𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝟏𝟖 +

𝐒 𝐈 𝐗 𝐓 𝐘

Eden

The hospital room was colder than I expected. I sat in the stiff bed, my hands trembling slightly as I gripped the thin hospital blanket draped over my legs. The sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air, making my stomach churn with a mixture of nerves and nausea. The lights above flickered faintly, casting harsh shadows across the room.

Lenore sat beside me, her hand firmly wrapped around mine, grounding me to reality. Brielle stood near the door, trying her best to look calm, but I could see the worry etched in her face as she leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. The two people I cared about the most were here, and yet the fear gnawing at my insides was impossible to shake.

I was terrified.

The doctors had already prepped me for surgery, explaining the process over and over until the words blurred together. I nodded at the right moments, pretended I was okay, but my mind was racing. I had never felt so vulnerable before. This surgery was supposed to save my life, and yet the very idea of it felt like staring into an abyss.

Lenore squeezed my hand gently, pulling me from the whirlwind of my thoughts. "Sweetheart, it's going to be okay," she whispered softly, her voice soothing even in the midst of my anxiety. Her brown eyes were locked onto mine, filled with a quiet strength that I couldn't find within myself.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to believe her. "I don't know, Lenore," I whispered back. My voice sounded so small, so fragile. "What if... what if something goes wrong?"

She reached up, brushing a strand of hair out of my face, her touch so tender it nearly brought me to tears. "Nothing's going to go wrong," she said, her tone firm but gentle. "You're strong, Eden. You're going to get through this. I'll be right here waiting for you when it's over."

I nodded, though the lump in my throat made it hard to speak. The reality of what was about to happen felt so heavy. I didn't want to be scared, but I couldn't help it. The thought of being wheeled away, of being put under anesthesia, of not knowing what would happen when I woke up, it was too much.

Brielle stepped closer, her face softening as she looked at me. "You've got this, Edie. You're tougher than anyone I know," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "And if you're not, well, I'll just have to kick cancer's ass for you."

I let out a weak laugh, grateful for her attempt at humor. Brielle always knew how to say the right thing to make me smile, even when the world felt like it was crumbling around me.

I leaned back into the bed, trying to breathe deeply to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. My chest felt tight, and the butterflies in my stomach were more like a full-blown hurricane. I had faced a lot of things in my life, but nothing quite like this.

The door opened, and Dr. Meyers stepped into the room, her expression kind but business-like. "Eden, it's time," she said gently, giving me a reassuring smile. The nurse beside her began to wheel over the stretcher that would take me to the operating room.

Time seemed to slow down as my heart raced. This was it. The moment I had been dreading.

Lenore stood up from the chair, her grip on my hand tightening for just a second before she leaned in closer, her face inches from mine. She cupped my cheek with one hand, her thumb brushing softly against my skin. I could see the worry in her eyes now, the fear she had been hiding for my sake.

"Promise me you'll come back to me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I swallowed hard, blinking away the tears that were threatening to spill over. "I promise," I whispered back, though the words felt heavy in my mouth.

Lenore leaned down and pressed her lips to mine in a slow, passionate kiss that took my breath away. Her kiss was filled with everything she couldn't say, the fear, the love, the hope. I kissed her back, desperately trying to memorize the feel of her lips, the warmth of her touch, as if it would be the last time.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes were glistening, but she smiled at me, trying to be strong. "I love you, Eden," she whispered, her voice cracking just a little.

"I love you too," I whispered back, my voice breaking as tears slid down my cheeks.

Brielle stepped forward, pulling me into a quick but tight hug. "You've got this, E," she said, her voice firm despite the emotion in her eyes. She kissed my forehead gently before stepping back, her hands lingering on my shoulders as if she didn't want to let go.

I nodded, too choked up to say anything else, as the nurse gently helped me onto the stretcher. The cold metal frame beneath me felt foreign, and the bright lights of the hallway seemed to blur as they began wheeling me out of the room. Lenore and Brielle followed behind for as long as they could, but when we reached the double doors leading to the operating room, they had to stop.

I caught one last glance of Lenore, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and hope, and Brielle standing beside her, biting her lip, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as if holding herself together. The doors swung shut, and suddenly, it was just me.

The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, the bright lights overhead blurring as the sound of the stretcher's wheels echoed against the sterile walls. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I thought it might explode. My thoughts raced, tumbling over one another in a chaotic mess. Would I wake up? What if something went wrong? What if...

No. I couldn't let myself spiral. I had to stay focused. I had to believe what Lenore said, everything was going to be okay. I gripped the edge of the stretcher, trying to breathe, but my breaths came out shallow and uneven.

The operating room was just as cold and sterile as the rest of the hospital, the harsh lights making everything feel too real, too immediate. The nurses moved around me efficiently, preparing me for the surgery as if this were just another day for them. But for me, it felt like the most terrifying day of my life.

Dr. Meyers appeared by my side, her face calm and professional, though there was a hint of softness in her expression. "Eden, you're going to be okay," she said, her voice gentle as she adjusted something on my IV. "We've got a great team here. We'll take good care of you."

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. I wanted to believe her, but the fear was still clawing at my insides, refusing to let go.

"We're going to start the anesthesia now," she said. "Just relax. You'll be asleep in no time."

A nurse placed a mask over my face, the scent of antiseptic filling my nostrils. I took a deep breath, trying to focus on the one thing that mattered, the promise I had made to Lenore. I promised her I would come back.

As the drugs started to take effect, the world around me began to blur, the lights above me fading into soft halos. My body felt heavy, as if I were sinking into the stretcher. I could hear the faint beeping of the machines around me, but everything felt distant, like I was drifting far away.

In my final moments of consciousness, I held onto the image of Lenore's face, her soft brown eyes, her reassuring smile. I clung to that, hoping it would be enough to carry me through the darkness that was closing in around me.

Then, everything went black.

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~ R