Every year in grade school, I participated in my district’s Young Authors writing contest.  A winning story was chosen from every class, Grades 2-8, and an overall top three were selected for the district.  I won for my class every year from 4th grade onward, and in 8th grade, my story won first place for the whole district.  I had discovered from reading previous winners’ stories that if you wrote about a serious topic, you had a better chance of winning, so I went for the drama!  This was the year before I started writing fanfic, and you can sure see my fanfic roots in this story.  Sound like any fanfics (or Lurlene McDaniel books) you know? =P

 

 

A Season of Miracles

 

Josh Crandall was 16 years old.  He was a star basketball player and was good at many other sports, such as baseball, track, and swimming.  He was active in numerous activities at Riverton High, where he was a sophomore.  He was very cute, tall, and thin, with big blue eyes, light brown hair, and a dazzling smile.  He was admired by a majority of the girls at Riverton.  He was a top student and all the teachers liked him.  Mainly, Josh was an all around great guy, and he had all the qualities that any guy would want:  athletic ability, good looks, intelligence, and popularity.

 

It was true that almost all the girls adored him.  However, there was only one girl that Josh wanted, and that was Christine Lewis.  Christine was a beautiful girl, with long blonde hair that cascaded down her back in soft golden waves.  She had extraordinary emerald green eyes, and a beautiful smile.  She was 16, like Josh, and was a sophomore cheerleader for the basketball team.  She was smart, athletic, and popular, which was very much like Josh.  Maybe that was why he yearned for her so much.

 

Josh had had a crush on Christine since seventh grade.  However, she had never noticed how much he loved her.  When Josh became a hot property in high school, she realized what a great guy he was.  Finally, she fell for him, and they started going out.  They had been dating steadily for over a year, and were deeply in love.

 

Now it was late fall.  The colorful leaves had fallen off of the trees, leaving them barren and empty.  Winter would soon be arriving in the small town of Riverton, Michigan.  Basketball season had just started, and it was the first home game of the year against the Greenville Giants, who were rivals of the Riverton Raiders.  Everyone had been looking forward to the game for weeks.  The bleachers filled up quickly, as more and more excited fans arrived.  As the game started, Christine watched josh, who was part of the starting line-up.  He looked tired.  Christine knew that he hadn’t felt well for the past few days.  He’s probably got the flue already,” she thought, sympathetically.

 

Towards the end of the first quarter, Coach Thomas pulled Josh out.  Josh sat on the bench, looking exhausted.  Christine left the cheerleaders momentarily and went over to him.

 

“Are you all right?” she asked in a concerned voice.

 

“I’m fine!” he snapped.  Christine stepped back, surprised.  “Sorry,” he said sheepishly.  “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”

 

“That’s okay,” she said, studying him intently.  He looked pale to her.  She glanced down at his long legs and noticed several large bruises.  “Josh,” she said, “where did you get all these big bruises?  Did you hurt yourself at basketball practice or something?”

 

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, looking down at his legs.  “Don’t you think you’d better go cheer?” he said self-consciously.  He pointed to the other cheerleaders.

 

“Yeah, I guess I should,” she said, walking away slowly.  She still felt worried about him.

 

Josh sat out for most of the game, looking worn out and feverish, and cheered his team on half-heartedly.  It was a close game, but the Raiders pulled ahead in the last minute to achieve a victory against the Giants.  After the game, Josh left right away, not staying around to celebrate with his excited teammates.  Christine didn’t even get a chance to tell him good-bye.

 

The next day was a Friday.  Usually, Christine and Josh went out on Friday nights.  However, Christine knew that Josh wouldn’t feel up to going out that night, so she invited him over to her house to hang out and watch movies for the evening.

 

When Josh arrived, he put his arms around Christine and kissed her lovingly.  She returned his kiss with a burst of passion, and looked at him fondly.  He still looked pale to her, and she noticed dark circles under his eyes.

 

“Do you feel okay?” Christine asked, knowing that he didn’t.

 

“Not really,” Josh admitted.

 

“Maybe you should go to a doctor,” she suggested.  Josh made a face.

 

“I don’t want to go to a doctor!” he said stubbornly.  “It’s just the stupid flu.  Why waste tons of money to have a doctor tell you what you already know?”

 

Christine didn’t have an answer.  She decided to change the subject.  “Well, what movie should we watch?” she asked.  They decided on Titanic, and sat back on the couch to watch the passionate love story.  Josh draped his arm around Christine’s shoulder, and she snuggled close to him.

 

After the three hours and twenty minutes of the movie, Josh could barely hold his head up, he was so tired.  Christine suggested he go home and get a good night’s sleep.  Josh wearily kissed her goodnight and left.

 

The next day, when Christine called Josh, there was no answer.  She tried to call him all day, but he still was not at home.

 

Later that evening, the phone rang.  Christine’s mother answered it.

 

“It’s for you, honey!” she called to Christine.  Christine was sprawled across her bed.

 

“Hello?” she said, grabbing the phone in her pale blue and yellow bedroom.

 

“Hi, Chris,” Josh said.

 

“Where have you been all day?” asked Christine.

 

“My mom finally made me go see Dr. Benson,” he replied flatly.

 

“Oh,” said Christine.  “What did she say?”

 

Josh took a deep breath.  “He said he wasn’t sure if it was just the flu or not.  He made me go to the hospital for tests.”

 

“What!” Christine gasped.  “Oh, Josh, honey, are you all right?  How long do you have to stay?”

 

“Calm down, Christine.  It’s all right.  I’m fine.  I won’t be here that long, just a few days or so,” he said.

 

“Can I come and see you?” Christine asked, her voice trembling.

 

“Sure you can, tomorrow,” he replied.

 

“Okay,” said Christine.  “I’ll be there bright and early.”

 

“I have to go now,” Josh said.  “My room number is 409.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Sure,” said Christine.  “I love you.”  Josh blew a kiss over the phone and hung up.  Christine hung up the receiver and flopped back onto her pillows, feeling empty and alone.  Being very sensitive, she began to cry softly.

 

That night, Christine tossed and turned, unable to sleep while her beloved Josh was alone in the hospital.

 

The next morning, she awoke much earlier than usual.  Luckily, there was no school that day due to conferences.  Christine quickly took a shower and got dressed.  Her mother offered her breakfast.  Christine tried to eat the food, but it seemed tasteless and bland, very unappealing to her.  She pushed the plate aside.  She tried to keep herself busy for awhile, since it was too early to go to the hospital.  Finally, at 8:45, she headed for the hospital.  It took 15 minutes to get to Riverton Memorial Hospital, so she arrived right at nine.  She found Josh’s room and knocked timidly.

 

“Come in,” said Josh.  Christine entered the room hesitantly.  She saw Josh sitting in bed in the hospital room, which was hideously decorated with mint green and white tile and ugly tan walls.  Josh was wearing a pale blue hospital gown and a hospital bracelet.  Christine felt uncomfortable, for she had hated hospitals ever since her grandfather had died in one when she was seven.

 

“Oh Chris, you came!” Josh said brightly, interrupting her thoughts.

 

“Of course I did,” she said, managing a smile.  She went to his bed and hugged him tightly.  “Have they done anything to you yet?” she asked.

 

“Not yet,” he replied.  “They start testing later on today.”  They visited a little longer, until a nurse came into the room, pushing an empty wheelchair.

 

“Hi,” she said cheerfully.  “You must be Josh.  My name is Terri.  I’m going to take you down for a couple of tests now, okay?”

 

“Sure,” Josh said, sounding rather unsure.  Terri settled him into the wheelchair.

 

“I’d better go now, Josh,” Christine said, not wanting to hang around the hospital by herself.  “I’ll call you later.”

 

“Okay,” Josh said, as the nurse started to push him down the hall.

 

Later that afternoon, she called him.

 

“Hello?” he said, picking up the phone in his hospital room.

 

“Hi, Josh.  It’s me,” Christine said brightly.

 

“Oh, hey Chris!” he said.

 

“Are you finished with your tests?” she asked.

 

“For today, I am,” he said.

 

“Did the doctors tell you anything?” asked Christine.

 

“Nope,” he replied.

 

“I’ve got school tomorrow, so I’ll come see you right after, okay?”

 

“Sure, sounds good.”  They talked a few more minutes, then blew kisses and said good-bye.

 

The next day was a Tuesday.  Christine drove home after school just long enough to drop off her books.  Then she went to the hospital.

 

When she arrived, Josh was propped up against some pillows, hooked to an IV.  She hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back.

 

“What’s that for?” she asked, pointing to the IV.

 

“It’s a blood transfusion,” he answered.  “Dr. Benson said my blood count was a little low.  It’s supposed to make me feel better.”

 

“Oh,” said Christine.  “Have you had anymore tests today?”

 

“Yes,” he said.  “One was awful.  They stuck this giant needle into my hip.”  He grimaced.

 

“It sounds horrible!” she cried, embracing him once again, and kissing him.

 

Christine stayed until dinnertime.  Then Josh’s mother, Maggie Crandall, and his five-year-old sister, Jessica, arrived.  They greeted Christine warmly.  Christine had always liked Josh’s family, and they liked her.  Christine thought Jessica was especially adorable, with her soft brown hair, big blue eyes, and sweet smile.

 

The next afternoon, when she got there, Josh told her that his doctor would be coming after dinner to discuss the results of his tests with Josh and his family.  Christine stayed and ate dinner with the Crandalls.  Just after they finished, the doctor came.  Dr. Leonard Benson was young.  He was tall and had blonde hair and blue eyes.  Christine decided that she should let him talk to Josh and his family alone, so she went out into the hall.  Mrs. Crandall sent Jessica out with her.

 

Feeling uneasy, Christine settled Jessica and herself into the hard plastic chairs in the waiting room.

 

After what seemed like hours, the door opened, and Dr. Benson walked out.  Jessica ran into the room, and Christine followed slowly.  She peered into the room.  Josh was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding tightly onto his mother’s hand.  His mother was crying softly, her other hand covering her face.  She glanced up when Jessica and Christine came in.  Her face was full of grief.  She brushed her tears away and let go of her son’s hand.  Then she stood up and took Jessica’s hand.

 

“Come on, honey,” she said, tearfully.  “Josh and Christine have to talk.”  She led Jessica out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

 

Christine was ice cold inside.  She knew that something was terribly wrong.

 

“I have leukemia,” Josh said, his voice trembling.  “Cancer.”  Christine gasped and burst into tears.

 

“No!” she cried, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing.  He wrapped his arms around her and held her so tight she could barely breathe.

 

“I have to stay here and start chemo,” he said softly.  Christine looked up at him.  She knew about chemotherapy and what it did to a person.  She cried even harder.  “Please don’t cry,” he begged, trying to comfort her.  “I’ll be all right.”  They held onto each other for a long while, and eventually, the tears slowed.

 

“I love you, Josh,” said Christine softly.

 

“I love you too,” Josh said, stroking her hair.  Later, his mother and Jessica came back.  Christine saw the frightened look in little Jessica’s face and knew that her mother explained what was wrong with Josh.

 

The next day, Josh started chemo.  It made him very nauseous and he threw up constantly.  Christine still visited everyday after school.  During school, she could not concentrate on her classes.  All she thought of was her darling Josh.

 

After about a week, Josh got used to the chemo.  It still made him sick, but not quite as bad as before.  However, there were other side effects.  His hair had started to fall out.  As the days passed, it fell out until he was completely bald.  Christine bought him a new Nike baseball cap to cover his head.  Josh wore the cap almost constantly.  He great weak and was sick and tired all the time.  Sometimes, he couldn’t even stay awake to talk to Christine.

 

He stayed in the hospital for many weeks.  Finally, his cancer went into remission, and he was aloud to go home from the hospital.

 

It was very near Christmas.  Christine knew that money was going to be tight for Josh’s family this Christmas, especially because of all Josh’s hospital bills.  Christine’s family was very generous, buying nice gifts for Josh, Jessica, and their mother.  They even invited the Crandalls over for Christmas dinner.

 

Josh didn’t go back to school for several weeks.  He rested at home.  He took many pills, and was still weak, for all the side effects of the chemo had not worn off.

 

By mid-January, Josh was aloud to go back to school.  It was hard for him.  He had missed lots of school and had to have a tutor to help him get caught up.  People stared at him and whispered.  He didn’t have the energy or strength to resume playing basketball, but he still went to every game and sat with the team, cheering them on.

 

One day, Christine was sitting at her desk doing homework.  Suddenly, the picture on her desk caught her eye.  It was a picture of her and Josh when they were freshmen at the Homecoming Dance.  They both looked so happy and carefree.  Christine looked at Josh’s smiling face and wished things were back to normal.  Josh was not at all like his old self.  He had lost tons of weight and was unbelievably thin and gaunt.  He was pale and sickly looking, and he was still bald.

 

By March, Josh was back to normal.  He had gained back some weight, and his hair was growing back quickly.  He had much more energy, and didn’t look so pale and tired.  He had started working out to get back his strength.

 

When track season started, Josh got onto the team.  He was not nearly as fast and as good as before, but he worked hard, and increased his speed and strength every day, never giving up.

 

By the time school got out for the summer, Josh’s hair had grown back to it’s normal length.  He had regained all his weight and muscle, so he looked just like his old self.  He still went to see Dr. Benson every three months, but his last check-up in May went great.

 

Over the summer, Josh and Christine both got jobs working as lifeguards at the community pool.  They liked their work, and they loved being together every day.  Everything seemed perfect in the world.

 

The summer passed, and school started again.  Josh had another check-up in August, and once again, everything looked perfect.  Christine was confident that Josh was over leukemia.

 

Fall came around again, and Josh made the basketball team.  Now that he was a junior, he played on the varsity team.  Christine got on the varsity cheerleading squad.  Things seemed perfect still.  They knew they were deeply in love, and nothing could change that.

 

Josh had another doctor’s appointment in the middle of November.  It was on a Friday, so he missed school for it.  Christine wanted to go with him, but her parents wouldn’t let her miss school.  She sat in school all day, trying to concentrate, but she couldn’t.  She was glad when the day was over, and she could go home.

 

As soon as she got home, Christine went to her room to call Josh.  However, as she approached the phone, it rang, startling her.

 

“Hello?” she said, answering the call.

 

“Christine?” a voice said.

 

“This is she,” Christine replied.

 

“Oh, Chris!  It’s Mrs. Crandall.”

 

“Hi, Mrs. Crandall!  How are you?  How’s Josh?”  Christine felt nervous, feeling like something was wrong.

 

“Christine, I have bad news,” Mrs. Crandall said.  “Josh has relapsed.”  For a moment, Christine couldn’t breathe.  She could not believe it.  “Are you there, dear?” Mrs. Crandall asked.

 

“I’m here,” Christine said, choking back tears.  “How could this have happened?  He looked so good and healthy.”

 

“I don’t know,” said Mrs. Crandall.  “Dr. Benson said the cancer has spread into his bone marrow.”

 

“That’s awful, isn’t it?” Christine asked softly.

 

“Yes,” Mrs. Crandall said gravely.

 

“Does he have to go through chemo again?” asked Christine.

 

“For now, he will start it again,” she said.  “His only real hope though, is a bone marrow transplant.”

 

Now Christine was even more ready to break down and cry.  She knew that it could be hard to get donor bone marrow for a transplant.  To be a good donor, a person would have to have the same blood type.  Even then, Josh could face rejecting the marrow.

 

The next day was a Saturday, so Christine could spend the whole day at the hospital with Josh.  She went as early as possible.  She found Josh’s room once again, and knocked.

 

“Come in,” came his voice.  Christine walked in.  Josh lay in the bed, looking pale and tired once again.  When he saw her though, he perked up.  Christine ran to him and flung herself into his open arms.  She buried her face against his chest, as he cradled her lovingly.

 

“I’m so glad you came,” he said.  “I missed you.”

 

“I missed you too,” she cried, snuggling closer.  “Where’s your mom and Jessica?”

 

“They are being tested to see if they would be compatible donors.”

 

“Do you think they will be?” asked Christine.

 

“I sure hope so,” he said.

 

A few minutes later, Mrs. Crandall and Jessica came back.  Jessica was crying.

 

“She’s afraid of needles,” Mrs. Crandall explained.  She went to her son and hugged him.

 

“Do they have the results yet?” be asked, hopefully.

 

“Not yet,” his mother answered.  “The doctor is going to come talk about it with us later.”

 

Dr. Benson arrived after lunch.  Christine stayed in the room this time.  She clutched Josh’s hand as the young doctor cleared his throat.  “I’m sorry to tell you,” he started, “but neither of you would make a good enough match.  It would be much too risky to use either of you.  We need to look for a better match.”  Christine’s heart sank.  Then, all of a sudden, she had an idea.

 

“Wait!” she cried.  “You could test me.  I would do anything to be a donor.”  The doctor thought about it.

 

“You could be tested, if you have parental consent,” he said.

 

Christine’s parents weren’t thrilled, but they consented to have her be tested.  She went in the next day to have the tests run.  After the tests, the doctor told her that he would see her in Josh’s room after lunch to reveal the results.

 

Dr. Benson was right on schedule.  When he arrived, Christine’s heart lodged in her throat.  She gripped Josh’s hand again.  His hand was ice cold.  She prepared herself for the worst as the doctor began to talk.

 

“I believe that Christine would actually be a good match,” he said, a smile on his face.  Christine could hardly believe it.  Josh threw his arms around her joyfully.

 

“I love you so much!” he whispered into her ear.

 

“I love you too!” she said, with tears of joy streaming down her face.  Josh’s mother was crying too.

 

Dr. Benson explained the transplant process.  Christine would be put to sleep while some of her bone marrow was removed.  Then, Josh would receive it through an IV.

 

Christine called her parents right away.  They couldn’t believe it.  Her mother was very worried about her going through with it, but her father was glad.  They agreed to let her be a donor.

 

Over the next few days, the doctors ran tests on both Josh and Christine.  One week later, when the testing was finished, Josh was moved into an isolated room where everything was sterile and clean.  He was then started on immune suppressant drugs, which would knock out his immune system so he would be less likely to reject the new bone marrow.  This also meant he would not be able to fight germs.  No one could go in without dressing in special gowns, masks, and hats.  This was to protect him from germs.

 

Josh took the immune suppressant drugs for a little over a week before he could have the transplant.  Some of the drugs made him sick like the chemo had done.  They also made his hair fall out again.

 

The night before the transplant, Christine was checked into the hospital.  She spent most of the evening in Josh’s room and then went to bed early.

 

The next morning, she woke up early.  She wanted to see Josh before was given the anesthesia, but the nurse said that there wasn’t time.  Christine felt panicked without Josh, but after the medicine started working, she felt relaxed.  She went through the short operation fine, and slept most of the day.  When she awoke, it was the next morning.  She was stiff and sore from the operation, but all she wanted was to see Josh.  The nurse let her walk down the hall to his room.

 

When she got there, Josh was lying in bed.  He looked less pale than when she had last seen him, which was a good sign.  He was tired, but glad to see her.  She went to his bed and wrapped her arms around him gently.

 

“How are you?” she asked.

 

“I’m fine.  I’m tired though,” he replied.  “How are you doing?”

 

“I’m pretty sore, but it was worth it,” she said.  They talked with each other a little longer until a nurse came and told Christine to go back to her room, so Josh could get his rest.  On her way out of the room, she saw Mrs. Crandall.

 

“Hi Christine!  How are you doing, dear?” she asked.

 

“I’m all right,” Christine told her.

 

“I have good news,” Mrs. Crandall said.  “I just saw Dr. Benson, and he said that the marrow is working!”

 

“That’s wonderful!” Christine cried.  She was overjoyed.

 

A few days later though, Josh developed an infection.  This was bad because of the immune suppressant drugs he was on.  He was not able to fight off the infection.  As the days passed, his condition grew worse.  He went into a coma, and it seemed as if he was barely alive.  The doctors pumped him full of antibiotics to fight the infection, but they didn’t seem to be helping.  Christine sat by his bed as long as she could.  She talked to him, begging him to get well, not knowing if he could even hear her.  She cried until she thought her heart would break and prayed for a miracle.

 

One day, Christine’s prayers were answered.  She was sitting in the waiting room outside Josh’s room, sipping a soda absent-mindedly and waiting for her turn to go see him.  Josh’s mother was in the room with him.  Suddenly, she burst out.

 

“Christine!  Christine!” she cried.  “He’s awake!  My baby’s awake!”  Christine leapt up from her chair and bolted into the room as fast as the wind.  Josh was lying on the bed hooked up to many pieces of equipment, but his eyes were open.

 

“Josh?” she cried.

 

“Chris?  Is that you?” he asked groggily.

 

“It’s me,” she said, blinking back joyful tears.  She went to him, and put her arms around him tenderly.  She felt his arms wrap around her back, and she cuddled up beside him.  That’s when she began to cry, full of relief.

 

The next day, Josh was feeling better.  The infection was gone, and although he was weak and fatigued, he was alive.  Dr. Benson took a sample of Josh’s new bone marrow and told them that it was working fine.  Josh recovered steadily over the next few days, and he was discharged from the hospital a week and a half later, just before Christmas.  By the next year, all traces of Josh’s cancer were gone, and he and Christine were living in perfect harmony with everything in the world.  As Christine looked back on their experience, she realized that Christmas was truly a special time for them all that year.  She would always call it the season of miracles.



Epilogue

 

Josh’s leukemia never returned.  He and Christine dated all through he rest of high school and college.  Christine became a teacher, and Josh became a pediatric oncologist.  They were married after college and had a son, who they named after his father.  They ,lived happily ever after for the rest of their lives.

 

The End

 

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