⚠️Warning: chapter contains scenes of childhood illness, and mentions of mental health and mentions of past events of abuse/assault/violence. If affected, please read with caution.⚠️

~~~~~

《1994》

*Mallory*

I sighed as I finished signing some papers in a file and put it aside, just thinking.

I am officially four months pregnant tomorrow and just trying to keep it together.

As usual, Christmas and New Years Eve & Day were quiet. 

So far, everything has been fine, and things have been surprisingly calm.

I've been upset with Tommy the entire time for betraying Heather, but eventually did forgive him, but not completely. We still haven't exactly talked so much, just occasionally.

He and Heather finalized their divorce, which was a complete shock to everyone, but I still spend time with Heather, and she's been really helpful and supportive with my pregnancy. Despite everything, she's like a sister to me, and I'm glad she's still by my side.

Another person who's actually been a big help is John. He and his wife, Valerie, have been so kind, always checking up on us, a few times bringing their son, Ian. Ian mostly spends time with Jack, playing with him in the backyard, but he's a very sweet boy, nonetheless, and has been curious about the pregnancy.

I continued to work, but took up reception duty most of the time, other times just did paperwork in my office or just helped in NICU every once in a while. Its boring, but it's tame and calm, and being in NICU has helped me practice a bit as well. Also, considering my baby bump is getting pretty noticeable, a little more than last time, I've started wearing lab coats one size bigger and mostly button them up in order to hide it. Staying behind a desk most of the time also helps hide it.

Only ones that know about my pregnancy (aside from me and Nikki of course) are Mick, Tommy, John, Valerie, Heather, Doug, and my doctors, as well as a small handful of my co-workers and interns who agreed to keep it to themselves unless I say.

Nikki and I agreed not to tell even our family or friends, let alone the public, until I am at least 6-7 months pregnant this time, and even then keep it on the DL.

We've had a few issues, Nikki falling off the wagon a few times with booze and pot, and its caused a few riffs and arguments amongst us, but we're [very] slowly making improvements, even seeing a marriage counselor.

I had made the calls for Mick like promised and got him a good orthopedist and luckily one met above our expectations, and Mick has been seeing him. He might even qualify for an experimental drug said to help reverse 90% of the effects of AS, even enhance mobility more.

I signed some papers at reception before noticing my lunch break was coming up.

I bit my lip and thought before looking down.

"Okay JellyBean... What do you have in mind for lunch today?" I asked, my hand over my swollen abdomen.

I found that talking with my baby bump has helped calm me down and cheer me up a little bit. Nikki finds it a little odd, but has spent some time talking with him/her whenever he starts getting nervous or at night before bed. He won't admit it, but he likes it. Hehe.

Nikki and I even went as far to name my baby bump. We decided on some names and decided to settle with JellyBean, which was actually Ian's idea, (he was at our house one day after my ultrasound with Valerie and I showed him a picture of the scan, which he thought looked like a jelly bean. It was a pretty cute comparison, so it stuck).

I felt a flutter against my palm and smiled. Somehow... And maybe this is just that mother-to-fetus intuition thing... Someone, I just understand what he/she is telling me....

"Alright, well.... There are some honey buns in the vending machine nearby... and I think a Twinkie...... Maybe one day of sweets for lunch wouldn't hurt....." I said, debating. "What do you think?"

My thoughts, however, were suddenly pulled away when the entrance doors opened and...

"HELP!!! HELP US, PLEASE!!!" A scream went off and I looked up, surprised at what I saw.

Sharise ran into through, frantic, a sobbing Skylar in her arms.

"Sharise!?" I gasped, standing up and quickly rushing over to them. "Sharise, oh my god, what happened?!"

"She won't stop crying, she's in horrible pain!!" Sharise sobbed.

"Someone get me a gurney, fast, page the pediatrics department as well, stat!!" I shouted, and almost immediately one was rushed to us and Sharise quickly laid Skylar down as she wailed in pain and we rushed her through the halls.

"Skylar, honey, where does it hurt?" I asked frantically as nurses quickly came and worked to help as we sped through the hallway.

"M-My tummy...!" she cried as a nurse tried to help calm her down.

"What could it be!?" Sharise sobbed.

"I don't know, we're gonna find out," she said. "I need 10mg of morphine for her, another 10mg later, get a CT scanner and MRI room prepped now!"

"Yes, ma'am," Allie said as we ran.

***

I sat with Sharise in the waiting room, holding her hand. I could have stayed to help the others, but no way I could leave Sharise on her own when she was at the point of a meltdown.

"I-It could be the flu, right?" she asked frantically.

"She didn't have any symptoms..." I said, rubbing her back. "It could be appendicitis from what was described, but we have to wait until she's stabilized to run some tests."

She let out a shaky breath.

"Shar, you have to calm down, she is in good hands," I said, gently holding her shoulders. "She's gonna be okay. The doctors, the nurses, and my interns are the best at what they do."

Sharise took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but then looked down at my abdomen and furrowed her brows. "Wait...."

I looked down and sighed, moving the flap of my lab coat a little to show her "Yeah...." I said.

Her eyes widen and she looked up. "Mallory... H-How far along......? W-What are you even doing here?! You should be resting o-or something...!"

I sighed. "Four months tomorrow.... Sharise, I'm fine, honest...."

"W-Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, looking hurt.

I sighed, looking at her sadly. "I'm sorry... It was so sudden because I had fainted, that's how I found out, and..... Nikki and I decided not to tell anyone else except only the people who were there at the hospital that day..... Not even our own families know....."

She looked shocked as I took a deep breath.

"And... At the beginning.... Nikki and I considered going for the abortion and hysterectomy option...." I admitted.

Her eyes widen. "O-Ohh.... But.... You know the risks...."

"And if I went along with that, I thought.... It felt like I was giving up...." I said. "Like I was giving up without giving this baby a chance to at least try....."

She frowned, placing her hand over mine. "I just don't want to see you hurting...."

I took a deep breath. "I'm ready for whatever the outcome is...... But I can't give up just yet... Not with the small ounce of hope I have left inside me....."

She looked at me, nodding, holding my hand.

"You have my support for anything. Whatever you need, don't even hesitate," she said. "Okay?"

I smiled and nodded as we pulled each other into a hug.

"I'm sorry I never told you," I said. 

"Its okay... I understand why," she said, and we pull back. "I really do hope you have a chance...."

I smiled softly. "Thank you... I hope I do, too...."

We pulled back and that's when Allie walked up to us.

"Chief Nurse Sixx, may I have a word?" she asked, holding some papers.

I nodded, then looked at Sharise. "I will be right back. Drink your water."

She sniffled and nodded as I got up and walked to the side with Allie, into the hallway.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Skylar's asleep now, we have her settled and on some pain medication," Allie said, but looked upset and worried.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked her, feeling a little scared.

"T-These are your goddaughter's MRI scans," she said, handing me the folder.

I frowned and opened them, examining the image, and that's when I felt my blood freeze over as I looked through the other pages in the file.

"I-Is that...." I said, feeling tears pool.

"Yes, ma'am..." Allie said.

I took a deep breath and quickly closed the folder, keeping calm but feeling the walls caving in.

"T-Type?" I asked, trying to keep it together.

"Unknown yet, ma'am.... Only a biopsy would tell.... But the blood work confirms it is positive...." she said. "I'm sorry....."

I let out a deep breath, looking at Sharise and then back at Allie. "I... I'll tell her mother...."

She nodded as we both walked back into the waiting room, Sharise quickly walking over to us.

"Well? I-Is she okay?" She asked quickly.

"Sharise... Y-You need to sit down... And you need to call Vince, right now..." I said, my hands on her shoulders. "He has to be here, too...."

She frowned with worry as she slowly sat down. "W-What? W-What's going on?"

"Skylar's MRI scans just came back," I said, trying to hold it together. "She.... There's a tumor... In her stomach..."

Sharise went pale, looking at me in horror. "W-What?"

"Skylar.... Has cancer...." I said in a shaky tone.

Sharise stared at me in shock, tears immediately streaming from her eyes. "N-No......"

"She has stomach cancer, Sharise..... We have to run a biopsy to see how bad it is, but....Her cell count is already rising...... I'm so sorry..." I said in a shaky tone as she burst into tears and I quickly pulled her into a hug, letting her cry on my shoulder.

Allie stood there quietly with a sad look on her face.

"Do you want me to call Vince for you?" I asked Sharise after giving her a minute.

She nodded with a sob as she pulled back, wiping her tears away

"Okay... You can go with Allie to see Skylar and I'll call him," I assured.

She sniffled and wiped more of her tears before reaching for her purse.

"H-He got a new cellular phone," she said, grabbing a pen and paper and then scribbling out a phone number. "H-Here...."

I nodded, taking the paper. "Allie, take Miss Ruddell to see her daughter, please.... I'll notify Skylar's father."

Allie nodded as Sharise got up and they walked out to Skylar's room.

I felt tears falling as I sniffled, trying to keep myself composed.

I took the slip of paper and got up, walking to the nurse station and taking the phone.

Before I could punch in the number, I froze.

Its been 2 years since we last spoke..... And now here I am calling him, and the first thing I have to tell him is his daughter was just diagnosed with cancer......

I shook my head, snapping out of it.

"Pull yourself together..... You have to be professional here, Mallie....." I told myself mentally.

Once I composed myself, I dialed the number and hear it ringing.

It wasn't long before the call was answered.

"Yep?" Vince's voice asked.

I took a deep breath. "Vince.....I-I's me."

He was quiet. "...... M-MJ?" He asked, surprised and shocked. "I-Is that really you?"

"Y-Yeah..... L-Look, before you say anything, I-I'm calling as a medical professional here," I explained. "You need to get to LAC as fast as possible. It... Its Skylar..."

"Wait, what?! What happened to Sky?!" he asked, now panicked. "What the hell is going on? W-Where's Sharise!?"

"With her right now..... Just.... Get here, I'll explain everything, I promise. Its better in person...." I said.

"O-Okay... I'm on my way now..." he said in a worried tone before hanging up.

I sighed and put the phone back on the receiver and sighed, rubbing my temples.

Can't we ever catch a break?

***

"Okay, thank you so much, Dr. Stoneman," I said, getting off the phone with a pediatric oncologist who is friends with Dr. Watkins and asked her if he could come and take Skylar in as a patient.

I had met Dr. Vanessa Stoneman at a gala hosted by the hospital almost a year ago and we had hit it off pretty well. Considering she's in St. Jude's hospital not far from here, I don't always see her but if we do get a patient with cancer rushed into the ER, she's the first called in and at times for the transport.

I walked back to the room, Sharise still crying outside with her mom and Heather, who I had called to come stay with her, comforting her.

Vince, who had also arrived, sat with his daughter in her room. Skylar was also given an IV with pain medication to help put her at ease a bit.

"I just got off the phone with Dr. Stoneman, she's one of the best pediatric oncologists in the state, a good acquaintance of mine. I faxed her Skylar's file," I said to them. "She's gonna be taking Skylar as her patient and have her transferred to St. Jude's not far from here for treatment. She'll be here tomorrow morning to help transfer her."

They sighed with relief as Sharise got up and pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you so so much, Mal," she cried as I wrapped my arms around her. "I am forever in your debt."

"Think nothing of it, Shar. Anything for my goddaughter," I said, rubbing her back.

"What about the insurance?" Mrs. Ruddell asked.

"Don't worry, ma'am, I'll be seeing to the finances," I assured.

"What?! No, Mallory, please, you don't have to do that!" Sharise gasped, holding my hands as she pulled back. "You have your family to think about!"

"Skylar is my family, and so are you," I said sternly, holding her hands. "I'll talk with Nikki once I get home, but taking care of the financial part for you is the least I can do. You just need to worry about is being there for her and helping her get through this. Cancer can be a very long battle, Shar, and she needs her family now more than ever."

Sharise hesitated, but then sighed and nodded. "O-Okay...."

I nodded and then looked through the window, seeing Vince was sat next to Skylar, talking to her.

These last two years have taken its toll on him.... Somehow, I can tell he was hurting even before today.....

"Mallory... D-Do you need a moment?" Heather asked, as if she knew what I was thinking.

I looked over and sighed. "Ummm.... Y-Yeah... Please....."

"Are you going to be okay?" Sharise asked worriedly.

I nodded. "I will...." I said. "Shar, you should get something to eat."

She sighed as Mrs. Ruddell held her daughter's hand. "She's right, honey. Let's get you something at the cafeteria, help you calm down a little."

Sharis sighed and nodded. "Okay...."

"Call me if anything. I can take you home later, since you need to rest," Heather said. "I'll call Nikki."

I nodded. "Okay."

They headed down the hall and I took a deep breath as I placed my hand over my small bump.

"Ready to meet your Uncle Vince, Jelly?" I asked before quietly walking inside, staying at the door as I heard their conversation.

"I don't like it here, Daddy.... Make it go away," Skylar begged her father in tears.

"I know, sweetheart," Vince said softly as he reached over and held her hand. "You're just gonna be here just a little while longer, okay?"

"But why?" she whimpered.

Vince hesitated to answer, as if thinking of what to tell her.

"Well..... You see, sweetheart...." he said. "You have something growing in your tummy..."

"Like when Mommy had me growing in her tummy?" Skylar asked.

Vince shook his head. "No, honey. It's more like....." he said, thinking, then spoke. "Its more like a flower.... You have a flower growing in your tummy, but it's a type of flower that's not supposed to be there..."

I pursed my lips as I held back tears.

"....And so the doctors, they're gonna make you sleep, just a little bit, while they do an operation," he explained as best as he could.

Skylar listened but was still nervous. "After the doctor takes the flower out, then I can go home?"

Vince nodded his head. "Yeah...." he said softly. "Yeah. Then you can go home."

I wiped at a stray tear as I watched Vince hold his daughter's little hand.

I then slowly walked over, standing behind him before gently placing my hand on his back.

He turned and looked up at me, and I gave him a small, sad smile.

"Hi...." I said quietly.

He took a deep, nervous breath. "Hey..."

"Auntie MJ, will I really go home when the doctor takes the flower out?" Skylar asked me.

"Oh, baby girl, of course," I said, sitting at her side. "A good friend of mine is gonna be taking very good care of you. Once she takes the flower out and you feel better, you can come home and you can even sleepover at mine and Uncle Nikki's house, and play with Jack all day. He misses you very much."

"Is he big now?" she asked.

"Yeah, he is, and still growing," I smiled at her, softly tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I promise, you're going to be okay, sweetie."

She did her best to relax as I took a deep breath.

"Why don't you get some sleep, honey? You must be tired," I said. "Once you're rested I'll have a nurse bring some food for you."

She took a deep breath and nodded as I tucked her in, Vince kissing the back of her hand.

It wasn't long until she was asleep that I looked over at Vince.

"You look thinner...." I mumbled.

He looked over at me and sighed.

"Just going through some stuff..." he said quietly.

I pursed my lips and looked down.

"You look different...." he said. "Not a bad different, just.... Different...."

I looked up at him, then took a deep breath before moving my coat aside, showing my small baby bump.

"I'm pregnant...." I said.

His eyes widen as he looked at my bump and then at me.

"Today I'm officially four months along...." I said.

"MJ...." I said. "B-But last time...."

"I know...." I said. "Nikki and I at first  we were contemplating the abortion and hysterectomy option so we can figure out our other options, but... Thinking about it, I thought.... I thought doing all of that that would mean I was giving up too easily.... And you and I know giving up never ended well for either of us back then...."

He pursed his lips, looking down.

"I'm prepared for whatever outcome happens.... But I can't give up on what could be one last chance.... Not just yet.... Not without trying...." I said.

He looked up at me, eyes still a little filled with worry, but nodded.

"MJ..." He said, making me look over at him.

"Hm?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I...." He said, seeing scared. "I'm so sorry.... I-I hurt you, and..."

I shook my head and placed my hand over his. "Don't.... Even though what you did was wrong, what I said wasn't right either..... I crossed a line, too, I should have never bought Skylar into that conversation."

"Doesn't mean I had the right to hit you," he said, shaking his head, looking away. "I'm practically as bad as that bastard that nearly beat you to death years ago."

I frowned. "Hey...... You are nothing like that monster, Vince," I snapped. "That animal is rotting in a cell because of what he did to me, which was way worse than what you did. You didn't crack my skull open, o-or break my ribs, bruised almost all my organs, landed me in a coma that almost turned into a permanent dirt nap because of my abusive, deadbeat father!"

He gulped and looked up at me nervously.

"A punch in the mouth is bad, yeah, but it's nothing compared to what that son of a bitch did to me back in Arizona, I should have been dead after that kind of beating!" I said, then calmed down. "It wasn't the punch that hurt me, though, I could have moved on.... What made it hurt was that it came from one of you four...."

He frowned. 

"Neither one of you have ever hit me, not once," I said. "Not even Nikki did, even during his heroin binges. Grabbed me, yeah, but.... Never once did he hit me.... I was hurting so much after that.... I had lost my daughter... I lost my sobriety.... I felt like I was losing my sanity.... and then... Then I lost my best friend....."

He looked down in shame. "I know.... Not a day went by that I regretted what I did so much..... You're like another sister to me, and.... I fucked up so bad...."

I frowned, feeling tears in my eyes.

"MJ... I'm so sorry.... I'm sorry I took out my anger on you, and never bothered to make things right, and-"

I just grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a tight hug, feeling tears pool my own eyes.

"H-How could you just forgive me?" He whimpered in shock."I laid a hand on you, s-said those things...."

"Because..." I said, tightening my hug. "You are my brother... You were there for me, too, almost more than anyone else... The first one to greet me on my birthdays, on holidays.... First one to comfort me when Nikki broke my heart back then, the first to check up on me when I was hurting, who stood at my side when I tried to take my life both times, who rescued me that rainy night ..... Who stood at my side in rehab through everything, who encouraged me on stage.... The day of the accident I was more than glad that you had survived, despite everything because losing Razzle for me was bad enough, especially after losing our son...."

We pulled back and I held his face in my hands.

"What happened that day is behind me.... And I want to leave it there..." I said. "I want us to move on, be the close knit friends again, like we were back then..."

He sniffled as he looked at me. "Me too....."

I smiled as we pulled each other into a tight hug, him being careful with my bump. 

At that moment, I felt this weight just lifted off my chest, and clung to Vince tighter.

"I missed you...." I murmured. "So, so much..."

He sniffled and held me close. "I missed you, too.... You have no idea the billions of times I wished you were there when I really needed you..."

"Well, I'm here now," I said as I pulled back, smiling at him.

He smiled back at me, looking relieved and happy.

I'm glad to have my best friend back.....

~~~~~

Decided to post another chapter just because. 🤷🏻‍♀️

What do you guys think about Mal and Vince making up?

Also, a quick shoutout to the amazing BansheeMoonsong for helping me out with some Crüe facts. Thanks for everything! 😁🌻

🎧 Currently in Sapph's playlist:

Ava Max "Torn"

♡~ sapphire.