Last Hallowe'en

Sarah couldn't believe the early Hallowe'en party and the guys that were here. ‘Granted, maybe She-Hulk wasn't the best costume idea,’ she thought. Yeah, she was tall and big, but that didn't give them the right to paw at her like they were doing. ‘Why can't I just find a guy that's kind, and romantic?’ she continued thinking while slipping out to find one of the tables outside. ‘Someone to talk to me, not at me,’ she sighed.

Looking around, she saw another girl at one of the tables. Thinking that misery loves company, she walked over and softly asked, "Do you mind if I sit here?"

The girl started a little as she spun to face her. "Oh! Hi," she stammered a little, "you startled me!" Sarah noticed her grabbing some kind of pill bottle off the table as she was trying to find a pocket to put it in before fumbling for her purse.

"Hey, sorry to startle you, everything okay? You look a little pale. I'm Sarah by the way," Sarah said, puzzling over the girl's odd behavior.

"Sarah Wallace, the Varsity basketball captain, right?" the girl replied with a question. "I've seen you around school."

"The one and only!" she replied, still trying to place the strange-acting girl as it dawned on her who "she" was. "So, what's been going on, haven't seen you around lately."

Realizing Sarah recognized him, Kyle began, "hospitals suck. Cancer sucks even more," she replied, hoping to scare her away, but Sarah seemed to be of a stronger mind than that.

"I was wondering. I was pretty sure we didn't have any pregnant cheerleaders. Going by Kyle Jenkins tonight or...?" She asked.

"Krystal," she said in a soft tired voice. "At least for the end credits," she softly muttered into the darkness.

Sarah was a little worried now. She was a natural leader, she was the team captain for that very reason, but she was in unfamiliar territory here. She saw the pill bottle, heard Krystal talk about a hospital and cancer, and those last few words chilled her very soul. It shouldn't have bothered her in the slightest, her dad was a doctor, and her mom was a geneticist and bioengineer at the University, and she could be emotionally detached at times.

"So, Krystal, come out for fresh air or to think?" Sarah asked, trying to keep the conversation going. "The guys are getting grabby in there, so that was why I came out, did they try to get you too?"

"Ha! As if anyone would look at me, I'm a dying freak!" she hoarsely said as the tears started.

"Why would you think that? Everyone has a soulmate or 10 out there that they haven't found yet. I am sure you will find them, kind of like I hope I can someday" she wistfully assured her new friend.

"Shouldn't that be a 'soulmate or 2'?" she sniffled back.

"Oh, sorry, was me thinking in binary again," she said smiling, trying to coax Krystal from the edge of the abyss. "So, you never said what brought you out here to the tables. The party is inside, you know?"

With a sniffling giggle-snort, Krystal took a napkin to use as a tissue and blew her nose and cleared a few tears, and continued talking to Sarah about school, home, hospitals, life, and even dreams. After a few minutes of small talk, exchanging contact info and the like, Sarah suggested they go back in. Krystal, on the other hand, didn't want to go anywhere and started to half-heartedly lash out at Sarah. "What do you care anyway, aren't you afraid you'll get it too?"

"Get what, cancer? No, it's not contagious. Only idiots think that way. Hell, they probably think they could catch 'teh gay' that way!"

She had to think of a way to get Krystal's mind elsewhere, somewhere more peaceful, so she tried asking about things she knew about him. "Say, don't you have a class with Jen?"

"Jennifer Astarte? Yeah, art class. Been there the last 3 years. Still no idea how she sculpts like she does, but I like to think I can do 2D stuff better."

"Tudee? Oh. 2D, like two dimensional? Got it! Yes, Jen is that way, I swear she thinks in 3D with some of the moves she makes on the court," she said, shaking her head. "I know you are a bit on the geek side, I bet you have an eidetic memory, it would make painting and whatnot a lot easier," she mused."

"Yes, it definitely does that. but it also doesn't help me forget things," she said sadly.

"Oh, what's going on?" Sarah asked, nonchalantly.

"Dreams, hopes, you know, the little things in life."

'Well,' she thought to herself, 'this isn't working, what else can I try?' Thinking about the situation and conversation as a whole, she decided to take the plunge and just ask Krystal point blank. She reached out and took Krystal's hands in hers and slowly rubbed her thumbs on the back of Krystal's hands while slowly starting to talk. "Krystal, I want to ask something, something personal. Something we haven't said, but talked around. Do you mind, hon?"

Sarah's question was met with silence, but Krystal didn't pull away, and so, taking the silence as a no, Sarah pushed on, finally asking her, "Are you really Krystal? Is this really you, the real you? Is this why you are afraid?"

Krystal could only sit there, silent tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, and weakly gave a little nod. Catching her breath and calming down a little, she finally said, "Yes, but I only just found me, and now I am going away..."

Sarah could only sit there, afraid to break hand contact and wanting to move around to her side and hold her while she cried. Making a decision, she carefully moved her hands, her right moving to Krystal's left hand and getting up and moving in a clockwise motion, maintaining touch and moving her hand up Krystal's arm. until she sat next to her, embracing her in a tearful hug, where they both started crying. Sarah took Krystal's pain and Krystal letting her soul-felt pain finally come out in a cathartic moment.

"Krystal? Hon? I have one more huge favor to ask of you, so please hear me out before answering? Please?" Sarah pleaded in a small fearful voice. She was not used to pleading for some, she was a leader after all. Sure, she asked for things politely, but to plead? To beg even? What was she doing? This wasn't her! Yet she couldn't ask, only plead, she couldn't figure out why or what was happening. And she was afraid, afraid of a possible denial.

With a shuddering breath, along with a few hiccoughs, Krystal finally answered, "Yes."

After they both calmed down a little more, Sarah asked for that favor, and it wasn't a small one either. "Krystal? I saw that bottle earlier."

Krystal jumped at the mention of the bottle but remained silent as Sarah had not asked anything yet and waited for her question.

"Krystal, I am going to sit here and not let go of you until one of two things has happened, but it is up to you now how it goes. Can I have that bottle? I promise to give it back after we meet at the School Hallowe'en dance, er sorry, Harvest Festival and dance next weekend."

Krystal's breath started coming faster until the world started closing in on her. Those were her final ticket out, for when the pain got to be too much from the cancer! She couldn't lose them! She started struggling, trying to break loose, her weakened 5' 7" frame was no match for Sarah's athletic 6' 1" body and she collapsed against her, fresh sobs coming out.

"Shh. shh, it's okay, it'll be alright," Sarah soothed her, hopefully, new friend. "All I want is an answer, any answer will do. Please? For me?"

"They're... they're for the end. Mom got them for me, they were from my uncle before he died. It got him too, and she didn't want me to through Uncle Ron's pain. Dad knows about them, too."

"How far?"

"How far what?"

"How far into the cancer, you can still fight it, right?" she asked.

"Stage 4. it metasided? Metastided?"

"Metastasized?"

"Yeah, that was it. It already spread, that's why I'm so thin*boned but got this belly. And the pain. They said it's an aggressive cancer, lucky me,"

"Is the pain really bad?"

Not yet, the other pills help. But that pain? Yeah, I could live with that if I was me, the me I should have been."

"So, about that question?"

"I can't, you could get in so much trouble, I couldn't risk it. I shouldn't even have them."

"Please? For me? If you go that route, so will I," Sarah told Krystal, "I mean it!"

Krystal felt trapped between two bad decisions. "Can I have them back whenever I want between now and then?' she asked.

Sarah's reply came as a bit of a shock to Krystal when she said "No."

"No?" she replied with a puzzled expression.

"No, doofus. Not at school or in public in daylight. You'd have to come to my house to get them, like maybe after school."

"Oh, okay," she replied, still thinking.

"Listen." Sarah said, "it's still early enough and this party sucks anyway, I can take you to my house to meet my mom and dad, and I can show you where I will lock them up. Will that help you decide?"

"I can't go to your house, not dressed like this, and definitely can't let your parents see me like this!"

"Why not? You're very passable, we'll just pass through quickly, they'll barely notice you and we'd avoid the meet and greet part. Will that work?"

Krystal was really torn; as Kyle, he'd only been on two dates, both unmitigated disasters, and he'd just about given up on finding a girl to talk to, let alone date. Now, here he was with the school's varsity co-captain, inviting him, well, her, to her house. Plus, she'd been talking to her for more than the sum total of his high school conversations with all the other girls combined. He felt he had to start somewhere, so she agreed to go with her. He really hoped he was making the right decision.

*******************

After we ditched the party, she had me follow her to her house where she repaired my face in her car. Hey, she had a dome light that worked! After I got out of the car, my nerves started getting the better of me. What the heck did I think I was doing?!? As I slowly completed my slow march to the door, I whispered to Sarah, "Do I have to go in?"

"No," Sarah replied, "you can just give me the bottle before I go in and I will put it away. Or are you wanting to back out?"

I stared up at Sarah. Her eyes were liquid pools of pure azure, the deepest blue I had ever seen, much better than the grey-silver hue of my own blue eyes/ Her fine, delicate nose above the cupid's bow of her perfect lips; not too thick, not too thin, just the right shape, even if the color was off. The type of lips that invited a person to kiss them. She-Hulk fit, she's a half foot taller than I am, and could clean the floor with me without breaking a sweat. I couldn't. I shouldn't. I have to go in, I can't kiss her.

Sarah meanwhile stared down at the erstwhile cute blonde, pregnant cheerleader, waiting for her to either kiss her or decide to go inside. Either way, she was going to get the pill bottle from her!

Krystal broke eye contact and started breathing again and said, "I guess we better go in."

"Okay, it's always your decision. I don't want to push you," she said as she grabbed her hand and hastily tried to reach the stairs and go up to her room. Unfortunately, her dad saw her and greeted her with “Hi, Princess, how was the party?"

"Great, dad!" she replied from the bottom of the staircase. "Me and Krystal are going to my room for a minute, she has to get home in a little bit."

"Krystal and I, honey, and maybe you should introduce your guest to your father and me, and perhaps offer her something to drink? I know I taught you to be a better hostess than that," her mother said as she came around the corner at the top of the stairs.

Krystal was near panic mode by this point, and it was everything Sarah could do at this point to keep her calm. "Okay, mom. we'll be in the kitchen and then go to my room. This is Krystal Jenkins, she goes to school with me and she has had a rough night. We really need to talk, please," she said, hoping her mom would take a hint.

As Sarah turned Krystal around to go back downstairs, Krystal managed a quick head turn and nod saying "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Wallace," as she hurried down the stairs in front of Sarah. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they met her dad coming back from the kitchen in the slightly darker hallway, where Krystal remembered to say, "Hello Dr. Wallace, it’s nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," he said in passing. ‘At least someone remembered their manners, she seems like a nice enough girl, but being pregnant at 17 seems a little promiscuous. Oh well, I don't know the story, so not going to say anything’ he thought to himself on the way back to his den. He then paused and went back towards the kitchen to remind his daughter that she shouldn't give her anything with too much caffeine. When he got there, he saw Krystal giving his daughter the little pill bottle and crying while Sarah just held her. Not saying anything, he managed to back out undetected by the girls but not his wife.

"Were you going to ask them something?" the other Dr. Wallace asked her husband quietly at the bottom of the stairway.

"I am not sure," he said, deep in thought.

"What is it honey, is something wrong?"

"Can you come to the den, sweetheart?" her husband asked worriedly.

While parents talked in the den, the girls in the kitchen were putting their faces back together and Krystal was getting ready to leave. "Please promise me you'll protect those, please?!"

"Cross my heart and pinky swear!" Sarah replied, crossing her heart and taking Krystal's pinky in hers before taking her to the front door, where they just stared at each other again for almost a full minute before reluctantly parting when they heard voices from the den. After closing the door, Sarah rushed to her room to put the little bottle in her own little safe, away from any other eyes.

As Krystal drove home, all she could think was "What have I done? How did she do this to me?"

*******************
Earlier, back in the den, the Wallace’s were in a deep discussion about what the father had seen. "Are you sure about what you saw, dear?"

"Yes, it was a small pill bottle. I know I have seen it before, it's very unique; I am just trying to remember where I have seen it before. let me look something up real quick." Putting action to words, he fired up a special web page, putting in some search parameters. As he was scrolling through the search results, he heard the front door close as he found it and paled visibly.

"What is it dear, what's wrong?" his wife asked, starting to get concerned, watching her husband just sitting there, numbly staring at the screen. When she started looking at what he was reading and saw it, she could only put her hand to her mouth and mutter "Dear sweet God!"

"Now what do we do?" his wife asked.

"Family meeting time, now"! he hissed.

After they left the den, Sarah's mother yelled up the stairs, "Sarah Michelle Wallace, family meeting. living room, NOW!" then turned to join her husband in the living room.

Upon hearing her full name, she knew she was busted for something and just knew it had something to do with Krystal, er, Kyle. Did they figure out she was a boy? She was worried now.

As she slowly entered the living room, she sheepishly greeted her parents, "Mom, daddy."

"Don't daddy me, Sarah. We need to discuss something very serious."

"What?" she asked, really afraid now.

"I saw you two in the kitchen," he stated, giving her the chance to come clean.

She looked from her dad to her mom and back.

She tried to think; all she did was calm her down when she started crying after she gave her the bottle. Oh crap, what if he recognized it?!? "Daddy, can I talk to mom privately for a few minutes?"

"No, it's beyond that stage now, we both know what that bottle is for. What do you have to say about it?" her father asked in a stern heavy voice.

"Daddy, can I ask one question? Please, just one, then we can talk? What would you do to try to save mom if she was dying?"

"What?!? What kind of question is that? And what does it have to do with what we are discussing?" he almost yelled while running his fingers through the hair at his temples.

Sarah was starting to cry at this point, and she was starting to understand something about Krystal/Kyle. "It's why I have to talk to momma, I don't know what is happening anymore! I have to know what you would do, you always have the answer to everything I've ever asked. Help me, daddy, help me figure this out! Please!" she started sobbing heavily now.

At this point, her mom came over to her husband and asked, "Are you sure you are ready for this talk, James?"

James was having second thoughts but knowing the contents of that bottle steeled his resolve. Whatever drove his daughter to get that cursed bottle was the most important thing now and was something he would face with his wife at his side and he at hers. "Yes," was all he said.

"Sarah, honey, I know what that bottle is also. What is so important that you would get a bottle like that? Do you even know what it is?"

Sarah's voice was barely above a whisper as she said, "Death."

Why on earth would you want to take that?"

"To save someone's life, someone I don't really know, but can feel? Someone I almost understand but still don't know but want to? I don't know!" she all but sobbed, crying tears she didn't know she even still had.

"Princess, those bottles are very hard to come by. Hell, even I would have issues getting them. I don't want it in this house or anywhere near it, do you understand?"

No, but I finally understand you don't know everything if can't answer my question."

Dear, don't blame him, most guys don't understand love, Hell they'll sometimes admit they don't understand it. They only understand when they can't take a breath or face their fears of losing something they hold dear. James, are you sure you want to stay for this? I understand the original question now, and it makes all the more sense to me now."

He sat there a moment, then made a decision. "Right, this will take a while, does anybody else want some tea? I'll be in the kitchen making a full pot and will bring it through in 15 or so minutes after I think on this for a bit," And with that, he wandered off to the kitchen.

And so, the discussion went on, the tea grew cold, and love and death, and their separate meanings and they wove themselves together in life.

While Her dad made tea and thought about her question, Sarah and her mom talked. "Tell me more about Krystal, hon, who is she, and how did she end up pregnant at her age? And why on Earth would she have that horrid little bottle?"

Sarah chewed on her lower lip, trying to figure out what to say, and finally decided the truth was always best. "Mom, she's a he, Kyle. He goes to my school but is going through some medical issues as well as a new one she, he discovered this week."

"That was a boy? And you fell for her? Him. I thought you loved boys?"

I do mom, did. I like boys. But I don't know what happened, we started talking and just connected, she isn't like this in school. He! Oh God, that's part of the problem. Mom, can we treat this like Dr/Patient thing, the confidentiality part?"

"You do realize your father and I don't keep secrets, right?"

"Yes, why would you, you're like 2 parts of a whole. Is that what is happening to me?"

"Maybe, possibly? No relationship is ever exactly the same."

"Do you think dad can answer my question? Truthfully, mom, this is the first time I have ever doubted him, and it hurts inside, and I want him to be able to answer, I want daddy to make it better."

"He will certainly give it his all, he loves you more than life itself sometimes, dear."

"Who wants tea?" her dad asked as he brought the pot, cups, and other items in.

"Here, let me help you with that, James," her mom said.

Soon, they had tea ready and after her dad sat down, he looked at Sarah for a moment, then shook his head. "Let me start by saying, guys don't do love the same way girls do. We look for ways to prove things while you do things for us to show us your love. You have faith in men to keep your love, while we fear losing your love and must always be proving it. Your question made me think and made me fear losing you, and I am sorry I reacted the way I did. To answer your question, I think I would do anything to save her life, to keep her safe, the same as I would do for you."

"Would you risk going to jail to keep her safe? Would you turn your back on the laws to keep her alive? Would you lay down your very life and soul for her, us, to keep us safe?"

Looking first to his wife, then to his daughter, he said but one word. "Yes."

"That's the answer dad, that is love, and that is what I am feeling with Krystal. I am sure of it now."

"Okay, I must have missed something here," Dr. Wallace said.

"Dear, while you were out making tea, Sarah and I discussed Krystal, or should I say, Kyle."

"That pregnant girl was a boy?"

"Yes, dear, she's a boy, but there are other issues and Sarah was about to tell me what the bottle is for, but wanted assurances of confidentiality."

"That bottle is so illegal I want no part of it!" he stated forcefully.

"Would you do it for your daughter's love?"

"That isn't fair! You can't just use my words like that against me! What you are asking is illegal, I could go to jail for it!"

"So, you don't love me then, don't trust me enough to make the proper decision, then?" Sarah said questioningly. She then stood and turned to her mother. "Mom, I am feeling drained and should probably get ready for bed and go to sleep. May I be excused, please?" she asked formally.

Mother looked at her daughter and told her, "Yes dear, but I will be up to talk to you before you go to sleep. Talk to you later, sweetheart," then hugged her and kissed her forehead before Sarah left to get ready for bed.

"Did you listen to what you just said, after you told her what love was, what you would do for that love?"

"That's different, I could lose my license, lose everything, just to make her happy. She'll get over it, she always does," he said.

"Will a license keep you happy without her? Will all this, the house, the money, the car, will all that keep you warm and satisfied as you grow old and lonely without a daughter? Or a wife? You just broke our little girl's heart, are you a skilled enough surgeon to put it back together?" And with that, she left James there to think about what he had just done

*********************

Kyle made it home, but his parents were still out. He didn't begrudge them their time, God knows he took enough of theirs. Hoping it wasn't too late, Kyle decided to call Sarah, just to hear her voice and talk a bit. having already gotten ready for bed, he hoped she was around and started getting nervous by the third ring before she answered.

"Hello?"

Hey Sarah, everything okay? You sound down."

"Everything's.... fine." she finally said.

"I... see. I didn't get you into trouble, did I?"

"No. it's not you. Listen, I need another favor. If I could, please?" she asked in a small voice.

"If I can, I'll try to do it. What did you need?" he responded, already dreading any questions.

"Listen, my parents, they know about the pill bottle and aren't happy about it."

Kyle felt his insides knotting up and going cold with dread.

"Don't worry! It's still safe, I still have it, but that isn't what I need to talk about... Ask about," she absently corrected. "Sorry, can I tell them what we talked about, about our cancer and... other things? Or can my mom call you and talk to you tomorrow about it? I am guessing she is worried about me."

Kyle thought about it for a few moments and had a question. "Sarah, your parents are doctors, right? They know about confidentiality and stuff, right?"

"Sure, Dad's a doctor and mom works in a lab, yes, they know how to keep secrets."

"Okay, tell them anything they need to know. By the way. what are you doing tomorrow?" "

Basketball practice in the afternoon, but that's it, should be free after 6'ish. Did you want to do something?"

Oh, never mind then, have some new chemo that starts at 3:00. Won't be done until 7:00 or so. and afterward, I will be a little out of it until Monday morning. May or may not be at school, but, hey, at least I still have my mind while my body falls apart around me, right?"

"Yes, you do at that," she said, letting out a strangled little giggle.

Meanwhile, her mom was at the door where she had been eavesdropping for the last minute or so and knew that strangled giggle from when she sat with her brother Ron; it was her own giggle while trying not to cry. She knocked on the door lightly, before leaning in and telling Sarah, "It's been a long night, hon, I'm turning in early, can we postpone our talk until the morning?"

"Okay mom, I should probably get some rest, too. Love you," she said as she got up to hug her mom.

"Same here, kiddo, same here," she said returning the hug.

After her mom left, she said goodnight to Kyle and then wished Krystal goodnight, too, before hanging up.

********************

Kyle, with Sarah's help, made it through the week, not having to talk to her parents so it must have worked out. Sarah arranged to meet Kyle Saturday morning to hang out before the Harvest Festival and dance/ Kyle noticed he was tiring out a lot faster now and not bouncing back as fast and was worried about the dance and festival and how long he'd last for Sarah. He hadn't told her he would be starting the stronger chemo plus radiation tomorrow so she wouldn't worry too much. For now, he would just enjoy his time as Krystal and let her have some fun. He did let Sarah know he would need to rest up to make it through the dance but would love a ride since he was so tired lately. It was no surprise he made it home just to fall asleep on his bed. It seemed only minutes but was several hours later that he got up and Krystal was soon ready for one last time/
The phone rang with Sarah calling to see if he was ready, she was waiting out in the driveway. As Krystal got in, Sarah said, "Looking great, Krystal! Ready to party?"

"The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak, literally," Krystal replied, giving her a smirk.

The fair was peaceful enough except for a jackass of a jock calling Kyle out as a fairy freak. but he got shut down hard by some of the other jocks and jockettes, including Sarah. And at the dance? She got several dances with Sarah, along with some of the jocks and jockettes from school, but ended up having Sarah take her back to Sarah's place to talk and rest up before the homeward trek.

Sarah's mom welcomed her in and got her settled on the couch while Sarah went to her room to grab what she knew Kyle wanted.
She was sitting there staring at it when her day knocked and came in, sitting next to her.

"So that's it then? That little bottle will let her go peacefully, no pain, no muss, no fuss?"

"Yes dear, one pill, sleep and it will be over. But she'll need it while she can still swallow. It has multiple layers to do all the necessary work to be effective, otherwise, it can get very painful."

"That's terrible, how could they let that happen to someone?"

"They don't anymore, Princess, that's why it was declared illegal. Too many tried to rush its effects. The fact she, he let you hold it for her showed how much faith she has in you. a faith I almost threw away out of blind fear, pride, hubris. Thank you for showing me the human side of that equation again," he said as he hugged her from the side. "You know, your mother also showed me that side again, too. She's downstairs talking to this boyfriend... girlfriend of yours about something that will test every last bit of faith he has. We better get down there, His parents should be here any time now," he told her as he got off the bed and headed for the door.

"Daddy?" she said in a small voice, "I'm scared. What if he decides to do it sooner rather than later?"

"Remember that faith Kyle had in you? That faith is in your court now, if it is true love, you'll know what to do with it."

********************

As Sarah can downstairs, Kyle was sleeping lying propped up on the couch. She knew then what she had to do, just have faith in her, easy peasy! She now knew what her dad had gone through, the doubt, the pain, the worry. It was all there, just waiting for her, waiting to see what she would do. She slowly eased her way onto the couch and carefully lowered Krystal's head to her lap, slowly brushing her ever-thinning hair with her fingertips while staring at her slowly changing face, noting the lines forming anew even while her face was growing thinner. She had to have faith that something would help her, him. Whoever she survived as, after all, the body is just a shell, but the person inside was still as beautiful. she would be here for her until the end, no matter if it was 18 or 80. Krystal made her whole, she would not lose that, she wouldn't let that happen!

The knock on the door startled her a bit until she remembered her dad saying that Krystal's parents were coming. Her mom met them at the door, making idle conversation before they made it into the living room. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins, sorry I can't get up," she said softly and apologetically.

"So, you're the girl that was keeping him occupied and energetic. Thank you for that. It's been a terrible time for his father and me. He has been very happy the last few weeks."

"It was my pleasure, ma'am, sh... He's been fun to be around. We kind of clicked," Sarah said smiling, occasionally looking down at Krystal and playing with her hair. "So, I assume dad called you over? Are you here to pick him up?" she asked, unconsciously moving her hand and arm protectively over him. This didn't go unnoticed by the two women in the room.

Just then, her mom spoke up, "No dear, I called them here. I have something very important to ask them."

"Barb, Joe, I'm not sure if Kyle has said anything about James and my occupations. James is a doctor and as for myself, I am a genetic bioengineer. By the pill bottle he carries with him, yeah, James recognized it, and it would appear that you trust your son very much. Would you be surprised that he let my daughter hold it in a safe place for a week? I am not sure of the whole reason behind it, but I know she has intense feelings for him, and it seems it is mutual. As I learned a week ago, love is a strange thing. It can move mountains and in this, it can create small miracles. What would ask of you at this point is what I am about to talk to you about goes no further than this room. Can you do that for me? Please, as one parent to another I ask this one indulgence, thank you." At their nods, she continued. "We are currently at the end of the full 5-year animal trials and are now seeking approval for human trials. However, this approval process will take another 2 to 4 years, and Kyle doesn't have that long, and we all know that. Let me say that I see my daughter and Kyle together, there is a spark there, one that I see, and hope barb sees as well."

At that point, Barb had been glancing at the kids occasionally and had noticed, it was like looking at herself so many years ago before she married the one she knew she'd spend her life with. She also saw the tears glistening in Sarah's eyes, as if she was hearing this for the first time as well, but was mature enough not to speak out of turn, Kyle's future lay in that direction, and she was afraid to make any move that might upset it, it wasn't her turn yet.

After looking at everyone in the room, Dr. Michelle Wallace continued, "I can get the genetic material started in a culture, but it will take 48 hours to confirm it took, and another 10-14 days for the culture to complete an accelerated cycle, at which point, the treatment could commence. Let me stress once again, that this would be illegal under the law, immoral under many codes, but maybe his only chance at surviving this cancer. From the records I have seen, he currently has 17 different genetic strains of cancers throughout his body, and to be honest, I just don't know if this will work on all of them; our trials only went to 5 strains. If I am to do this, it has to be unanimous, one no vote will scrub the whole project. If you want, you can discuss it overnight and we can meet here tomorrow if you want."

Barb was still staring at Sarah and Kyle, well, Krystal right now. She looked at her husband and into his eyes and saw the almost haunted look of despair. He nodded, followed by her nod. "Michelle, time is of the essence, right?" At Michelle's nod, she continued. "We should vote now, but we need Ky... Krystal awake for this decision. Sarah? Could you gently wake, her up, please?" she asked, holding her hands in front of her mouth and over her nose, as if in prayer.

Looking down at Krystal's sleeping face. she wondered just how tired he was, since he slept through the entire conversation. She slowly blew in his ear; she knew he hated that, then she started whispering something in his ear which elicited a response of "Just 5 more minutes, mom?" From Krystal and a few giggles from Sarah and the two mothers. Sarah started tickling his nose which brought a response of "Not fair!" and Sarah saying "Life's not sometimes, hon, besides, it's time to get up, it's decision time. That woke him up, sort of.

After Barb gave a quick recap of what Krystal slept through and Krystal and the others took care of business, everyone was back for the after the parents all voted "Yea", it was time for the kids to vote. Sarah started by saying, "Krystal, you are the other half of my soul, I will be lost and adrift if you don't want this but know I will stand by your decision, whatever it is." At that point, and keeping her promise, she took the pill bottle and placed it in the palm of his hand and folded his fingers back over it, then gave him a short, chaste kiss.

Krystal stood there, staring at her hand, Sarah's faith in him, and her, brought Krystal happiness, and helped him figure out what was missing in his life. Two halves of a whole. It sounded, nice, "Let's do this," she said.