Summer

15*

I left you hanging there mwhahaa
Heres your fix

''''''''

I hate hospitals.
White, bleak and nothing.
Thats what I felt nothing.

The fact that Scar was in hospital hadn't even registered.

The minute they took her to the ICU, I called my mom who was with my dad at the nighttime open market.

She sounded panicked and worried over the phone.
But not shocked.

Thats what worried me. Nina had gone and got two coffees while we waited to hear something.

Anything.

I didn't know if I should text Troy, he would want to know right?

I decided to call him, text was too informal.

"Hello?" I croaked out.

"Shay? What happened?" said Troy hearing the cry in my voice.

"It's Scar she's in hospital and-" Troy interrupted me.

"I'm coming." The phone clicked off.

I just stared at the phone, I hope Troy drove here safely.

Then a man with a white coat came out and Nina and I rushed towards him.

"Doctor!" I shouted.

"Are you both family of Scarlett?" He asks.

"She is, I'm not." Nina says.

"Well you will have to step aside for a minute, I have to have a word with..?" He asks.

"Shannon Richards, I'm her niece." I say quickly.

"Come with me." He says, I started to worry, what was going on?

Once we entered a small office, he sat me down with a grave face.

I shivered.

" I am Doctor Patel, Are you aware of your aunts medical state?" He asks.

"Medical state?" I say confused.

"I assume not, and as your the only family here and the person who brought her here. I'm really sorry to say that your aunt has cancer." He says slowly.

"What?" I splutter.

"According to her file in 2007, she had a small cancer scare with a benign tumour in her left breast. It didn't spread so was manageable and she was fine. But we just did a PET scan and she lit up like a christmas tree. The cancer has spread all over." He says clasping his hands together.

I didn't know what to say.
Cancer scare?
Cancer?
No. Scar was fine.
She was making pancakes and singing yesterday.
She wasn't ill.
She couldn't die, I nearly missed a heartbeat.

No.

Scar would be fine.

The doctor was saying words, but I couldn't hear him, I didn't want to listen.

It was like all the air in my lungs was gone. I couldn't talk my throat was dry.

"Miss Richards I'm so sorry. The cancer has come back, but doesn't mean its over." He says.

"Over." I whisper.

"She will need to go through treatment-" He starts.

"How bad?" I blurt out.

"Her cancer has reached stage three, she failed to come to her daily check ups so we didn't detect the cancer." He replies.

"How bad is stage three?" I ask.

"Well, she will need chemotherapy and a high dose of daily drugs to keep her going. If it goes well she could come out of this as a survivor." The doc says.

"And what if it doesn't?" I say harshly. I was angry, not at the doc, but at the world.

Why Scar?

"You have to have hope Miss Richards." The doc says calmly.

"Hope?" I spat.

"How can I have hope when the most caring woman in the world is dying!" I cried.

"Miss Richards-" Patel tries.

"No! This isn't fair, how could- I can't!" Tears pour down my face.

The room is silent, Doctor Patel lets me calm down.

"How long?" I whisper.

"Miss Richards we will try our very best-" Patel says.

"The cancer is bad, I know that if you need chemo its really bad and if she doesn't respond to it she will die right? So tell me straight how long?" I say angrily.

"A year or two. Give or take." Patel says. I gulp.

A year or two.

She was in her early forties! This can't be happening.

"No." I say softly.

"Are there are other family members I can speak to?" Patel says quietly.

"My mom and dad, they're on the way." I say meekly. I wanted my mom so bad, my face was stained with tears.

Patel offers me a tissue.

"I think you should go outside and clear your head, I need to go to the ICU check on your aunt, I'll come back to meet your parents. I am truly sorry." Patel says softly, I nod at him and walk back to the waiting room.

Troy is sitting with Nina, questioning her about me and Scar.

He looks up and runs to me.

"Shay! Where's Scar? Is she ok? Why are you crying?" He fires at me. Thats what makes me crumble.

I grab him and hug him, sobbing loudly wetting his T shirt. I feel him tense with shock and he pats my back in comfort, saying soothing words. Nina gets up and strokes my hair, I can see her looking at Troy with worry.

She then entangles me from Troy and engulfs me in a hug, kissing my hair like my mother and squeezing me tightly.

Troy slumps down on his seat, with a blank face.

I stop crying and he looks at me.

"Shay, what happened?" He says slowly.

"S-scar she's... She has.." I couldn't say it.

"Has what?" Nina prompts.

"She has.." I burst into tears, and look away.

"She has cancer." I say softly.

And thats when my knees gave out and I fell to the floor crying.

...........

This chapter is dedicated to cancer victims don't lose hope for a better day. My prayers are with you and your families.

Have courage and fight.

-crazy10