Poppy's PoV

Prepping the medics box just in case, I quickly closed the case and grabbed the handle, carrying it with me to keep backstage for any emergencies. I could hear the opening band playing their final song, getting the crowd hyped for 5 seconds of summer to come out and do their set within a few minutes. For some reason, this time it made me feel nervous. This would be the last set I'd hear properly before I went in for my surgery. This was going to be my last nursing job with this damned cancer in my throat. Soon, and hopefully following the surgery, I would be cancer free and able to get back into my normal rhythm. I let out a shaky breath as I headed to the stage wings, noting the four men jumping around and messing about as they got ready to perform.

"Poppy!" Michael was the first to notice me and let out a little wave, attracting the rest of the band. Reluctantly, I headed over to them and let out a weak smile, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with the news I'd received earlier and just how soon everything was going to change. "Poppy? Are you okay?" Michael pressed, his eyebrows furrowing with worry as soon as he saw my face. My grip on the handle of the medics kit tightened until my knuckles went white. My chest tightened. My breathing became erratic. I was having surgery in a few days. I had cancer. What if it didn't work? What if I had to have the other treatment? Would I have to stay in a country I didn't know by myself while the guys toured? What if the cancer had spread to other places? What if I was going to die? Before I knew it I was panicking, my body barely able to catch a breath as I dropped the medical kit and put my hands on my knees, desperate to calm down and take some deep breaths in.

"Can't. Breathe." I panicked, gripping my trouser material in my hands as I struggled for breath, suffocating on the words that were killing my mind.

"Poppy!" Calum rushed over, enveloping me in a hug without asking a question. The mere touch of him, the smell of his cologne and the feel of his body beside mine was enough to spark me back to life. "Babe, what's wrong? Talk to me. Is it to do with the appointment?" I finally managed my first deep breath in and out, Calum's voice soothing me like nothing else. I nodded. "Whatever it is, it'll be okay. We'll manage together and I'll be beside you through the whole thing." This time I shook my head, finally feeling like I was on the road to normality again. It was amazing what affect one person had on me.

"That's the thing..." I said, my breathing slowly recovering. I closed my eyes for a second to regain composure before I spoke to the band.

"And now, the guys you've been waiting for. We give you Calum, Ashton, Luke and Michael. 5 seconds of summer!" The band called out, the crowd going wild as Calum looked at me with widened eyes.

"It's okay, we'll talk later." I smiled, putting a hand on his arm. "Go and kill it out there." He looked hesitant, like he didn't want to leave without knowing what I was going to say but also knew he had to.

"Straight after. Meet me in the dressing room. I love you." He leant over and kissed me softly. I placed a hand on his cheek as we kissed longingly one last time.

"I love you." I said quickly as the band ran out, the crowd erupting and raising the roof on the arena. I sighed softly, knowing that was yet another bad conversation I'd have to have with Calum. He have to tour and perform whilst I was having surgery and recovering, not able to spend the time with me that he'd kept promising. I didn't mind, I'd come to terms with it now, but I knew Calum would beat himself up about it.

*
The concert was well underway and everyone was having a great time - even I had put away my thoughts to enjoy a bit of the music whilst I hovered about backstage. It was only when a staff member skidded round the corner and nearly ran into me with fear in their eyes I knew that someone wasn't as good as I'd thought.

"Poppy, thank God. A child is hurt, we need some help." He grabbed my hand and ran, not even bothering to let me walk myself to the scene as he yanked me along. Standing outside one of the doors to the pit, a young girl and her older sister stood looking worried. The young girl was crying, her arm pulled up against her chest as her sister tried to calm her down to no avail. I could tell straight away that the cry was one of pain and knew whatever had happened to her arm wasn't good. The staff member practically flung me in their direction and both of them looked at me with wide eyes and jaws to the floor as they took me in.

"Hey you two. I'm-" I began, but was interrupted quickly.

"Oh my God it's Poppy!" The elder sibling said with an excited smile on her face. "We're meeting Poppy!!" She jumped up and down a little. I waved at them as I got closer, kneeling beside the smaller child. Instantly, she pulled her arm closer to herself and moved away from me.

"Now, how's this for a deal. If I can look at your arm and see what's happened... maybe, just maybe I can get you some backstage time with the guys? What do you say?" I said, trying to gain the trust of the girl. Her sister was excitably shouting that her sister should agree and reluctantly, but finally, the small girl nodded. "Brilliant, thank you. What's your name?"

"Patience. My sister is called Grace."

"Well, Patience and Grace, it's lovely to meet you both." I said with a sweet smile, slowly moving my hands closer to her bent in arm. Whatever had happened, I needed to check it and there was only one way I could think that would be enough to help her. "Now, to take your mind off it. Why don't you tell me your favourite things to do with 5sos?"