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"DAAAAAAAAADDDDY! GIVE ME MY GAMBLING CARD! The Atom Machine is hot! Someone just won on it!" we heard Jenny shout over the noise of ringing

"And on that note, I think it’s time for another drink," Claire announced

IT’S NOT OFTEN that I findto so Just ask h for soelike that out loud, in front of actual people Ar full of tricks, I make y Department on the third floor, prepared to do whatever I can to fix things with Claire I’ve spent these last feeeks thinking about our history together and through the good and bad, funny and insane, one thing always remained constant--the fact that Claire and I were meant to be in each other’s lives We were better ere together I forced her to be ht me how to not be such a hard ass all the ti aa nurse for directions, I finally find the che sure the baseball cap is pulled down far enough on my head, I walk inside I see Carter on the other side of the rooazine Claire is curled up under a blanket in a recliner, hooked up to an IV that I’ on her phone, so I have a second to stare at her without her noticingto look at her before because I felt bad or because I was scared Seeing her noith a scarf tied around her head and a deter to her, I am so proud to call her my friend Where before I only noticed her sickness, the pallor of her skin and the loss of her hair, now I see strength I see what I should have seen all those weeks ago A woh, deterest person I have ever known She survived getting pregnant in college and raising a child on her own for four years, shebusiness and make her dreams come true, she took care of her family and she always, always took care ofabout love and relationships, she convinced ood friend no matter what life threw at us

I walk across the rooh I feel like the lowest person in the world Claire looks up atnext to her chair and doesn’t say a word as I dig through it for the first item I need I pull out the piece of paper I printed frorab a roll of scotch tape and walk over to her IV

"What are you doing?" Claire finally speaks

I ignore her for the ti from the steel pole next to her chair When it’s finished, I take a step back and study ets up fro the sign out loud "This is probably vodka"

He nods his head and pats "

I walk back toit to the footrest on her recliner so that it hangs down by Claire’s feet Once again, Carter walks over to ina"

Carter laughs and Claire shoots hiina is kind of aggressive"

Next, I pull out a couple of t-shirts, handing one to Claire She holds it up in front of her, reading the text printed on the front of it in pink "Itty Bitty Titty Committee--President"

I hold up my own shirt and she reads it "Itty Bitty Titty Committee--Secretary"

The third shirt comes out and I turn it around for Claire to read as well "Itty Bitty Titty Con Affairs"

She looks at ly and I finally speak "Jenny is the only one of us with a big rack Obviously she’s in charge of Foreign Affairs"

Claire is trying really hard not to sh her pursed lips and I feel a little better about my plan

Carter walks over to her side, leans down and kisses the top of her head "I’e and see if I can find so?"

Claire shakes her head and Carter givesme know that he’s happy I came

When we’re finally alone, aside from the two other people currently hooked up to their own che on the other side of the room, I stick my hands into cut right to the chase and apologize for being an asshole," I tell her Claire crosses her ar that is happening right now is about me, I know that, but you’re my person, Claire What happens to you, happens to e and get shit done I have never felt so helpless into ue with me, but I hold up my hand to stop her "I knoasn’t up to me I knoas out of my hands and I should have realized that all you needed was a friend You needed me and I wasn’t there for you I was too scared, too ashamed, too worried about ht need"