Nothing Left to Live For

Chapter 2

author's note- thank you everybody for reading this story- I know the chapters are short, but I'm trying to make the, longer. I realllllly appreciate likes/comments💟
-Logan
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After a stressful day at school, I walked home from the bus stop and saw a note on the kitchen counter. It was from my mom.

<I had to take Anthony to the hospital- he wasn't feeling good. He had a fever and couldn't breathe. I'll call you when we get updates. -Mom>

What? He couldn't be sick. Anthony rarely got sick. Even when he did, it was just seasonal allergies. I took a deep breath and hoped he'd be okay. Since I had some spare time alone, I decided to try and do my homework. I took out my pre-calculus worksheet and stared at it. I couldn't focus on anything and realized I was shaking horribly. Oh no-
I stood up quickly and got a glass of water to relax. I was getting all worked up and anxious over Anthony being in the hospital and I needed to calm down. I sat back down and slowly sipped my water, taking slow, deep breaths. Finally, I calmed down.
I thought back to when I was first diagnosed with anxiety. I was 13, and went to the doctors office for my annual visit. I took a few tests and the doctor told me- I had anxiety. I never thought I did, I just figured I was like everybody else. It's never really bothered me, I just take a few pills every morning and I'm fine. It's only when really major things like Anthony being in the hospital get me upset.
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Three hours later, I finally get a call from Mom. Anthony has been diagnosed with leukemia; also known as blood cancer. They are doing their best to treat it, but it's already pretty bad. I manage to get on a local bus and ride to the hospital, where a secretary leads me to Anthony's room. There are a few doctors inside discussing things with my mom, so I decide to wait in the hall. I peek in through the window and see my mom. My strong, loving mom. She is so strong, trying to hold this family together. Especially now that we have even more bills and stress since Anthony is in the hospital. She looks so tired; with dark circles under her eyes and smudged mascara from crying. You can see the worry in her face about bills and insurance.

A few minutes later, the doctors leave my mom with some paper work to sign and I walk into the room. I look around- beeping machines surround Anthony's bed. All of them are hooked up to him somewhere. He has oxygen hooked up through his nose and IV wires through his wrists.
His green eyes look so sunken, and sad.
"I'm so sorry momma" he says looking over at mom who's trying to sign all the paper work. Tears slowly fall from his eyes. He tried to wipe his tears away but his arms are connected to many other machines and tubes.
He sees me at the doorway and cries more.
"Zoe, please help me."
His tears turn to sobs, and I grab a few tissues to wipe his eyes.
"Oh, Anthony baby, I wish I could." At this point, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I sobbed uncontrollably and held his hand. Mom walked over to us and wrapped her arms around me, her warmth spreading through my body. There was a soft knock at the door.
"Excuse me ma'am. May I talk to you for a moment?" A doctor standing At the door asked mom.
She wiped her nose and nodded. They walked into the hallway for a moment and I looked at Anthony's eyes.
"You're gonna be okay Anthony. I promise. I just need you to stay with me okay?"
I wiped his eyes one more time and looked over at the paper work. My eyes grew wide. We couldn't afford anything near the price for treatment. Insurance covered little to nothing, and we don't have enough money to cover the rest. Dad's shift at work is ending soon and he will be here any minute. He doesn't drink that much anymore but I have a feeling this will bring it back. When mom walks back into the white hospital room, she looks me in the eye and takes a deep breath. Her voice cracks and tells me the news from the doctor before breaking down.
"We only have eight weeks left"