Ways to Live Forever Read Online Free PDF

like that happen to you?
    I worried about it all afternoon and most of the evening, until Granny said would I stop moping for goodness’ sake, because it was driving her crazy. She’d come back from taking Ella to Brownies and stayed to talk to Mum. Only Mum’d gone to answer the phone.
    “Have you and that boy been up to something again?” she said.
    “No,” I said 3 , and then, “Do you believe in demons?”
    “Demons?” said Granny. “You mean with horns and pitchforks?”
    “No,” I said. “Like . . . evil spirits. That possess people.”
    “No,” said Granny firmly. “Absolute rubbish.”
    “But you believe in ghosts and things,” I said.
    “There’s no point in inventing devils to be scared of,” said Granny, very sternly. “We’ve enough real things to worry about without making up more for ourselves.”
    “Right,” I said. “And I wasn’t scared. I only wondered.”
    It wasn’t really a very comforting thing for Granny to say, when you think about it. But after that I wasn’t worried any more.

 
     
MY LIFE IN HOSPITALS
 
     
     
     
     
    It’s Tuesday today. We don’t have school on Tuesdays, because I have clinic. Felix doesn’t go to my clinic, because he doesn’t have leukaemia like me. He goes to a different one, on Thursday. I know I ought to say what clinic was like, but I’m not going to. It’s not very exciting. They weigh you and measure you and do blood tests and talk to you and give you some drugs there and some drugs to take home. That’s it, really.
    I can see why Dad thinks I’m getting better, but it’s only because I’m on different drugs now. See, when you get leukaemia they give you chemotherapy, which is poison. It’s not supposed to kill you, it’s supposed to kill the cancer, but you get sick too. Your hair falls out and your skin burns and all sorts of stuff. So of course I’m better now I’m not having it any more.
    I’ve had it twice. Dad wanted me to have it again, but they said no.
     
    Leukaemia always comes back. They think they’ve cured it, then it comes back. Not to everyone. True fact: eighty-five per cent of people get properly cured forever. That’s eight-and-a-half out of every ten people. Eighty-five out of every hundred. Eight hundred and fifty out of every thousand.
    That’s most people.
    But it always comes back to me.
    Leukaemia is a type of cancer. What happens is, your body makes too many white blood cells. 4 White blood cells are like your own personal resistance army. They fight infections and stuff. But when you get leukaemia they take over and the other blood cells get scrunched up and can’t do all the things they’re supposed to do. So you get ill. Like, you might get very pale or get loads of bruises or nosebleeds that won’t stop or you feel tired all the time.
    I’ve had it three times, including now. The first time was when I was six. I was in hospital having chemotherapy for a month and I had to take pills for ages afterwards. But they thought they’d cured it, for sure.
    It came back again when I was ten. That’s when I met Felix. They gave me the chemotherapy drugs then as well and my hair fell out again and everything. And they thought they’d cured it then too. Well, kind of.
    “Let’s wait and see,” they said. Or, “Fingers crossed.” And Mum looked scared and Dad went quiet.
    Mum and Dad are good at being scared and quiet. And this time they were right. It did come back again. After only two and a half months.

 
     
CAPTAIN CASSIDY
21st January
     
     
     
     
    When Dad came home from work last night, he didn’t read his newspaper like usual. He came and watched me working. I was looking through my Warhammer magazine, trying to find pictures to stick in my book.
    “Is this the great school project again?” he said. A funny smile was twitching round his lips. I think he could see it was more than just a project.
    I hesitated. Then, even though I knew it was probably stupid, I said it. “I’m