𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨

Act 29

"You are going. You need to see a doctor," Dice claimed, getting me a pair of shoes.

"No I'm not! I'm fine!" I declared, crawling up in a blanket.

"Blood-stained hands and clothes is not normal. You need help," 

"But-"

"I can't afford to lose you! You are going to a god damned doctor one way or another! I don't care if I have to carry you the whole way there. I dedicated my life to you. Please, I can't live without you," Dice yelled.

I shut my mouth and complied. That was the least I could to do. It's going to be much worse when he realizes that I'm too far gone. Before I knew it, I was being whipped outside, the sunlight hit my face with an uncomfortable pang. He was taking me into town. 

Dice was not too happy when he found me on the floor last night. Between him blaming himself, and the absolute cold of the room, I think he realized that me sitting here is not getting me better. So, to my dismay, he's taking me to a doctor. The real problem is, I've never been to the doctor. The doctor has always came to me. And I don't know what he's going to do to me. 

The office smelt heavily of rubbing alcohol. Dice spoke to the people sitting down in front, then sat me down in a chair. My nose was filled with the heavy smell, making it hard to breath. More coughing induced, followed by blood. 

"You're telling me you don't need a doctor?" he said, motioning to blood on my hands. 

"Shut up. I'm scared," I whimper.

"You're going to be ok. Don't worry, I'm going to take care of you," Dice comforted, kissing my cheek. 

"Dice?" a man in a white coat sighed, glancing up from a clipboard. 

Dice pulls me up and walks me into the small room.  He sits me onto a cold, steel table.  

"So, you got shot a month ago, and you're suffering from?" the man looks at me.

"I don't know, that's why I'm here," I snap.

"Hmm. Let me run a few tests. I've never seen someone live more than a day with a crack of that size," he says, putting on a pair of gloves. 

His cold, latex hands reached out hand took my face. Without caution, his fingers and a metal prod poked and protruded on the edges of the crack. I flinched and pushed his hand away. The doctor sighed and lowered his glasses.

"It looks very bad. Fatal, I suppose. It would take a miracle for her to live more than maybe... six months? It's very infected. The only thing I can recommend is some heavy cough syrup to reduce pain in these last few months. Thank you for coming in, don't forget to stop at the receptionist's desk."

He tears off a yellow sheet of paper and hands it to Dice. 

"We... just got married. Yesterday. And I only have six more months with her?" 

"Maybe a year if you're lucky. Not much I can do" 

"There's no kind of medicine you could-"

"Listen buddy, I can't fix internal bleeding and significant blood loss. Enjoy the time you have. Good day," the doctor demands and swings open the door. 

We both walk straight out to the front door. What was the point in paying someone who just told you something you already knew? Although, I did feel a bit weird. Only six months. That means no child, no house, no life together. Dice is silent the whole walk home. When we get back to our room, he lays me down. His tears fell on my arms.

"I- I'm supposed to protect you. I feel like I'm about to fall apart honestly. I can't lose you," 

"Maybe we're overlooking something. We have to be able to save me,"

"If you're wondering, you can't sell your soul to the devil twice. That's not how it works,"

"I'm sure he'll want something of mine. Hell, if we have to give him our firstborn child I will," 

"Don't joke like that. Gwendolyn would not appreciate that,"

"Get me a meeting with the boss," 

I had a quality the Devil could never possess. Love.