Bradley Krasner (_kissthecook) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2010-03-30 15:26:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009-07-08, bradley, eva |
God gives us hope, but we still fear what we don't know
Who: Eva and Bradley
Where: Bradley's house
When: Afternoon
Being tired after her outing for a smoothie and meeting Isaiah, Eva changed into some comfy clothes, grabbed her pillow and Olivia and curled up on the sofa for a quick nap. Once she woke up, she knew it was time to tell her father about her cancer. She'd put it off for too long already. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, dreading having that conversation. Still a bit sleepy, she grabbed her pillow, hugging it to her and padded outside where Bradley was working in his garden. Olivia trotted after her, giving her silent encouragement.
"Dad?" That word still sounded weird coming out of her mouth. She was slowly getting used to it, but it would take some time she knew. "Can you come inside? I need to talk to you about something." One hand drifted down and tangled in the hair on top of Olivia's head. The dog pushed her nose into Eva's leg. It's going to be okay, Eva. Olivia's voice rung out through her head and made Eva jump slightly. She still wasn't used to the telepathic connection between she and her familiar. "Thanks," she murmured down to the dog, her eyes following her dad around his beautiful and lush garden.
That was ok, because Bradley was still getting used to having someone else in the house, let alone have his daughter in the house. He was busy working away with the flowers that were by the side of the cottage with Bean by his side, hopping about while Bradley worked his magic. Hearing her voice was a bit startling and his magical work instantly stopped as he broke his concentration. Bradley just flashed a smile on up to Eva before standing up to his feet. "Sure thing, is everything ok?" As he started to lead the way back to the house, Bean made his way on over to Olivia, sniffing at the dog's paws. You are so BIG! Yeah, the tiny familiar still couldn't get over how massive the dog was. Bradley thought it was hysterical, but Bean was a bit terrified still. "Do you need anything to drink? Food? Do you have enough pillows?" She was clinging onto one and he could only imagine that she wasn't sleeping well due to a lack of pillows. This would not be had!
Olivia just rolled her eyes at the bunny and stepped inside. Why does your dad have to have the tiniest familiar EVER? Eva giggled as she stooped down and picked up Bean. This was a running thing with Bean and Olivia and it was precious. Eva waved her dad's questions away and went into the livingroom to settle into the corner of the couch, pillow and bean in her lap, Olivia curled up beside her. She knew she looked pale and scared and probably younger than her 21 years. Waiting until Bradley was seated as well, Eva took a deep breath and continued. "I have something to tell you...and it's not going to be good. And I'm really sorry I haven't told you sooner, dad."
Eee! Bean twitched his nose like crazy as he was scooped up by Eva, perking up and ear slightly as he looked on up to her, happy to hitch a ride in the process. Bradley was just happy his daughter liked the tiny familiar. Quite a twist for him to be a master in his element yet have an itty bitty bunny following him around. At least they balanced each other out. Once inside, Bradley head on over to the living room to relax on the other end of the couch. "Are you doing alright, Eva?" She didn't look all that well and Bradley hadn't thought to focus his energies to pinpoint what exactly was wrong with her physically, if that was even the case. "There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm here for you, so don't be worried about telling me anything."
You say that now... Eva thought. She knew that this was going to be a huge shock for him and she wanted nothing more than to protect him from this, but she knew she couldn't. It was a real part of her life now and she had to share it with him. Knowing there was no way to gently drop the bomb, Eva just went for it. "I have cancer, dad. Stage four metastatic melanoma. It's spread to my lymph nodes, lungs and liver." It was hard to say those words to him and Eva couldn't look at him, didn't want to see the devastation on his face. Instead she focused on the bunny in her lap and the dog by her side, petting each one softly. Olivia already knew this about her, but Bean didn't and would likely take it just as hard as her dad.
Initially, Bradley didn't believe her. This couldn't be true. He finally reunited with his daughter and now she had cancer? Remaining silent, he focused his energies onto to her, rapidly finding the illness in her body. It was there, alright, and Bradley knew it would take several master earth elementals to cleanse her body of the illness, and even then he wasn't sure what would happen after. Once he realized she was telling the truth, his face dropped and he averted his gaze for a moment.
...what is that? It that a good thing? Or... bad? Poor Bean was so confused, looking back and forth between Eva and Bradley. From the look on his master's face, this didn't seem to be a good thing, to which Bean just pouted - or like... tried to for a bunny - and looked up to Eva with his beady eyes. "How long have you know?" It was all Bradley could say. He wasn't a pro with medical things, but he knew this was serious and perhaps the reason why Eva came up in the first place was to let him know.
Eva looked down at the bunny, tears in her eyes. "It's...not good, Bean." She looked up to her dad, her heart breaking for both of them. "I'm so sorry, daddy. I've only known a few weeks. They knew it was cancer, but it took a while for them to find out how far along it is...and it's not good. The doctor says that with treatment, I might have a twenty five percent chance..." Her words trailed off, knowing that they would pack a punch.
Without a moment of hesitation, Bradley got up and was by Eva's side, kneeling before her so he could pull her into his arms. He was still in a state of disbelief, not wanting to lose his daughter to cancer. She had just came back to him. Finally! And now the chance of her dying was greater than the chance of her survival. No, this couldn't happen. Tightening his embrace, he ran a hand up and down her back idly to soothe her. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Eva. If anything, I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you more. If there's anything you need now... you just let me know, ok? Anything."
Clinging to her dad, Eva finally broke down. She'd not really cried that much about her cancer but now that she'd found her dad and they were together again, she wasn't ready to let him go. It was so unfair! Fathers and daughters were supposed to have this special bond and she'd missed it her entire life. Now that they were building towards that, she was going to be damn if she let her cancer beat her. Her sobs quieted and she pulled back to brush the tears away. "You don't have anything to apologize for, dad. Mom kept us apart, not you." She petted Bean, the poor bunny having been slightly squished while they hugged. "I do need you...I have my first treatment tomorrow. Will you go with me?"
Bean didn't seem to care so much that he was being a bit squished, but he was more concerned about Eva's well being than his own at the moment. Not to mention it seemed like his master was trying so hard to not break down into tears and be the stable one out of the bunch. He was a master earth elemental and he had to be stable like a rock for his daughter. Anything less would be unacceptable. "I would have liked to think that she would have told me so I could give more money for treatments or what not." Pulling away, Bradley looked into Eva's eyes, cupping her check and flicking away any stray tears. "And of course I'll be there for you tomorrow. No questions asked. Just let me know when and where and I'll be there, alright?" He did his best to smile and be hopeful, but no luck. He didn't want his Eva dying on him any time soon. He just finally found her!
"There wasn't time for her to tell you. I was in the hospital completing some tests when Olivia came trotting in...and then yeah, you can probably figure out the rest." Her mother's reaction to Eva being an elemental and having a familiar wasn't something she wanted to dwell on. She didn't exactly turn her back on Eva, but it damn sure felt that way, which is why Eva left. "At two in Ann Arbor. The treatments are supposed to be pretty harsh, so I don't know what to expect afterward." She stopped and brushed her hair back, running her fingers through the strands almost lovingly. "I know that I'm going to lose my hair...not something I'm looking forward to." She leaned back to her dad and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, dad...for being there. I know this is hard on you, but I really appreciate it." She would completely understand if he wanted nothing to do with her, if it was just too much trouble to have her in his life. If that were the case, she'd just go through this alone - she couldn't go back to her mother, afterall.
As hard as it was for Bradley to take in everything, he was still being his typical stable self. Both a plus and a minus as an earth elemental. If he had a watery affinity like Linnea, then perhaps he would have broken down right there, but he kept his composure, even if his eyes were watering up a bit. He had to be strong for Eva. Everyone went to Bradley to lean against and this was definitely a time when someone needed that security. "I'm always going to be here for you, Eva. No matter what. If we had to fly to the other side of the world to get you treatment, then I'll be there. Don't you worry about anything, ok?" Perhaps a bit drastic for an earth elemental to say, but his daughter was his massive weak point and he was willing to throw logic out the window to ensure Eva had a smile on her face. "We'll get through this together. I promise." He leaned in to kiss her forehead, then smoothed a hand over her hair. "Do you need anything right now?"
Giving Bradley a brave smile, Eva shook her head. "I'm okay now... tired, but okay. I have to pack a bag before tomorrow. I think I'm staying a minimum of three nights. You don't have to stay with me...I know you have work. I have some books I'll read and Olivia will be there." She'd already made arrangements with the hospital to keep Olivia there. She was a good dog and Eva trusted her to walk outside to do her business. "You'll have to bring Olivia food everyday if you don't mind." Another thought popped into her head. "Oh yeah, and flowers? I'm gonna be stuck inside for at least three days. I'll be dying for some nature." Okay so yeah, she winced as she said dying... maybe a little too soon for that.
"You're... staying there?" That came off as a shock for Bradley. He didn't mind hiring a cab to drive Eva back and forth between the hospital, but he supposed it made sense to have her right at the hospital. Bradley was just going to have to visit her often. "No no, I don't mind at all. Trust me, I'd camp outside of your room if I could." Fresh flowers he could do, as well. Hell, did Eva see his garden? That was definitely doable. Poor girl needed some nature to cheer her up. "Don't worry, Eva, it's going to be alright," he reassured her, rather nervous when she brought up the whole dying thing. That very thought made his heart sink. He couldn't lose his daughter now, not when he was reunited with her. Can I come and visit you, too, Eva? If Bean could pout, then he was all over that. I know I'm not a flower, but I can fit in a flower pot!
"I am," Eva confirmed. She didn't like the thought of her prolonged stay in the hospital anymore than Bradley did, but it had to be done. She was going to be very sick and would need hospital professionals around in order to take care of her. "I know you don't have a car, so you can use mine if you want. It's a hybrid, so it's very environmentally friendly. I'll leave you the keys." Bean spoke up and Eva gave the bunny a tired smile. "Of course you can come visit, Bean. In fact, I'll be very sad if you don't visit me." She just had the cutest mental image of little tiny Bean sitting in a flower pot. Thankfully Olivia wasn't the jealous type because Eva was completely enchanted with the bunny.
Bradley sadly shook his head at the mention of the car. As nice as the gesture was, he still couldn't drive it. "I don't have my license, Eva. Can't pass a driving test due to my lack of peripherals." Initially, it was embarrassing to be telling people that, but after a while he got used to it. He didn't let it hold him back in life. Thankfully his job wasn't that far of a bike ride and he could always hitch a ride with Josiah or Isaiah if need be. "Don't worry about the car, alright? I'll walk to the hospital if I have to. I just want to see you and make sure you're ok." And me, too! Don't forget about me! Bradley sighed a bit, a slight chuckle escaping him. "And Bean, too. Eva, don't worry, we'll get through this together." And with that, he pulled his daughter into another tight embrace, never wanting to let her go.
Feeling slightly embarassed that she didn't know, Eva ducked her head. "Sorry...I didn't know." She sighed lightly. It seemed as they had a lot to learn about each other. She patted Bean before being wrapped up in a big hug. She closed her eyes, leaning against Bradley. She felt so safe with him. "I'm so glad I came to find you, daddy." And she was. He was so understanding, so calm and trustworthy. She never felt like she wasn't good enough, unlike she did with her mother. She was meant to be with her father and she'd always felt it. Just being here with him was the ultimate confirmation of what she'd felt her entire life.