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Stevie doesn’t say a word, but plops the huge beach bag on the floor and starts ruh it Out comes a beach towel that he unfolds and lays on the floor a few feet fro station, which he places under the palm tree He never looks at me, but takes his iPod and connects it With a feipes of his finger over the screen, the sounds of ocean waves and seagulls crying out fill the air around ivesout another docking station that he sits on the other side of my chair He pulls his phone out of his pocket and connects it Within moments, the soft strains of Hawaiian music can be heard

"You are unbelievable," I say in awe

"I’ back into his beach bag, he pulls out two plastic cups shaped like halved coconut shells Stevie opens the cooler, dips in for soer ale He pours some for me and then places a straw and a freakin’ little paper umbrella on the side

"Your cocktail, madame," he says with flourish as he presents my cup to me As soon as I take it, he whips one of the leis off and places it over ers absently stroke the soft flower petals

Stevie pours himself a drink and then sits down on the beach towel in front ofsure his sarong stays demurely tucked in "Today’s chemo theme is Tropical Paradise Do you like?"

"I love," I whisper to hi to like this"

Stevie shrugs "I’ll take it out if they wantBesides, this place can be a drag I wanted to liven it up for you a bit"

Taking another sip of ginger ale, I just shtfulness Stevie gives irl is still staring at us

"You want to get in on some of this beach action?" he asks her, and she lowers her eyes shyly Herwith her, shter to whisper in her ear

Stevie pops up fro, and walks up to the girl and herout on ot coconut cups for you and your ht even perforirl looks up at Stevie with big, unblinking eyes but doesn’t say a word He turns to herwith us?"

"Sure," the mom says, and she sticks her hand out to Stevie "I’hted and honored," Stevie says as he shakes Amelia’s hand and then holds his hand out to Ruby She looks to be about seven or eight years old, and although she hesitates for a moives it a gentle shake "You irl I’ve ever seen in ain

I watch in quiet disbelief but with absolute pride in my friend as Stevie squats down to the wheels at the bottom of Ruby’s recliner and unlocks the brakes While he rolls her chair over closer to me, just on the other side of the palets her situated, he locks the brakes and then brings her mom’s chair over

When everyone is settled, Stevie reaches back into his goodie bag and pulls out soer ale for Ainger ale to the rest of the patients before returning to his beach towel and plopping down

Stevie and A chatter while Ruby and I relax and absorb our drugs She’s very quiet, but every tiht up and her lips curve into a shy s in our beach setup with a smirk, but she doesn’t say a word

After about an hour, I’m drowsy, so I shutukulele lull h I sit here with a needle inpoison into my body so that it can kill another poison in my body, I can’t help but have a satisfied smile on my face

--

"Damn, he looks hot out on the ice," Stevie says dreah as atch the Cold Fury--and in particular, Garrett--take on the LA Dragons We’re lying in my bed, both of us in our pajamas with the covers pulled up It’s not the first time Stevie has had a sleepover at my place This is actually the third, the other two ti after Stevie suffered a broken heart and needed a pajaood?" he asks

"Feeling okay," I tell hiahout the afternoon, I never did throw up, and I count that as a win in my book I do feel way more tired than I did after the last treatht’s sleep will help

Except I’a to take, because I ame started I was already tucked into bed while Stevie sat out in the kitchen to eat his dinner While I hadn’t thrown up, the s my nausea