Endless Pain

Part I: Stranger's Bond

There were two patients confined at St. Thomas' Hospital in London: Jacques Kylo and Kiara Alexandria. Kylo, a 25-year-old man, had been suffering from a heart condition since he was 17, had cystic fibrosis (CF), and a genetic disorder which prevents him to touch another person. Like Kylo, a 23-year-old woman named Kiara, also suffers the same genetic disorder as Kylo. Kiara was also struggling with a lung condition and was waiting for a lung transplant.

ONE MONDAY MORNING, SOMEONE CAME TO VISIT KIARA IN THE HOSPITAL.

"Good morning, Kiara! Someone came here to visit you today. Guess who?" said Kiara's nurse, Xia Jaclyn. Xia had been with Kiara since she was confined. Not only was she Kiara's nurse, but she was also her best friend. They would always do silly things together and paint sunsets, as Kiara loved sunsets.

KIARA: Who? Is it Mrs. Jaclyn?

XIA: Nope! Better than Mrs. Jaclyn."

Kiara's visitor walked in

KIARA: Hmmm, I wonder who it could be?

As soon as the visitor stepped foot inside, Kiara immediately recognized, it was her sister, who had flown all the way from Canada to London to visit her in the hospital.

KIARA: "Cali!!!"

CALI: "Kiara!!! I missed you!!"

Calista Alexandria, known as Cali, is Kiara's younger sister. At 20 years old, she lived in Canada with their dad, while Kiara lived with their mom in England. Their parents had divorced when they were younger, and they had been kept apart for years.

KIARA: Where's Dad? Is he here?

CALI: Oh, I'm afraid to tell you, but he's too busy to come. I asked him if he wanted to come with me, but he said he couldn't because he has a lot of work. He said he'll visit as soon as possible when he's free.

KIARA: I guess Dad just ignores me,

CALI: Dad ignores you?

KIARA: Yeah, it's because of that one time when you came to visit here years ago. I yelled at him for choosing to love another woman instead of trying to fix our family by loving Mom again. A week after you guys left, I found out that it was actually Mom who wanted to leave Dad because she was lacking attention from him. He would always come home tired from work and go straight to bed. He left early in the morning and didn't have time for Mom. She would ask him for attention or to go out on dates, but he would say he was working hard for us to have a comfortable life.

CALI: Awh, I didn't know that. But I think Dad has learned from his mistakes. He's the one who arranges our family dinners and outings now. He said he'd love to hang out with us as much as possible. When he's busy, he needs to focus on his work and clear his mind. That's why we make the most of our time with him.

KIARA: I always wanted to feel what it's like to grow up with a dad who's always there for you.

CALI: Girl, you have a dad; you just don't bond that much, that's all.

KIARA: I know, but I'm jealous of you. You grew up with a dad and a mom, while I grew up with our grandparents. Mom would always leave me with them because she chose to hang out with her friends rather than spend time with me. Just like now, Mom's not here because she flew to Japan to be with her friends.

CALI: Don't think about it anymore! I'm here for you, and Xia's here too!

Xia answered upon hearing what Cali said

XIA: Always and forever, Kiara!

Kiara replied as tears falls from her eyes

KIARA: Thank you for always being there.

After that, they hung out together, laughed at each other's jokes, talked about their experiences, and, of course, Kiara's favorite part—they painted the sunset.

To be continued . . .