Adieu

*Prologue

CHAPTER TWO IS AT THE END OF THE STORY. I'M WORKING ON IT

All Locations and medical terms in this story are real. Check them out sometime :)

Prologue

             "Mr. Smyth?" A smooth voice called hesitantly.

William Smyth looked up from the chair where he had been sitting for the past twenty minutes. No gray hairs, typical for a man in his early 30’s, invaded his dark curly hair.  He stood up with a stretch and the lately usual, cough.

"If you would follow me please."

William nodded and snuck a peek at the nametag. Doctor Smith. How ironic. He chuckled softly and began pacing after him at his quick stride.

 The hospital was never something that William particularly enjoyed; It had always made him uncomfortable to see all of the different families in so much stress over their loved ones.

He had continuously refused to go here for the past few months despite his friends and families requests as his coughs and breathing became worse and worse. But when he coughed up blood at his annual business dinner party he was forced to get checked out, despite his protests.

William followed Doctor Smith into yet another room, sitting down at the nearest chair.

"Mr. Smyth..." he began before he was cut off by a violent cough from William, causing him to wince slightly "Mr. Smyth, I have bad news and... Well…worse news," he said quietly.

"Alright.”

The doctor took another deep breath. "Mr. Smyth, based on your CT scan, X-rays, The fact that you recently quit smoking, and the fact that you have been coughing up blood, I am truly sorry to diagnose you with NSCLC. Also knows as non-small cell lung cancer."

William’s second intake of breath was one of utter shock. He blinked in disbelief and then frowned, hardly hearing the rest of the diagnosis.

"More specifically you have Squamous cell carcinoma, It's is also commonly referred to as epidermoid carcinoma and it's the most common type of NSCLC, especially in men. It forms in the lining of the bronchial tubes, which are the tubes that bring air to the alveoli for storage inside the lungs. The more it builds up, the more trouble you have breathing."

William attempted to say something but he couldn't seem to make out the words. All he could think was Why me? And, I quit smoking six months ago! 

Yet here he was, hearing the worst thing he could possibly hear, and the doctor wasn't even done speaking yet.

"I'm also afraid to inform you that you're in the fourth stage of the cancer, meaning it has spread to other parts of your body and more importantly... There is no available treatment we can offer you."

Could Williams heart sink any lower? Could he feel any worse? Because right now he was screaming on the inside. How was there a god? If there were a god he wouldn't have let this happen. William was a good man, he helped the poor, visited his parents, and was a brilliant lawyer. Sure he wasn't married or anything, but did that mean he deserved this?

"I can guess that you have, at most, six months to live,” he finally finished.

Words didn't want to flow effortlessly out of his mouth like they normally did. For once, William Smyth was speechless.

"I am truly sorry. I don't like delivering news like this," The doctor soothed after a full minute of no sound from him.

William managed to give a slow, stiff, nod, and after a moment more a single word finally came into his mind, and then out of his mouth.