Bridget's POV

Is it a school day? Yes. Has Natalie called between every single passing period to see why I'm gone? Yes. Have I answered? No.

I'm allowed to play hookie today. The twins called it lame, and went right on to school. But they don't get it. They soooo don't get it.

I wouldn't be able to do school. Between Lacy's relapse and Gen leaving, heck even Ben's marriage is adding another layer of emotion that I'm not sure I can handle right now.

I'm heading to see Lacy this morning. I haven't decided whether I'll tell her about Gen leaving... She'll find out at some point but... I don't think I can bring myself to break her little heart after she'd just been dumped into a hospital bed again.

I slouch through the all too familiar doors immeadteialy realized I've managed to walk on during Luke's shift; which I'm actually really grateful for.

"Hey, kid!" he calls as I make my way up to the front desk.

I try not to be a grouch and offer him a smile.

"You skip school just so you could visit during my shift?" he teases.

I roll my eyes and sarcastically drone, "Yeeeesss, Luke."

He chuckles and begins to do the usual signing in process for me, without me having to say a word.

When he's done he looks back up and plops the pen down on the desk, suddenly getting serious.

"Uhhhh... Look kid..." he starts carefully.

"Did you hear the results of all the tests?" I ask anxiously.

His eyes narrow in confusion as he says, "Have they not already called your parents about all that?"

I scrunch up my forehead in thought as I slowly shake my head.

"No... Not that I've heard..."

"Well, crap," he mumbles, causing my anxiety to spike.

"Why??" I demand. "Is it bad?"

"Oh no!" he replies quickly. Then quietly mumbles, "I mean... Yeah, kinda..."

When he sees the look I give him, he tries again with, "Ok look, Bridget, what I'm trying to say is... It's complicated. Even the doctors are confused. The cancer's acting weird but..."

"What?" I say, shaking my head.

"It's confusing. But there's plenty of hope left. Sorry we haven't called, stuffs been... Hard..."

I watch him worriedly, wondering what he means and assuming he'll go on. But he just stares at nothing for a while, before snapping back to the present and saying, "Well, go on, go see Lacy. Just be very gentle and approach her... Mildly. She's had a rough couple of days."

I open my mouth to ask what happened exactly, but clamp it shut again as he nervously waves me off. I take a couple steps back before whirling around and heading to Lacy's all too familiar hospital room.

"Lacy?" I call softly with a little push of the door.

When I see her tiny body, I gasp and have to refrain from running right back out of the room.

She's lying on the bed, eyes open but wet with tears. Numerous tubes have been stuck into her fragile arms and legs and even her chest.

A lump rises in my throat as she turns her head and smiles at me despite everything.

"Hey," I whisper through the lump in my throat.

"Bridgey," she croaks, reaching out her arms while gently clenching and unclenching her fists.

I smile as much as I can and run my hand through the hair that got the chance to grow during the months she was free of this monster inside her.

She grabs my my arm and starts stroking it.

"How are you?" I ask tenderly.

Her smile falters a little and she shrugs. "I'm ok... Is Gen gonna be here too? I need to talk to her bout something important."

I swallow hard and sniff back the urge to cry. She's brought it up so I have to move forward now... Why do I have to give her the news? And why when she's already hurting so much?

"Um, Honey, I don't know if... Well... Gen's probably not going to... Be able to see you for a while."

She lowers her hand from my arm and shifts around on her back a little. "Why?" she asks, her eyes begging for answers.

"I..." I swallow again but the lump just keeps coming back.

I try to look back on the day she told us she'd be leaving. I search for answers in the vague clues she gave, but I can't find much of anything.

"Ya know Lacy, Gen... Gen's been through a lot of stuff we don't know about and..." I try swallowing again and realize, there is one thing I picked up the day she left.

"I think she's scared, Honey," I whisper.

Lacy's eyebrows twitch in a confused way that makes my heart ache even more than it already is.

"Scared, yes," a voice from behind me says.

I whip my head around faster than I think I ever have in my life.

"And maybe a little selfish too," the girl says with a sorry laugh.

I can practically hear Lacy's smile grow.

"Genny!" she says.

I let out a single relieved laugh and for a second I'm glued to where I am.

But it doesn't take long for me to end up giving Gen a bear hug.

I let go and look her up and down, my heart not sure whether to be overjoyed or angry or... What.

"Wha-? I mean why-?" I stammer, shaking my head.

She lets out a laugh again and looks at the floor.

"It's... Well... I need to talk to you later but first-"

I furrow my eyebrows as she walks past me to go see Lacy. I need to talk to you later? I think.

Then I simply shrug and turn around.

"Genny..." Lacy's says, suddenly sounding on the verge of tears.

"Genny, Lily died this morning," she whimpers, more mournful than I've ever heard her sound.

Lily?

"Oh... No-"

Gen turns to me and we lock eyes for a split second before she's back to Lacy, who is letting the tears roll freely by now.

I bite my tongue until I can taste blood and barely whisper, "Who's Lily?"

Gen looks over her shoulder. "She was one of the other patients her," she informs me sadly as she rubs Lacy's hand with her thumb.

There's a long pause before I say, "Oh."

Luke's awkward stuttering earlier suddenly makes sense. They lost one patient and another relapsed....

Stuff's been... Hard.

Yeah, it has been, I think as another piece of me falls apart with every uneven breath Lacy takes. The tears finally get their way and escape over my eyelids and begin running down my cheeks.

"Should- I... Let you guys talk?" I ask, already halfway out the door.

"Oh, Bridge, no, come on, we can all-" Gen insists, a streamline of tears already forming in her cheeks.

"It's ok. I'll give you two a couple minutes of one on one and then we can all talk. It'll be good."

"Bridget-" Gen protests.

But I'm already halfway to the waiting room, trying to gather my emotions up along the way.