shane's story
shane’s story - chapter nine
Shane’s dad picked him up at the airport. Shane immediately picked up that something was wrong. His dad wasn’t happy enough for the grandson. "I’m taking you straight to the hospital, Shane." "Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong?" Shane was so nervous. "Because Nana wants to tell you but your baby is fine, Shane. He’s a little beauty and a fighter."
Nana had only just woken up when Shane came in. His dad had dropped him off and then driven on. "Nana, my sweet girl," Shane whispered and kissed her. Oh he had missed her. "How are you?" He caressed her cheeks and looked admiring into her beautiful eyes.
"Have you seen him?" Shane shook his head slowly. "No. I wanted to see you first. How are you?" "You’ve got to see him, Shane. He is so beautiful. Let’s go there." Shane’s worry grew. Why was she avoiding his question? He decided to let it rest, and then go and see the baby. Wrapped in a warm housecoat, Nana sat in a wheelchair and Shane pushed her.
He absolutely couldn’t understand that that little thin and scrawny sleeping baby in that incubator was his son. Both Nana and Shane’s dad were right; the boy was beautiful. "What are we gonna name him?" Shane squatted in front of Nana.
"Kieran." Nana whispered. Shane felt weird; Nana had fought against that name since they started talking about names. "But why? How come?" Nana’s hands started shaking and her lips shivering and tears filled her eyes.
"Nana, when are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?" He took her hands and looked pleading into her eyes. He was scared. Nana started crying and though she tried, she couldn’t stop. Shane put his arms around her. He felt shattered, though he didn’t know what was wrong.
"They found out why I have been sick almost all of the time, Shane. And it’s not good news." Nana had calmed down and was able to tell him it all. "What, Nana? Why?"
She looked at him with despair. "I have cancer, Shane and there’s nothing they can do." "WHAT?" Shane was so sure he had heard wrong. "It’s true, Shane. It’s spread so much."
Shane shook his head. "No, Nana, no, they must be mistaken you can’t have. Oh my God." Shane clasped his hands over his face. This was just too unbelievable. It just couldn’t be true. "They’re not mistaken, Shane. I’m dying." Nana was afraid and unhappy.
Shane took her in his arms and held her. His mind said it was true when she said it, but his heart was of another opinion. "I might have 3 or 4 months left...I would really love to see my mother and sisters before that." Her voice was calm but thin. She had not thought of much else since yesterday.
"I’ll make them come, Nana. Or do you want to go to them?" "I want to stay here. Also then after. I want to be here, close to you." Shane nodded. "I’ll make them come, even if I have to carry them.
Shane sat in the waiting area at the hospital. He couldn’t remember the telephone number to his dad. And Nicky and the lads were in Germany. Nicky. Shane knew his number in and out. He went to a card phone and inserted his Visa card and punched in Nicky’s mobile number. It took a while but finally a very sleepy Nicky answered.
"Nicky, it’s Shane, I really need to talk." Nicky was awake in a second. "Shane? What is it? How is the baby?" "The baby is fine, Nicky but Nana is really sick." "How? What’s wrong?" "She’s dying, Nicky. She has terminated cancer. I don’t know what to do." Nicky was like paralysed. "Oh God. Is that why she was so sick all the time?" "Yeah, it was."
The two guys talked and talked for such a long while. Shane told Nicky everything he knew, how Nana had started bleeding and to save the baby AND her, they had decided to take the baby out, and during that, they had found a big tumour inside her, with loads of metastasis everywhere they looked.
