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theamd426 · 1 year

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Potential JATP WIP. Working title is Together I Think That We Can Make It.

Basically in this fic Reggie is a foster kid who get's diagnosed with Leukemia over summer break. Victoria works in the cancer ward at the LA Children's hospital, and will eventually try and persuade Ray to take him in once he gets out of the hospital.

This is a WIP fic, and I want to wait until it's completely done to post on AO3, but I'd love some feedback so far. Also if you're interested in being a beta reader let me know!

Reggie sighed as the elevator rang, reaching the 5th floor. The doors opened and he was quickly wheeled inside the cancer ward at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Reggie’s caseworker, Todd gave him a comforting smile as one of the nurses wheeled Reggie into the ward.

“It doesn’t seem so bad here,” Todd said as Nurse Victoria wheeled Reggie into his room.

The room itself still looked like a hospital room, but it wasn’t completely bare and sterile. The walls were painted a nice crisp white, and there were built in wood cabinets surrounding a big tv that helped give the room some warmth. Right under the window there was a small seating area with an arm chair and a green couch, that most likely turned into a pullout bed in case a patients family slept over.

“You can decorate however you like,” Victoria said, with a smile. “With discretion I might add. This is still a children’s ward. So please no pictures of drugs or naked girls.”

“Not even if they’re scientific,” Reggie said, bitterly.

Todd gave nudged Reggie’s shoulder and whispered in his ear.

“Watch your attitude please,” he said, slightly annoyed.

“Sorry,” Reggie mumbled. “You don’t have to worry about me. I don’t really have anything to decorate with.”

Victoria gave Reggie a sad smile, knowing his situation. She knew first hand how hard it is to witness a family member go through cancer, and she witnessed countless kids and their families fight everyday, but she never imagined how hard it would be to fight this battle as a kid with absolutely no one in your corner.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, trying to not act upset about what Todd said to Reggie.

He was a foster kid who had just been abandoned by his last foster placement and was now getting treated for cancer. He had every right to be bitter and upset.

Todd set Reggie’s trash bag of belongings on the floor next to his bed. He then turned to Victoria and gave her a fake smile.

“Is there anything I need to sign before you get started with his treatment?” He asked, glancing down at his watch.

“No, I think we’re good. We’ve already gone over his treatment plan with you guys and we will contact you again if anything changes.”

Todd nodded his head and pulled out his phone to check his text messages. After sending a couple of texts, he put his phone away and gave Reggie a very fake smile.

“Okay, well you have my number if you need anything,” he said, before turning and walking out of the hospital.

“Too bad I don’t have a phone,” Reggie said, plopping down on his bed.

“I’m going to go grab you a hospital gown and then we’re going to get you ready to get your port,” Victoria said, trying to lighten the mood. “When was the last time you had anything to eat or drink?"

"I got a take home lunch yesterday at school, and I had some water last night around eight thirty," he said.

"You didn't eat dinner" Victoria asked kind of shocked.

Reggie just shook his head and started to remove his worn-out converse. If he was going to be stuck in this ward for the next few months while he went through chemo then he was at least going to be comfortable.

Victoria looked over the skinny teenager and realized he was probably starving, that combined with his worn-out clothes led her to think that he was possibly neglected in his last placement.

"Okay, then after we insert your port I’ll bring you anything you want from the HBO café downstairs,” she said handing him the menu that was on the dresser. "Dr. Isaac said you don't need to go on a neutropenic diet just yet, so if I were you I'd take advantage of the greasy options now."

“Thanks,” Reggie said, taking a deep breath out.

Victoria paused for a moment before reaching for the trash bag on the floor.

“We need to wash your clothes to make sure that everything is sterile,” She said, sympathetically. “Do you have anything in that bag that doesn’t need to be washed - photos, trinkets, or books maybe?

“No,” Reggie shrugged. “It’s all Goodwill clothes.”

“Okay then,” Victoria said picking up the trash bag. "Dumb question, but do you want the bag back?”

“Will you guys give me something to put my clothes in when I leave?”

“Yes, of course,” Victoria said, trying not to tear up.

"Then yeah go ahead and toss it. I've been using that bag for a about a year anyway."

Victoria picked up all of Reggie’s belongings and brought it over to laundry management. She tried her best to keep her composure until she was completely alone. She knew good and well that she was about to start several jars in the break room to raise money to not only buy Reggie a damn suitcase, but to also get him some decent clothes and decorations.

Victoria was going to be damned if this kid survived cancer and had to leave with all of his belongings inside of a plastic hospital bag.

As Victoria was off getting everything ready for Reggie to receive his port, Reggie laid back on his hospital bed and did his best to fight back his tears. All he wanted at the moment was for his two best friends to come and be with him. But it was the first day of Summer break, and Reggie didn’t have the heart to tell either of his friends that he was diagnosed with Cancer, and now he didn’t know if how he’d be able to reach out to them without a phone or tablet. Basically he was stuck watching cable all day long.

Maybe Alex was right. Maybe they shouldn’t have forged his foster parents signature so that Reggie could donate blood.

****

“I’m not doing it,” Alex, Reggie’s best friend and bandmate, said after throwing away his blood drive form.

“But you and Luke haven’t even done it,” Reggie said, looking back and forth between Alex and Luke, Reggie’s other best friend and bandmate. “You guys haven’t done it yet right?”

“No, we haven’t had sex yet,” Alex said, rolling his eyes as he playfully pushed Reggie. “But, it’s complete bullshit that we’d be banned for life the second we do. It’s homophobic.”

Reggie sighed knowing this was going to mean he’d be giving blood alone. Luke was terrified of needles and Alex was apparently now protesting the matter.

“I don’t know,” Reggie said, sadly. “I kind of wanted to know my blood type.”

Alex’s face softened. He knew Reggie didn’t know much about his genetics. His birth parents gave him up for adoption when he was a baby, and then when he was 10 his adoptive parents dissolved his adoption. The now 16-year-old has had 13 foster placements ever since.

“You should still do it then,” Alex said, nudging Reggie’s shoulder. “We probably wouldn’t be scheduled for the same class period anyway.”

“I don’t know,” Reggie said shrugging his shoulder. “I doubt Caleb would even sign the permission form.”

“Who says he has to sign it?” Luke said, smirking.

“No, no, no!” Alex said, stopping in the middle of the hallway. “Do you know how much trouble he would get into if he forged his foster dad’s signature?”

“I don’t know,” Reggie said, shrugging his shoulders. “Worst case scenario, he kicks me out. Which, might I add, will probably happen in the next month or so anyway.”

Alex sighed and shook his head.

“I’m still totally against this plan and if anyone asks, I had nothing to do with this.”

“Yeah, but out of the three of us, you have the best handwriting,” Luke pointed out.

“Please,” Reggie begged. “I may not get this chance again until I’m 18.”

“Bobby has way better handwriting then I do,” Alex said, pouting. “Just ask him tonight at band practice.”

“He has to go to his brother’s softball game tonight,” Reggie reminded him. “And the permission form is due tomorrow.”

“Stupid private school,” Luke grumbled. “It’s not fair that he get’s to go to Los Feliz and we don’t.”

“To be fair, my parents offered to send me to Los Feliz, but I wouldn’t dare to leave you idiots alone,” Alex said, smirking.

“I uh… I actually was offered a scholarship,” Reggie said, blushing. “But I won’t be able to go unless they can find a foster home closer to the school.”

“Your joking?” Alex said, shocked.

Reggie shook his head.

"It's not going to happen though," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Los Feliz is full of rich families. They don't foster, and if they do, then they're just doing it so they can get a baby with no trauma."

"So your stuck here with me?" Luke said hopeful that his two best friends weren't leaving him behind.

"Yeah, your not getting rid us that easy," Reggie said with a smile. He then turned to Alex and gave him his best puppy dog eyes. "Please? For a kid who doesn't know where he came from?"

“Fine,” Alex grumbled. “I’m going to kill both of you if we get caught though.”

“Dude relax,” Reggie said, smiling. “We’re not going to get caught.”

****

Reggie felt unusually tired the day of the blood drive, and he couldn’t figure out why especially since nothing in his routine had changed in the past couple of days. He did go to bed a little later than he usually did since his foster father Caleb caught him coming in after curfew. He spent the better half of the night listening to his foster father yell and berate him before locking him in his bedroom. It was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before, so he couldn’t understand why he was so exhausted.

“You look tired,” Alex said, leaning on the locker beside Reggie’s.

“Caleb was in a big mood last night,” Reggie said, yawning. “I’m probably getting moved after we finish exams.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, sympathetically. “Maybe your next placement will be better?”

Reggie slammed his locker shut and shrugged his shoulders. He had been moved so much lately that it didn’t really bother him.

“I doubt it,” he said, walking to class. “No one voluntarily takes in teenagers, especially ones who have been rehomed.”

Alex bit his lip, he wanted to ask his parents if they could take in Reggie, but he knew Reggie was openly bi and he didn’t want to subject Reggie to their homophobia. It was already bad enough hiding his own relationship with his parents, he didn’t want to force Reggie to do the same if he found someone he really liked.

As the two got closer to their first period pre-calculus class, Alex perked up and immediately started to reach in his book bag.

“I almost forgot,” Alex said, pulling out a breakfast sandwich. “My mom said that you should never give blood on an empty stomach.”

“You told your mom I was giving blood?” Reggie asked.

“Well… not exactly,” Alex said, blushing. “My dad gave blood for our church’s blood drive last month and my mom made a big scene about him eating a big breakfast that morning.”

“You do know I get free breakfast and lunch right?” Reggie asked, furrowing his brows.

“Yeah, but school food sucks,” Alex said, shivering at the thought. “I honestly don’t know how you and Luke eat it everyday.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Luke eat worse,” Reggie said, giggling. “Last weekend I saw him put mashed potatoes on a waffle. It was disgusting.”

“Yeah, that checks out,” Alex agreed. “I still don’t know how you do it though.”

Reggie just shrugged his shoulders and took a bite out of the breakfast sandwich Alex gave him.

“I don’t know… I guess when the alternative is not eating you kind of just get over the taste.”

Alex looked at Reggie with sad eyes as the two walked into class and took a seat at their desks. Reggie quickly finished his sandwich and started to open his worn-out notebook.

****

Reggie was scheduled to give blood right at the beginning of 3rd period, which means he was missing music with Alex and Luke. Luke wished Reggie good luck at the end of chemistry, and Reggie made Luke promise to grab a review packet for him for their final next week. He didn’t have access to private music lessons like Luke or Alex, so music class was the only chance he had to learn theory.

When Reggie arrived in the gym for the blood drive there weren’t as many students as he imagined. Most of the students were volunteering for the blood drive for their nursing classes. He assumed that more students would be willing to donate, but the gym was practically empty, meaning that they will probably stop doing blood drives next year.

Once he was at the front of the line to check in, one of the nursing students took his permission slip, that Alex did a pretty good job forging, and started to take his vitals. Reggie was a bit worried that he wouldn’t pass the weight requirement, since he hadn’t been eating as much as he normally does. His weight did drop, but he was still above the required weight and height for donating blood so he was let through.

After his passing his initial check up, Reggie was finally brought over to the area where students were waiting to get poked. Reggie waited five minutes and was then escorted to a chair.

His nurse, Gloria, gave him a big smile as she started looking for veins. Once she was sure she found a good vein she told Reggie to relax his arm and turn his head so he didn’t have to look at the needle going into his arm. But Reggie didn’t. Instead, Reggie just stared at his arm as the needle went in.

“Wow, you didn’t flinch at all,” Gloria said as she taped Reggie up.

“It’s not the worst pain I’ve been in,” he said with a smirk.

Gloria gave him a sad smile and handed him a stress ball. Reggie started to squeeze the ball allowing his blood to come out quicker.

“Okay, I’ll be back to check on you in a bit,” Gloria said, taking her gloves off. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“I’ll try not too,” Reggie said, sarcastically.

Reggie gently squeezed the stress ball, but after a few minutes of squeezing his hands started tingling, his limbs started to feel heavy, and he started to feel really tired. He blinked for a bit and did his absolute best to keep his eyes open and stay awake.

“Come on,” he said, focusing on his blinking. “You can fall asleep when you get home. Don’t cause a problem.”

Reggie’s eyes continued to flutter for a few moments longer before he couldn’t feel anything and everything went completely black.

****

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

Reggie groggily opened his eyes to the steady sound of a heart rate monitor letting everyone know that he was still alive.

He looked around the room and saw dozens of nurses and doctors walking around the ER triage center as they assessed different patients. He looked around the room and furrowed his brows when he saw pictures of kittens and clowns on the wall. The sound of a toddler crying only solidified his hypothesis. He was in the ER at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Reggie groaned and started looking for a way to quietly remove the wires that were hooked up to him. Butt after one accidental bad move, the monitors went off and an ER Nurse came rushing in. She looked over him for a minute before giving him a comforting smile.

“It’s good to have you back in the land of the living,” the nurse said as he started to check Reggie’s vitals. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine,” Reggie said, rubbing his eyes. “What happened?”

“You passed out at a blood drive,” he said, seriously. “Do you know what happened? Did you just forget to eat maybe?”

Reggie shook his head, he had devoured that breakfast sandwich the moment Alex gave it to him, and he snagged a blueberry muffin from the cafeteria. He should have been fine.

“Okay, well we’re testing your blood right now just to be safe,” he said, gently. “Your school gave us your dad’s number but he didn’t pick up. Is there anyone else we can call?”

Reggie sighed as he bit his lip. He knew his social worker Todd was going to have to find out about him being in the hospital. He just didn’t want to hear the lecture that would surely come from it.

“818-555-0149… that’s my case worker’s number. His name is Todd,” Reggie said, biting his lip.

“Oh,” the nurse said, quietly. “I’ll um… I’ll call him right now.”

Reggie nodded his head as he curled up further in his hospital bed. Nurses and doctors all around him were ignoring him as they all went about their jobs.

As he sat there alone, he started to get flashbacks to when he was 10 and he was abandoned in this very ER after his appendix burst. He thought his parents left to go fill out paperwork for his surgery, but after a few hours, they never came back. The hospital called their names several times over the intercom, but nobody ever came.

That was the day Reggie found out that he wasn't biologically related to his parents. He was adopted, and they didn't want him anymore.

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