The Bucket List - Prologue
Inspired by the true story of Eileidh Paterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEoTHJMJME
Contains some upsetting themes
Cancer. The largest, most viscous child killer. It will strike without warning, leaving its bewildered victims to live and grieve through the consequences. Some have not hindered the effect of cancer but most have never done anything wrong...
"It's not like last time sweetie, you won't have to do any tests or go near any machines, I promise. The doctor, remember him from last time?"
Mikaela nods but still looks up at her mother with watery, fearful eyes.
"He just wants to have a chat, see how your doing and if anything's wrong, he can fix it. Okay?"
Mikaela nodded again but Lou knew that these words were mainly to reassure herself.
The receptionist came to the front of the desk and began collecting details. She asked for name, date of birth, who their doctor was etc.
Mikaela nuzzled her head into Lou, it made her feel safe and protected from the world, mainly the waiting room. It had always seemed like a terrifying place to be. Towering bookshelves that to her looked like skyscrapers. Models of skeletons sneering and staring down at her.
"Take a seat, he should be ready to see you in a few minutes."
Lou turned and began to walk towards the sofas, Damon was already there waiting. She sat down next to him, balancing Mikaela on her knee. The two pecked each other on the cheek briefly before Lou turned her attention back to Mikaela.
"Why don't you go and play with some of the toys over there?" She asked.
"We won't go anywhere." promised Damon.
Reluctantly, Mikaela allowed herself to be placed back down on the floor where she began to wander over to the toy box.
Once she was out of earshot, Lou grasped Damon's hand, anxious.
"What if it's something really bad. What if it can't be fixed?" She stuttered, stumbling over her words.
"What if it's not?" Damon replied simply.
"If it wasn't, they wouldn't have done so many tests, they wouldn't have called us back in this early."
"Look at me babe."
Lou finally looked up from her shaking hands into her husband's face.
"Now look at our daughter, our wonderful perfect daughter..."
They both looked at Mikaela playing contentedly on the floor.
"Yeah..." said Lou hopefully.
"She's happy, she's healthy. She's not overweight, she's not underweight. There's no reason for anything to be wrong. We're both healthy as well."
"But-"
"Mikaela Anderson." said a voice that had become far too familiar recently. He sounded worried.
Damon's phone buzzed in his pocket, he got it out whilst Lou went to pick up Mikaela.
"You go in with Mikaela, I need to answer this."
"Who's it from?" replied Lou defensively
With a sigh Damon said, "Sophie..."
Lou gave him a cold stare as she mumbled an 'okay'.
Lou and Mikaela went into the doctor's room, while Damon stayed outside.
He opened messages and read what Sophie had sent.
'Hey Dad. Sorry to hear about Mikaela, I desperately hope everything's okay. Keep me posted and I want you to know that I would jump on the next plane back home if there was anything wrong. Even though she's only my half sister, I love her so much and want to make sure she's okay. Give my love to her and Lou for me.
x'
Damon couldn't help but think how lucky he was that his daughter was so accepting of Mikaela. Any hatred between the 2 would be understood; Damon did leave Sophie's mother for Lou. When Sophie moved back in with him after her mother's death she exceeded his expectations, showing so much love towards Mikaela that you would have thought they were true sisters. Even now that she's off travelling, she still asks for weekly updates on Mikaela and occasionally videochats with her. Lou is still wary of Sophie but is starting to understand that Sophie poses no threat to Mikaela.
'Hi Soph, just about to head into the doctor's room to hear the results. Will make sure to text you later with news - good or bad.'
Damon put his phone back into his pocket and opened the door to the doctors room. Both Lou and Mikaela turned to look at him as he closed the door and sat down. Dr. Peterson had gone to the back room to collect some graphs about Mikaela.
"How's Sophie?" asked Lou trying to smile.
"She's fine, she just wanted to check to see if we had hear anything back about Mikaela."
"Well, we're about to." Lou laughed nervously but a tear was waiting pounce on her eye lid.
"Lou remember what I told you, I'm sure there's nothing wrong and if there is,"
Damon smiled.
"The doctors can fix it and we can be strong for Mikaela"
Lou wiped the tear from her eye as Dr. Peterson walked in, a sad smile spread across his face...
~
Lou nudged Mikaela's bedroom door with her elbow, gently easing it open. She carried Mikaela to her bed and sat down with her on the edge.
"Did you understand what the doctor was talking about this afternoon?" Lou asked cautiously.
"A bit..." replied Mikaela
"What don't you understand?"
Mikaela thought for a minute, making a 'hmm' sound before answering, "That bit about the cells, whatever they are"
Lou was relieved that that was her question.
"Cells are these little tiny circles that are inside of you. They make up your organs like your heart and they are also in your blood."
"I think I get it"
"What Dr. Peterson was saying was that one of those cells is what we call 'cancerous'"
This was going to be harder than she thought.
"Right, lets imagine that all of those cells are good..."
Mikaela nodded.
"But one or two of them are really naughty. The naughty cells have started to make the good cells naughty as well. The doctor is going to try and make you better by getting rid of all the naughty cells so that just the good ones are left..."
Lou took a deep breath to steady herself.
"What are they going to do to fix me?" Mikaela said
Lou struggled to stay strong for her daughter. She hated hearing her say that there was something 'wrong' with her that had to be fixed.
"Your going to have to go into hospital for a while and do something called chemotherapy and if that works then you'll start to get better. Then they'll have to do some more stuff after that..."
Mikaela nodded but her eyes seemed distant.
"What's wrong sweetie?" pressed Lou.
A moment of silence swept over the two until Mikaela answered and Lou was herself silenced.
"Will I die?"
Her question seemed so simple and innocent but the storm of painful emotions behind it could not be ignored. Lou searched her mind for an appropriate answer. She couldn't deny it but she didn't want Mikaela to feel like her days were numbered.
'Don't cry, don't cry' she told herself. Pushing back the sadness only brought forward the confusion and doubt.
"I wish I knew Mikaela." she decided, "We can only hope."
~
Click the links below to help other children with cancer and their families and help find the cure
http://www.cclg.org.uk/
Children's Cancer And Leukemia Group
https://www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk/
Children With Cancer UK
