unfinished echoes - taylor swift

15

The silence in the hospital room stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Daisy's pale face betrayed her effort to keep up a strong front, but Taylor could see right through her. The way her hands trembled slightly under the blankets, the forced calm in her voice—it was enough to break Taylor's heart all over again.

"Taylor," Daisy murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Taylor leaned closer. "Yeah, babe?"

"Can you call my parents? Tell them to come?" Daisy's eyes were fixed on a spot on the ceiling, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke. "They need to know."

Taylor's stomach clenched. She knew how hard it must've been for Daisy to ask. Swallowing her own emotions, she nodded. "Of course," she said softly, squeezing Daisy's hand.

Taylor stepped out into the hallway, her phone feeling like a lead weight in her hand. With trembling fingers, she found Angelina's contact and pressed Call. The phone rang three times before a familiar voice answered.

"Taylor? Is everything all right?" Angelina's warm, cheerful tone sent a pang of guilt through Taylor's chest.

Taylor's throat tightened. "Angelina..." she started, her voice already wavering. "I'm at the hospital with Daisy."

The pause on the other end was immediate and heavy. "The hospital?" Angelina's voice sharpened with panic. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"She collapsed yesterday," Taylor explained, trying to steady her voice. "The doctors ran tests, and they—" Her voice broke, and she had to take a moment to breathe. "They diagnosed her with lung cancer. Stage 1A."

There was no response for a moment, just the sound of Angelina gasping. "No... no, that can't be," she whispered. "She's... she's too young. She's healthy."

Taylor felt tears sting her eyes. "I know," she said, her voice thick. "But it's true. The doctors said it's treatable, but..." Her voice trailed off, unable to finish.

"We're coming right now," Angelina said, her voice trembling. "We'll be there as soon as we can. Tell Daisy we're on our way."

"I will," Taylor promised before the call ended.

When Taylor returned to the room, Daisy looked up at her expectantly. "They're on their way," Taylor said gently, sitting back down beside her.

Daisy nodded, her jaw tightening slightly. "Thanks."

A little over an hour later, the door to the hospital room swung open, and Angelina rushed inside, followed closely by Richard. The moment Angelina laid eyes on Daisy, she broke into sobs, rushing to her bedside.

"My baby," Angelina cried, dropping to her knees beside Daisy's bed and grabbing her hand. "How... how did this happen?"

Daisy forced a weak smile, trying to mask the fear in her eyes. "It's okay, Mum. It's not as bad as it sounds."

Angelina shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Don't you dare say that! Cancer... Daisy, you could've—" Her voice cracked, and she buried her face in her hands, her body wracked with sobs.

Richard placed a hand on her shoulder, his own face pale and stricken. "We'll figure this out," he said, his voice firm despite the tremor in it. "Whatever it takes, Daisy, we'll do it."

Daisy's smile wavered, and she looked away. "I'm fine," she said softly, though her voice lacked conviction. "I'll get through this."

Taylor sat silently, her heart breaking as she watched the scene unfold. Daisy was trying so hard to be strong, but Taylor could see the cracks forming, the way her shoulders sagged under the weight of it all.