Lucas has cancer.

prompt from a Quotev user, OLIVE REBECCA

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"Doctor, please don't sugar coat this. What's wrong with Lucas?" Maria clutched Lucas's hand like a lifeline. The doctor grimaced. "God, I hate the part of this job... Um... based upon the results I have been sent... it seems that Lucas has residue water in his lungs... which has become infected." The doctor was now wringing his hands. "And..?" Maria prompted. The doctor sighed, "Lucas has a rare form of lung cancer."

~

3 weeks later, Maria and Henry were in the hospital, looking at Lucas's lung scans. "Here is a picture of my lungs." The doctor spoke, pointing to a picture of healthy looking lungs. "This is the main part of the lung, where the gas exchange happens." He pointed to another part of the lungs... kind of a chamber thing. Maria hummed and Henry nodded. "This bit," the doctor paused for a second to zoom in on the image, "is the lung walls. As we age, the walls become thinner which allows the older people to become more susceptible to lung illnesses... like, pneumonia." Maria and Henry repeated their earlier gestures. The doctor cleared his throat, "Lucas is a rare form... his cancer is within is lung-walls. There have only been 2 recorded cases of this in medical history, globally." Henry blinked. "What can you do about it? Like, how do you treat it?" The doctor rubbed his neck, "See... there is no cure. All we can do is try to see which type of lung cancer it is most similar to and use those treatments. At the minute, this lung cancer is very similar to pneumonia. So, until we can get the correct medicine to use, we are using the treatment for pneumonia. It seems to be reducing his coughing, but it isn't slowing the infection. Currently, it is contained within his lungs. That's obviously not a good thing, but it means its not in his blood stream." Maria wiped her eyes, "When will it reach his blood stream?" The doctor removed his glasses, "It's unable to tell. But, there are signs that give it away. I'll print them off now. And some easy home prevention's to viruses."

~

When Maria and Henry got home, the boys were at Maria's parents house for the day. "I suppose we should have a look at the leaflet...." Henry said. They opened it up and began to read it.

Signs your illness is progressing outside of the lungs.

1) A pain that "shoots" from the chest to the heart.

2) Uncontrollable coughing.

3) Coughing splatters of blood

4) Coughing up dark red/black blood.

How to avoid any viruses when you have a lung illness.

1) Keep inside as much as possible.

2) If you want to go outside, make sure your chest stays warm and protected

3) Wear a mask over your mouth.

4)If you're eating out, check with your hospital first.

5) If you are a child or a student in education, have the work sent home.

6) Avoid going anywhere with water. (swimming pools, etc.)

~

Maria covered her mouth... "That means he can't go out... poor thing."

When the boys came back that evening, Henry could tell something was wrong with Lucas. He kept scratching at his chest and breathing heavily. "Lucas?" Lucas turned to look at him and Henry was a bit surprised that he looked so pale. "What's wrong? And no lying, either." Lucas sighed but ended up grabbing his chest again. "My chest hurts and my throat hurts." Henry frowned, "Why does your throat hurt?" Lucas sniffed, "'cause I've been coughing all day." Henry called for Maria. "Lucas, this is very important.... have you coughed up any blood today?"

"Yeah, a little bit. Why?"

~~~~~

The hospital admitted him near enough straight away. They did an ultra-sound on his chest and found out that the coughing had caused him to burst his already fragile lung walls and the bacteria had gone into his blood stream. The doctor came in to deliver the news. "I'm afraid, now that it has gone into his blood... he has... I would say... less than 2 months. All we can do now is make him comfortable. If he vomits any blood, then ring 999 immediately."

~~

They kept him in for 3 days, then they sent him home. It was only a few weeks after that did he have to go in again. Lucas, the morning of, said he didn't feel well. Maria said that he didn't have to do his schoolwork for that day then. Lucas laid on the sofa all day, only getting up when he needed the bathroom. "Mum... I feel sick..." Maria brought in a bucket and said if he needed to be sick, then to use the bucket because she would be doing her work in the kitchen. It was only maybe 10 minutes later when Lucas's voice rang through from the front room. "Uh... mum... I think you should come and look at this..." Maria saved her work and closed her computer before walking through to the living room. "What's up?" He pointed to the bucket and Maria frowned in disgust before leaning over and saw what was in there.

Blood.

"Ok, honey stay calm. I'm gonna call dad and then we're gonna go to the hospital."

~~~

Lucas was laid up in the hospital bed before Henry got there. When he did, he pushed Lucas's hair out of his face and whispered, "How're you feeling, champ?" Lucas just sighed.

That was the general response they received for 3 weeks.

Maria and Henry stayed the night with him 22 days later while Thomas and Simon stayed with Henry's mother after spending the whole day with Lucas. Lucas asked them to say their goodbyes just in case he was "moved" overnight.

He asked them that everytime they visited.

Maria was sat with her head in her arms at the foot of his bed on his right side, holding his hand.

Henry was to, but on the left side.

Maria was awake enough to feel his grip in her hand, but still dozing. She stayed that way until Lucas's grip slackened. Maria squeezed his hand in an effort to make his grip tighten. Maria opened her eyes and saw Lucas's mouth slightly open and his chest not moving. "Henry?" Henry moaned but woke. He saw the situation and began to shake Lucas while Maria began listening for a pulse...

She found none.

"NURSE?! NURSE!!!" Maria screamed as tears pooled in her eyes and raced down her face.

Nothing would work though, for there was no heart beating.

Lucas Bennet had passed away in the night.