"What would you like?” said Debra Culkin, the Ruston's Diner manager. “You want a Sausage Ruston, on a hard roll?”

Even when Culkin is on medical leave from work at Ruston's Diner, she can't help but serve.

"I like to see the customers,” said Culkin. “I miss them. It's been three months, and the employees."

And they miss her, just as much.

"She keeps the ship running,” said Mary Melcher, Culkin’s co-worker and friend. “She's great, she really is."

"People come here, they feel better because of Debbie,” said Tom Muench, a regular customer.

Culkin has managed the Jamesville diner for about 15 years.

But now, she's taking a break to battle cancer, again.

First, it was breast cancer and now it's affecting her lungs.

"It was pretty scary,” said Culkin. “I was pretty upset. I had a mass on my lung and they removed that. I had cancer in my lymph nodes, but they got rid of a lot of them. And we just have one that we're really worried about right now."

As Culkin tries to overcome this hurdle, the community wants her to know she's not alone.

"Debbie gives so much of herself, and it's time we gave back to her,” said Melcher. “She's very selfless. She takes nothing, and she'll cry."

Tears of joy knowing she has a generous support system.

Ruston's created a breakfast and lunch "Debbie Special," and gave her 50 percent of the proceeds to help cover medical costs.

Culkin's longtime customers also started a GoFundMe page, raising about $22,000.

"Everybody's been great around here helping me and being out of work and everything,” Culkin said. “It's been a lot of help."

And they will continue to do so, while they anxiously await her return.

"We want her back,” said Muench. “We want her happy. We want her comfortable."

"I love being in here,” said Culkin. “It's like my home away from home. So, it's like being home. I can't wait to get back to work."

But until then, the customers and co-workers say, it's their time to serve.