Chapter 3

3

Leukemia matching is precise, and I took all the tests again.

The hospital suggested finding another match because I was too weak and malnourished.

Janet refused.

The hospital could only go along with the family's wishes.

I didn't know anything and worked hard to get healthy like Janet wanted.

In the days that followed.

She took good care of me, with three meals a day, and took me running every morning and evening.

It made me happy that I was finally able to eat.

After two months of physical conditioning.

My pale face grew rounder.

I looked healthy again.

I was so scared on the day of surgery.

I looked at all the doctors.

I grabbed Janet's hand.

She frowned.

Scared, I quickly pulled away, and said in a shaky voice, "Sis, I'm…I'm…scared."

Her eyes turned cold.

"Don't tell me you regret it?"

"I wouldn't dare."

I choked back tears and carefully watched her expression.

She patted my shoulder.

"Good girl, don't be scared. I'm right here."

I almost cried out of joy.

I almost called her mom, but she shot me down before I could say it.

She frowned and said, "You're so weak. All you have to do is give Mikey bone marrow. You're making it sound like you're being wronged."

"I've been taking care of you and feeding you for two months. Don't you think you should give something back?"

"Mikey has suffered so much. You haven't even gone through ten percent of the pain. What's there to be afraid of?"

I felt like I was freezing.

Everything inside me was freezing.

They wheeled me into the operating room, and different needles went into my body.

I found out that I hated pain.

The needle was so long and hard.

I was trembling in pain.

The doctors kept telling me not to be scared.

I started crying and fell asleep.

When I woke up, Mikey and I were wheeled out of the operating room together.

Janet ran to Mikey with flowers in her arms.

She looked at him with love in her eyes.

She looked at Mikey and touched his face.

"Good job, sweetie. You're the best."

The staff wheeled me to my bed.

The only person around was a nurse that I didn't know.

Mikey and I weren't in the same room.

His condition was more serious.

That's what the nurses told me because I never saw Janet.

My teacher and classmates came to visit.

They said everyone missed me.

I smiled and said I would go back to school as soon as I could.

Janet told me on the way home from the hospital that she was extending my time away from school.

Then, she bought a bunch of home health aide courses online and told me to take them quickly.

She locked me in the house, and if I didn't do well, she would hit me and starve me.

I was good at the basics a few months later, and Mikey came home.

His illness made him a bad person, and his temper got worse.

Janet and Rick had to work, so I stayed home to take care of him.

Every day, he beat me until I bled, and I begged Janet to let me go to school.

She said no.

For the first time, I fought back.

I looked at her angrily.

"If you don't let me go back to school, I'm really going to die."

She slapped me a few times.

"You're useless! You can't even handle this! You want to go back to school? Go die! Stay home and take care of Mikey. I'll feed you if you do well. If you don't, I'll kill you!"

My ears, nose, and mouth bled after being slapped, and I passed out.

I felt dizzy and weak ever since I donated bone marrow to Mikey.

I woke up the next morning and was still lying on the floor from the night before.

Janet stuck her head out while she brushed her teeth.

"Trying to get out of work? You're a good actor."

Rick looked me up and down.

"Don't be mad at your sister. She has a good heart. If you don't feel good, I'll take you to the hospital."

"Screw off!"

I got off the floor and said, red-eyed.

Janet yelled out.

"Don't be so ungrateful!"

Then, she turned around and smiled at Rick.

"She's nothing but trash. Don't try to be nice to her."