Chris walked over and took hold of a bottle. He brought it to his nose and quickly wrenched it away. “Nah, man, that’s nasty,” he said, and Emma, June, and I joined him. He wasn’t wrong. The liquid smelled vile.
“I know they don’t taste good, but I’m afraid they’re required.” Bailey tapped his hand on the table. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes. That’s how long you have to get it down.”
Bailey left, and Emma moved to the circle of beanbags that were set up for gaming. June sat beside her on her on another bag. I sat beside June and Chris took the last one.
“Okay, let’s do this,” I said, and forced myself to take a sip. My eyes watered as I tried to swallow the thick liquid, fighting the urge to wretch. I coughed and wiped at my mouth as it went down. “Shit,” I said. “That’s the worst thing I’ve ever tasted.”
Emma blew out a breath. “Not sure I can do this.” She brought it to her nose, and her eyes immediately watered.
“Me either,” June said, staring at the bottle like it was the most offensive thing in the world. She sighed. “Can’t be as bad as some of the other treatments we’ve all had, right?” Her brown eyes searched us all for confirmation.
“Whathavewe all had?” Emma asked.
“I’ve got an idea,” Chris said, and I laughed when the three of us groaned at him. “No!” he said. “It’s good, I promise.” He tapped the bottle with his finger. “Never Have I Ever, AML treatment edition.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Emma said, “but it might help us get this down.” She checked her watch. “We only have twenty minutes left to get this done.”
“I’m in,” June said, then with shy eyes, said, “I’ve never played Never Have I Ever.”
“Well, it’s better with beer, Junebug, but I suppose this sewage water will have to do,” I said. June laughed. Sighing, I turned to Chris. “Okay, I’m in.”
“I’ll go first,” he said. “Never have I ever had chemotherapy.” Closing his eyes, Chris downed a mouthful, his face contorting at the taste.
“That’s not fair,” Emma said. “Weallhave had that!”
“Exactly,” Chris said, voice tight due to the aftertaste. “We have to get this drank at some point.”
I turned to June and, lifting my bottle, said, “Bon appétit!” I threw the mouthful in, forcing it down.
June started coughing. “Oh my gosh,” she said, and wiped her mouth.
“My turn,” Emma said, moving us quickly on. “Never have I ever had radiation.”
Once again, the four of us all drank. I looked at the bottle, and it felt like there was hardly any of it gone. “Does this bottle friggin’ refill itself somehow?”
The giggle that June let out beside me made my heart flip. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“Okay,” I said, “Never have I ever had stem cell treatment.” I raised my bottle. “But mine didn’t work!” I took another sip.
“Didn’t work for any of us!” Emma tacked on.
My friends all drank. Turning to June, I waited for her to speak. “Never have I ever had a bone marrow transplant.” June drank, but I didn’t this time. Emma didn’t either; only Chris joined in.
“You didn’t?” June said to me after she drank.
“Nope.”
June looked to Emma. “You either?”
“Nope!” Emma said, echoing my answer.
It was quiet a moment before Chris said, “Err…that’s all the treatment I had before I came here. What else is there?”
“I had targeted drug therapy. Twice,” June said, and I felt like I was seeing her for the first time. This girl had beenthroughit.
“Whew, girl. You’ve had it all,” Emma said, and June nodded her head sadly.
“And none of it worked,” she said somberly, but then forced on a smile. “But this one will,” she said, and drank the remainder of her bottle in one go. “I can just feel it.”
