Living Lifelessly

Chapter 21

                           ARTHUR

"So, you're telling me that you wanna adopt that kid?"

Aria asks, after I told her the whole story of this cute kid that I recently treated in hospital.

"Ah no. Why would I? I mean, do you really think I can be a father right now."

I  take a sip of my coffe, as we walk on an empty street.

"I do. I think you can be a great father."

She stops and looks into my eyes.

I chuckle.

"Well maybe someday but not today. I have a lot to figure out right now."

She still stands there.

"What?"

I ask, as her silence is confusing me now.

"There's something I wanted to tell you."

That didn't sound good though.

"Okay. What is it?" I ask.

"There's this friend of mine, uh.. we've been friends since childhood and yesterday he...he proposed me."

My smile instantly fades away.

Was this supposed to be hurtful?

"Oh, so... did you answer?"

Please say you said no! God, she isn't your girlfriend dude, I remind myself.

"Not yet, I am kinda confused."

"Why? Is there someone else you like?" It's just when I said it I realise that I shouldn't have asked.

"I don't know. I guess I am figuring out."

She steps closer, my eyes glued to hers.

Before she steps closer, I look away and so she stops there.

"Okay, it's almost my duty time now so I'll leave. Talk to you later."
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After taking a round in the OPD, I was going back to the ward when my pager beeps.

I run towards the ER. My palms start to sweat when I see a little girl on a stature in a critical condition.

"What happened to her?" I ask the woman with that girl, who kept on crying and sobbing.

"I don't know she started coughing blood and then she passed out." She cried. "Doctor please save my girl please-"

"Listen maam, we'll try our best. You wait here while we take care of her. Please cooperate."

I say before running to that girl. She wasn't responding and what was worrying was that her body seemed swelled up.

"Hurry up, check the vitals and run the tests asap." I command the HOs, while the nurses connect IVs to the patient.

After about half an hour her test results come back and they were worse than expected.

I don't know how to tell all of this to her mother.

"Um, listen maam. I know it's not gonna be easy for you but you have to be strong right now. Your daughter has lung cancer."

The horror expression of her face makes it difficult for me to speak further.

"What? Cancer? No-:

"Listen please. I know it's hard but we have to fight okay. It's not the end stage, I am very hopeful that she's gonna be okay."