told us to keep an eye on things and see what's happening around the time he gets headaches.

So I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight to celebrate Jaime's good news."

"Yeah!" All three kids cheered.

"Great. I'm going to go talk to your brother. He got some not so good news about a friend," I said.

"Who?" Bronx asked.

"Ethan, the nine year old he met in chemo?"

"Oh, yeah," Bronx laughed. "His new best friend."

Bronx's face fell when he saw my face and the serious expression I had.

"Ethan isn't responding to the chemo. He's not doing well and he needs a bone marrow transplant. Jaime's upset because for one, Ethan is nine and as Jaime says, he's too young to be facing this. And he's upset because since he's had chemo, he can't donate so he can't even be tested."

"Can I?" Bronx asked.

"And me?" Saint asked.

"An' me?" Marvel asked.

"You, missy, I'm afraid are too young. Bronx, I think you can be, Saint, I'll have to look into it. I don't know the age limit."

The kids nodded. I smiled.

"You guys are amazing. You don't even know Ethan."

"But Jaime does. And they're both in similar situations. I would do anything I could to help Jaime beat cancer. Why not a kid he got to know who isn't even ten yet?" Bronx said.

"Well said, Bronx," I said.

I hugged all my kids and then went up to Jaime's room.

"Hey," I said, opening his door after I knocked, and peered into his room. Jaime was lying on his bed. Clothes were all over the floor. "You need to clean this up, son."

"Yeah. I will," he said.

"How are you doing?" I asked him. He sighed, put his phone on his chest and looked at me.

"I'm not sure," he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, obviously I'm happy my cancer seems to be gone. But I'm worried about Ethan. I think things are worse than his mother let on. I don't know if a bone marrow transplant is even worth it. He really looked bad, Dad."

Tears appeared in his eyes.

"Dad, he's only nine. he's too young."

I hugged Jaime. There wasn't anything I could say that made this even remotely okay. He was right. Ethan is nine. Jaime is almost sixteen. If I thought he was too young, Ethan was definitely too young to lose.

"Look, I am willing to do whatever we can to help out. We can do bone marrow drives, your brothers and Joe asked to be tested. I know you're worried about him, and I don't want to tell you not to, or tell you to focus solely on yourself. But I am going to say, you've had a hell of a time and I'd like you to try to focus on your positives some, too. Okay?"

Jaime nodded.

Little did we know what the coming week was about to bring.