Poke.

I clutch onto my blanket, holding it as tight as possible. I flinch when every needle goes in, every four of them so far. The nurse tells me to hold still, but I can't.

"Good job, Garroth." Hannah says as she puts tape over the tube to keep it from moving around.

"Ready for your last one?" She looks at me straight in the eye, and I nod.

Hannah slides the needle in, and I look away. I never liked the look of blood, it was associated with pain. I try as hard as possible not to tear up, but they burn the rims of my eyes.

"There, Garroth. You're done, and you did so good." She takes her gloves off and throws them away.

I look down to see a bunch of tubes put in my hands and one in my arm. It feels weird to move them around, so I avoid it as much as possible.

Hannah stands up straight and smiles as she leaves. I smile back, and look down at the tile floor. I hate this cancer.

I hate it.

~•~

Mom went home to take care of Zane, and dad is outside talking to some doctors, so I'm here alone. I look at my iPad as I play games.

Then I hear footsteps.

I look up to see a girl with black hair and brown eyes, wearing a purple
t-shirt and grey sweatpants, with pink sneakers.

"Are you okay? You're here all by yourself." She looks down.

I don't know if I should answer her. I've always been told never to talk to strangers, but what harm can a little girl do?

"I'm okay." I look back down at my iPad, waiting for a doctor to come and make me get surgery.

"What's your name?" She asks me, her voice full of curiosity.

"What's yours?"

"I asked first." She gives me some slight sass, which I don't like.

"You're the one in my room." I try to prove a point as much as I can. Don't know if it's working.

"Fine." She crosses her arms, "My name's Aphmau. Aphmau Phoenix. Now what's your name?"

"Garroth. Garroth Ro'Meave." I try and mock her, but not to be rude.

Well, maybe a little.

But not that much, she's a pretty girl.

No, quit it, Garroth! That's gross!

"That's a nice name." She smiles, and I smile back.

"Thank you. Yours is nice, too." I squirm at my words. It's weird to say nice things to a girl, at least like that.

"How old are you, Aphmau?" I look over, to see her looking around my room.

"I'm seven. I'm going to be eight soon." She stares at all the machines in awe, "Two questions: One, how old are you? And two, why are you here?"

"I'm eight," how do I answer that second question? "And I hafta have surgery on my head to get the bad cells out."

She nods, and looks alarmed.

"I have to go. I'm not 'posed be out of my room." She runs away, and look at her, tilting my head.

Dad comes in, looking at Aphmau strangely. He looks at me the same way.

"She just came in to say hi." I tell him, adjusting my Captain America hat.

"Oh, okay." He shrugs, "Your surgery is in a few hours. Are you ready?"

He looks on the verge of tears. He's shaking a little bit, not bad. But bad enough that I can tell. I nod, but I'm not actually ready.

~•~

"Okay, Garroth, are you ready?" Hannah kneels beside me, possibly getting her yellow suit dirty from kneeling on the floor.

"Yeah, I guess." I shrug, unknowing of if I am ready or not.

"Good." She stands up and smiles, "I promise, you won't feel a thing."

"I know." I look up at her. She winks at me, which gives me a sense of relief.

My dad comes in with a green suit on, zippered up the front. He has something to cover his head and a mask that he's holding.

"What are those for?" I look at them, disgusted.

"I'm gonna go in there with you. Is that okay?" He raises his eyebrows, showing slight wrinkles in his forehead.

"Your gonna watch?!" I shudder at the thought. Who would want to watch that?

"No, bud." He laughs, "I'm going in there with you, and then I'm leaving."

Now that makes more sense.

"Well, I think he's ready." Hannah says, as she puts a hand on my shoulder, "Can you take that awesome hat off?"

I nod and take it off. She takes it and puts it on the table next to me.

"Everything will be the exact same when you wake up." A bunch of surgeons come in, with what I assume dad's gonna be wearing on.

"Are you ready?" A surgeon asks. I've had this question too much.

"Yes." I sigh with slight attitude. I hate that question now.

"Alright." Two surgeons grab the head of my bed and roll me away. I look up to see dad, who's looking down at me. I close my eyes, I don't want to see.

~•~

The operating room has a bright light that almost makes me blind. The metal is cold against my back, legs, and hands. Why can't it be warm?

"Okay, Garroth, this is going to help you go to sleep." The doctor holds up a mask and presses it to my face.

The medicine tastes funny. It tastes like bubble gum, but it's bitter. I squirm at the taste, it's gross.

But I start to feels sleepy.

"I love you, buddy." My dad says through his mask while holding my hand. I would say it back, but I'm too tired.

I love you, too, dad.

And then the darkness washes over me.

••••••••
Heh... Hi...?
I'm going to have Garroth's injury out on Wednesday. Needed a slight break from it.
The qod will be in luck.
Thanks for reading! Bai!
••••••••