AN: Wow, it's been a while since I updated this fic so thank you to those who came back to read it

Chapter Two – Other People

Jamie clutched to her rosemary beads as she sat in the doctor's office. Once again she wasn't hopeful about the tests that she would hear the results of soon. She knew that she was dying and she had known it since she was a young girl. Still, hope had allowed her to fight and in that fight and with God at her side, she had lived longer than she might have before. She turned the beads over in her hands, speaking softly as she thought about the angels with her mother. At least that was a comforting thought.

"Are they helping?" the doctor asked as he approached her with the paperwork.

Jamie smiled as she looked at her hands, "I think so," she nodded and the doctor hummed. She had to respect him in that he didn't see the good they did. Yes, respect, not agree with him but respect him. She took another deep breath in. He was a man who was skilled in his profession and she needed that. Yes, she clung tightly to her religious beliefs but he had the right not to believe and as long as he was trained and on their insurance, he would be good for her. He was also kind to her and willing to bridge that gap between her beliefs and his.

"I've never really understood them, they keep you in contact with the dead?" he asked and Jamie smiled.

"I think that they are about having belief in your religion, to know that God is at your side helping you to fight. However, they also have an emotional and psychological component. They keep you centered and able to concentrate and fight the problems which might be at hand. I think that's good in medicine, right?"

The doctor smiled at her kindly. "I think that is true," he said before bringing out the testing results. "Well, there has been no change since the last time," he said and Jamie smiled sadly, disappointment in her eyes. "But think of this as a positive. Nothing has gotten worse for you and maybe next time the results will be better."

"As long as I keep on living, right?" Jamie smiled. She had to believe in her heart that God wanted her to live and maybe he couldn't make her better all at once but he could give her the strength and motivation to continue and to keep battling.

The doctor looked to her, he would attribute that line to a depressed person had he seen it on paper but Jamie wasn't like the other patients he saw. She was brave and positive and had more confidence than a lot of people. If her faith bred that in her then it was for the best that she maintain it.

"I'll see you in a week for chemo," he said and she nodded. "We don't need to do any further testing so you can get changed and the receptionist will see you on your way out." The doctor smiled to her as he stood and went to the door. "Thank you, Jamie. I hope that you are safe and have some very good days before we meet each other again."

Jamie nodded before smiling, "And may you have a blessed day as well," she said and the doctor couldn't argue with that smile. Yes, he certainly wasn't Christian but she never intended anyone any harm. She was always doing her best to live a normal life despite her sickness. He closed her file before going back to his office. If only such a kind and compassionate girl didn't have to suffer this then maybe he could start to believe in a higher power.

AWTRAWTR

Landon rolled his eyes as he walked up to the hospital. He didn't know why he had to spend his Saturday dropping off something to the hospital on behalf of the father who had abandoned his family. Why couldn't the good doctor see to it himself? Had he been brought into this world to be some kind of messenger boy? What was the purpose of that? Didn't his father even have a fax machine.

As he neared the doors, Landon felt himself pushed backwards and blinked before seeing the wacky Christian girl standing there. He coughed as he looked at her. Jamie took a couple of steps backwards before she realized the situation and leaned down to offer her hand to help him up.

"Good morning," she smiled and Landon rolled his eyes.

"Not in your candy striper outfit?" he asked and Jamie looked back at the hospital before shaking her head. "Isn't that why you're here?"

"I mean, it is good to volunteer," Jamie replied. "I know that they are looking for some volunteers especially with the younger children, is that why you're here?"

"Volunteer opportunities? You mean like singing, Bible readings," Landon laughed as he tried to show that he was too cool to be seriously taking an interest in all of this. Jamie just watched him, waiting for him to finish. She understood that people treated her with unease but she would have liked for someone to show a willingness to understand her.

"Yes, those are some of the opportunities you might have," she told him and Landon shrugged looking aside.

"Listen, since you're all about this do-gooder stuff, you mind helping me with my task," he said and Jamie came closer to him, she tilted her head to the side not sure what she should be doing before he handed her a stuffed envelope. "I was supposed to drop that off for someone."

"Is it personal?" Jamie asked and Landon shrugged.

"It's not going to get you into trouble if that's what you're thinking," he told her and Jamie nodded. "I just…I don't like going into the hospital, I don't really like sick people."

Jamie paused and steadied herself. She didn't want for her illness to gain attention and she knew that he was saying this from a place where he didn't really understand those words. She took a deep breath in, "You never know, people who have ailments might give you the soundest of advice."

"Isn't it God who is supposed to have the best advice, that's what all of you Christians seem to believe," he said dismissively and Jamie sighed. She shook her head.

"You don't have to believe in his teachings to listen to others. You only have to respond to others on your level to truly listen. Many people want to tell their stories but many people are not listened to or respected," Jamie said and Langdon laughed as he walked away, turning his back on both her and the hospital.

"A lot seems to go on in your world Jamie that doesn't go on in mine," he told her and the Christian girl breathed out in disappointment but she had learned a long time ago that you couldn't skillfully have others join you. Those people who were almost forced to convert never stayed with the church for very long and they had a different view of religion than herself. Everyone had to follow their own path and set their own pace.

"You should remember to listen to those different from yourself," she called out and Landon stared at her before shaking his head.

"You sure do belong in a rose-colored world," he said and she sighed before going to deliver the package for him. She had to respect even him. That was what it meant to purely believe in the teachings of God even if you disagreed with someone else's view of the world.

AWTRAWTR

Eric looked to Landon as they hung out later that night. Landon seemed to be a bit far away in thought and Eric wasn't fond of that. He had wanted to just spend a night together chilling, watching a movie, grabbing a burger and soda. He didn't know what was going on in Landon's head. "You better break out of that deep thought right now or explain it to me," he said and Landon looked over at him.

"What?" he asked and Eric stared at him until Landon replied again. "It's nothing. I was just wondering if I was shallow."

"Who cares?" Eric asked and Landon blinked in surprise, "You and me? Why do we have to care and analyze that now? When we become dads and husbands to some very lucky ladies, we can think more on that. Why do we have to have our nights spoiled by this philosophical talk. What's got into you…"

Landon sighed before laughing and pushing his hand through his hair, "Nothing," he shrugged as they spotted the burger place where they liked to eat at.

Eric sighed before nodding, "It's the thing with your dad again isn't it. Man, you promised that you wouldn't let that bother you any longer. Just remember that right now this is the best time of our lives and we play our cards right and we'll get into college, join a fraternity, that'll raise our street cred as well," he said and Landon nodded along, the words weren't sinking in the way they used to.

As they came to the burger place, Landon saw a homeless woman on the corner. He looked at Eric as his friend seemed to just genuinely ignore her existence. Landon took a deep breath in. What had happened to him? Usually he would ignore her too, turn the other cheek or whatever or turn a blind eye was the better saying. Now he kept seeing her and wondering what had caused such a devastating situation.

"Okay, it's nearly our time to order. Just snap out of it for tonight, do that for me, will you?" Eric asked and Landon nodded. He looked towards the door again. He had no idea why that woman was there but Jamie had cursed him, she had made it so that just looking in the other direction wasn't an option that he could take.

When it was his time to order, Landon placed an order for two full meals, one for there and one to go. His friend coughed once he paid. "Man, you really want to eat, don't you?" he asked, "You trying to gain weight for something?"

"I thought that since I had the money, I'd buy that woman something to eat," Landon told him and Eric stared at him before seeing the way he was looking at the door. He coughed. He couldn't believe it. Had Landon, the king of cool, really spent money buying some homeless person food? What the heck had changed him like this?

End of Chapter Two

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