Episode 873: This Love

“Are you alright?”

“Don’t worry,” he said, “I’m not cured yet, so you don’t have to worry about getting a life of your own, you can keep butting into mine with your donor crusades instead.”

Caroline kicked his foot.

He wasn’t mad about it, it actually made him kind of smile, it was nice that one person forgot to treat him like he’s totally fragile.

“I’m trying to help,” she said, “you’d don’t have to be a jerk about it.”

He opened his eyes. She looked like she’d had a really sad morning and he knew he wasn’t improving it. “Sorry,” he said and he meant it.

“So, what are you doing out here?” Caroline asked.

“I didn’t collapse here or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking, I’m okay.” He held up his hall pass. “I took a detour from the bathroom. It’s the one place I’m allowed to go on my own, so I thought I’d take advantage of some alone time.”

“Alone time,” she echoed. “Is that your not so subtle way of telling me to go away?”

Jesse thought it over, though not for long. “Stay a bit if you want.”

He took off his hoodie and laid it out beside him to protect her dress from the ground.

“Thanks,” Caroline said as she sat beside him.

“How come you’re just getting to school now?” He asked, gesturing to the backpack slung over her shoulder.

“My-” Caroline shook her head. “There’s something going on at home.” She hurried to add, “it’ll be okay eventually. I’m okay. It’s just… not great, and it’s even lousier because it’s happening when you, you know, I’m already upset over everything with you and-” She shook her head again. “No matter what I’m dealing with it doesn’t compare to your situation, I shouldn’t complain about the heavy emotional stuff I’m going through when yours is so much worse.”

Jesse wanted to ask her what her family thing was, but the way he’d been so insistent that she stay out of his business, it would kind of be hypocritical, besides, she had a boyfriend to help her with her problems, a nice healthy boyfriend, so nice he even took part in the donor drive for her ex. Still, Jesse had that same old desire to comfort Caroline, maybe he couldn’t fix her family thing since she wasn’t volunteering any information, but he could share something about his health that might give her a little hope even if he wasn’t sure of how he felt about it yet or whether he would pursue it.

“I’ve been thinking the last couple days,” he said, “about someone who might be a donor match, if we can find him, if I want to find him.”

Episode 874: Save Me