Play Date

Twenty Two

July 17th 2021

Hey. It's currently 6:27 in the evening. The suns already almost set, it's going to be a chilly night.
My cough is getting worse. I've tried my best to hide it but someone is always around when it happens. There's not always blood coming up, but it's more frequently than it was. I'm starting to get scared. Is this how it's going to end?

I haven't heard from Jack all week. He's seen my texts and sent my calls straight to voice mail, so I lost hope.

I know Gabbie and Lavender were staying all week, Jonah told me. They're staying at Jack and I's house, so I've been staying with Corbyn and Jonah. I don't want to be in Jack and Gabbie's way, especially after what happened at the house last week.

Jonah and Corbyn said we could stay for as long as we'd like, but I feel like a week is already too much. I want to get back to the house, but I don't know what I'm going back to.

Is Jack still mad?
Is Gabbie still there?
Do they both hate me?

I finally decide that I'll go back tomorrow, after arguing with myself for 20 minutes. I want my bed back, that's what I miss most.

Besides Jack.

"Hey Y/n, dinners ready" Jonah says coming into the living room where I sat alone.

"Thank you" I whisper, slowly standing up, fighting the urge to cough.

I walk into the dining room where the three boys sit with Ashton. Corbyn sat beside Ashton, helping her cut up some chicken. I sit down across from Corbyn, beside Eben.

Everyone's lost in conversation when my breathing hitches, fighting myself, knowing I'll cough at any second.

"Could you excuse me for a second?" I get up, placing my napkin back on the table and almost rushing to the bathroom.

As soon as I close the door, I cough, forgetting to cover my mouth, blood splats all over the mirror hanging on the wall.

"Fuck" I whisper as my vision gets blurry with tears.

"Y/n?" Corbyn says knocking on the door

"Just.. just a minute" I grab tissues trying to wipe down the mirror before I open the door but I end up smearing it around

"Shit" I whisper again, getting the tissues wet to try again

"I'm coming in" The door clicks open and Corbyn walks in, staring at the mirror

"You're coughing up blood again?"

Tears finally start falling from my eyes as I squeeze them shut. All I can do is nod my head before Corbyn embraces me in a hug

"Come on, we're going to the hospital" He whispers in a comforting tone, but it still doesn't make me want to go

"Please, no"

"You promised once it happened again, we'd go and that was at Jack's party. I know it's happened since then, I've been holding it off for too long. So, either I can drive you, or I call an ambulance and they'll drive you"

"Okay" I whisper softly as Corbyn grabs my hand, pulling me out of the bathroom and into the living room.

"Wait here" He says going to the kitchen. I sit on the couch, listening to their conversation

"We're going to the hospital, can you watch Ash?"

"Yeah, is everything all good?"

"Is she... B-L-E-E-D-I-N-G when she coughs again?" Jonah says, spelling it out

"Yeah, I'll keep you updated. I'll be back later"

Corbyn grabs his keys before we head out to his car. He opens my door for me and I silently get in, saying thank you quietly before he closes the door.

We make it to the hospital in almost complete silence, just the radio playing softly.

We get to the hospital, we walk inside with Corbyn's hand on my lower back, giving me comfort in this situation.

I get sent straight to a room and awaiting tests that I don't even want to do but have to.

Corbyn sits beside my bed in a chair, close to my side.

"I'm gonna call Jack" Corbyn says, pulling out his phone

"Please don't. He doesn't need this" I try to reason with him

"He's your boyfriend, shouldn't he know what's going on?" He looks up from his phone, giving me a disappointed look

"I think I have to break up with him" I whisper

"What? Why?" I shrug

"Y/n, why? What happened?"

"Gabbie got into my head. She thinks he's dating me because he feels bad for me"

"Oh, Y/n, he's not dating you because he feels bad for you, he actually likes you, which I hate, but totally understand. You're a great girl. He's lucky to have you"

Before I could even comprehend what Corbyn just said, a doctor comes in

"Ready for tests?" He asks and I nod.

They start wheeling me out of the room in my bed when I quickly turn back to look at Corbyn

"Don't you dare call Jack" I yell before I fully leave the room.

The doctors lead me down a never ending hallway, taking me to the elevator, taking me up to the fifth floor.

My least favourite floor, the test labs.

They send me for a bunch of different tests, blood, X-rays, you name it. The last one on the list is an MRI.

I personally don't know why they're doing all these tests.

I know why I'm coughing up blood.

Lung cancer isn't just side effect free.

They give me a IV, to give me an anaesthetic, so I can relax.

It makes me incredibly sleepy.

Before I know it, I'm falling asleep in the MRI machine.