A Little Too Soon for Goodbye

12 -Bff

A week later I hold tightly onto Adrien's hand as he supports me while I walk into the hospital. I'm supposed to not move until the dizziness is 100% gone, but I'm so tired of just sitting around all day. We take it slow step after slow step, and his mom is walking behind me with the wheelchair.

We are about halfway there, and I say, "I need the chair." He nods towards his mom, and she comes up behind me. Adrien gently picks me up and helps me get comfortable as he sets me down. He gives me a kind smile and a kiss on the forehead, and goes behind me, pushing the chair. I sit there, catching my breath, and we get inside.

"You okay?" He asks, squeezing my shoulder slightly. I nod, and say, "I just wish I didn't get so dizzy or so exhausted so fast." He just stays silent and the amount of support I feel from him is amazing.

I gently reach my hand up and hold his, which is still on my shoulder. He pushes me up to the front desk, and he says, "I'm here to check Marinette Dupain-Cheng in for her appointment." The lady at the desk -I think it is Susan- asks, "Where is she?" It is Susan. I grab onto Adrien and he helps me stand up, steadying me as I slightly sway. "Hey Susan." I say, and the kind nurse smiles at me. "I'll notify Tikki and she will be out shortly. I'm glad you're recovering Marinette." I smile at her, and Adrien gently helps me back into the chair.

Emilie takes the chair from Adrien, and I can tell that they are having a silent argument. They have been doing this a lot lately. Silently fighting for who gets to take care of me. The only time Adrien doesn't argue is when I have to go to the bathroom, change my clothes, or shower. He lets Emilie help me with that, even though I am getting better at it.

When Emilie wins, she pushes me over next to four empty chairs, and Adrien tries to help me move into a chair, but I say, "Adrien, can I please just stay in my chair? It is exhausting to move." "Oh, yeah of course." He responds, slightly smiling but I can tell that guilt is eating him away. He has moved me several times before when I haven't wanted to, but I didn't say anything about it. He's just trying to help, but right now I can't pretend like it isn't exhausting me.

"Don't feel guilty. You didn't do anything wrong. I just feel like staying in my chair right now." "Right." He says, giving me a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes which are looking everywhere but me. I gently reach my hand out and touch his cheek, and he looks at me. "It's okay." I slightly laugh, and it takes him a second for him to realize I'm being serious.

I turn to Emilie, and ask, "Did my parents say that they could make it?" She frowns, and says, "They couldn't. They are too busy working because they have to pay for medical bills. I'm sorry sweetheart." I pretend like it doesn't effect me at all, even though this hurts like crazy, and respond in a happy tone, "It's okay. I'm used to coming to these by myself. Besides, even having two of you can be a little overwhelming at times. This is for the best." I know she doesn't believe me, but she just nods.

Suddenly, the door to the waiting room bursts open, and Alya is standing in it, giving me a wide smile and holding tightly onto Nino's wrist. She walks over, basically dragging Adrien, and says in a loud voice, "Girl! Why didn't you tell me that you had an appointment? I told you that I want to be here through it all. I mean, you may have been unconscious cause they gave you a drug that knocked you out for awhile, but that still doesn't mean I didn't mean it! I had to bribe your parents with an hour of free labor to convince them to tell me where you were! Why didn't you call?!"

I take in a sharp breath, my head pounding now from the amount of noise she just made, and I realize that she doesn't understand how serious this is. The past couple of weeks have been some of pure relaxation and quietness, just so I don't hurt more. But now, my head is banging and I wish the pain would stop.

Adrien must notice, because he nods to his mom, and she quietly and quickly stands up, going over to the front counter. "Als," I seethe out through my teeth, holding my head. "Be quiet."

"What?" She asks, still too loudly. "Alya." Adrien scolds, and I've never heard him use that tone before. "Be quiet. As quiet as I am right now or quieter. You just hurt her head even more." "What do you mean 'even more'? I never even hurt it in the first place." She says, a lot quieter than before.

"Alya, I had brain surgery two weeks ago. You need to be quiet. My head is pounding." I say, closing my eyes and plugging my ears, trying to make it stop. "Brain surgery? You were being serious about that? I thought it was just a possibility. Besides, are you really that sick?" She asks, loud enough for me to hear through my fingers blocking my ears. "Yes. I had the surgery get the tumor out, so I wouldn't kill myself."

I unplug my ears, and she's really quiet as she says, "Okay, but you should be getting better, right?" "That's why I'm here." I sigh out, holding tightly onto Adrien's hand.

Lately, the relationship between me and Alya has changed a lot in the past month. We used to be best friends, but then I found out I was dying and told Adrien, and now I'm closer with him then I ever have been with someone before. I feel bad for being more distant with Alya, but right now she isn't who I need.

"Girl, you're fine. You'll be fine." She says, and Nino gives Adrien a knowing look. Adrien sighs, shaking his head, and Nino's eyes slightly widen. I bite my lip, knowing what that little exchange was about, and hating it.

Nino was telling Adrien to give me and Als some space, and even though Adrien knows what's best for us right now is to do that, he can't leave me, just in case something happens. Nino tried to press it, but Adrien just ignored him.

(A/N: Bro ik girls do this but do guys?)

"Alya." I say, quietly but sternly. She looks at me, and I say, "This isn't some bad dream. Trust me, I wish it was more than anything, but it isn't. I am sick. I am hurt. And I am dying. I am going to be dead in 5 months. Please, realize that."

Her face stays blank and she says, "I don't believe you."

This makes me more angry then I thought possible, and if I had the energy to I would slap her right now.

"Please, go. I don't want you here." I say, looking away from her. Why is she in so my denial? Emilie walks back over here, and a nurse is by her. "What's going on here?" The nurse asks, and I say, "can you please make Alya here leave? I don't want her here." Alya looks at me, and I look at her.

"So much for you being my best friend. I can't believe you." Her eyes begin to tear up and she grabs onto Nino's hand, and he slightly waves at me as she drags him out of the hospital.

I bite the inside of my cheek hard, knowing that she means it. She doesn't think I'm dying, and she doesn't want to be friends with me for trying to get all of the attention.

She's a brat.

I force myself to not cry, and just put my head down. I slightly reach up and adjust the black scarf that is on my head, wanting to fiddle with something.

Adrien goes to take my hand, but I know that if he does I'll begin to cry. I pull my hand away, and I look at a door in the corner of the room that I know is for the nurses. I bite the inside of my cheek hard, regretting that and tasting blood as my cheek begins to bleed.

A few minutes later, Plagg comes out, and says, "C'mon back, Marinette."