Life Goes On

Chapter 1: "Symptoms"

"NO NO!"

21 year old Catherine yelled as she was about to take her needle for her MS. Poor Catherine had MS in her legs and she was diagnosed last year. Catherine's best friend Dustin was trying his best to give Catherine her daily needles but she just wouldn't take it. They were in Catherine's bedroom and Dustin was becoming more upset every time Catherine rejected the medicine. Catherine huffed and puffed.

"That thing won't do anything for me! So just stop already!"

Catherine yelled at Dustin and turned the opposite direction, so Dustin could only gaze at her back. He sniffed and was becoming depressed,

"Take it! Please!"

Dustin was a cry baby when they were younger in school, so Catherine would always take care of him and protect him from others. They were family, close friends, then the tragic event happened. One day Catherine''s legs gave out and numbness caressed her legs and then a few weeks later her vision was giving up in her right eye but then it cleared up after a few weeks, Dustin rushed Catherine to the hospital and she was diagnosed with MS. For some reason from that day on till this day Dustin hasn't shed a tear. But only when his depression kicked in. Catherine took her daily needle, Dustin was in shock he quickly wiped his tears and smiled and thanked her.

"You're lucky Mr. Peterson."

Catherine said as she gave him the squinty eyes. Then she sighed and got up and made herself and Dustin some breakfast. At the table they ate in silence as always, Dustin looked at his food and said,

"Catherine?... Were you scared?... You know when... You're symptoms... I guessed kicked in?.."

Catherine looked at him as he spoke to her and she replied in a serious voice,

"Of course. I didn't know what to do. I was scared to death, then you brought me to the hospital and then we found out then blah blah!... To be honest Dustin I don't like talking about it."

Catherine glared at the clock and noticed it was almost time for her to be in work, she quickly cleaned her dish, threw some clothing on and went to work. She didn't say goodbye to Dustin. He sighed as he sat in the house alone, Dustin noticed they're old album from when they were teenagers and younger. He went up to it and picked it up with bug eyes. It's been 4 years since he's last opened that photo album, he slowly opened the book and dust came up and made him sneeze, he squinted and glared at the photos, he specially looked at a certain photo of him and Catherine, they were sitting under their favorite tree that they carved their names into. Around the time this photo was taken they were 8. Dustin almost began to cry, but he held it back and continued to flip the pages of the photo album. After he was done he went back to his favorite photo, took it out and put in his back pocket and he went into his room and placed it on his tv stand. Dustin then later on went out. He went to the park they lived next to and he went on the swings. Time rushed by and Dustin didn't notice it was around night time, Catherines text woke him up from his daydream and it said,

"Where are you? I've been looking all over for you! Please reply..."

Dustin replied,

"I'm so sorry! I didn't keep an eye on the time!" But I am at the park, I'm kinda in a comfortable position... So do you want to like meet me here..?"

He replied back, then a few moments later a hand was placed on his lower back, it was Catherine. She pushed him so he was actually swinging on the swing. Dustin then said suddenly,

"Well looky here it's sonic!"

She giggled at his stupid pun, then she had him do the rest of the work. Catherine then sat on the swing next to him and began swinging herself. Dustin was having so much fun he didn't realize Catherine was struggling, she kept complaining to herself, she whispered to herself so Dustin wouldn't worry, but her legs became weak and hard to move and she became vertigo. Catherine didn't run that by Dustin but through the whole night he had a smile on his face and Catherine didn't want to ruin that. Once they went home they went to bed but in the middle of the night Catherine was getting more dizzy, finally when it got too extreme for her and she couldn't move her legs she called her doctor and said,

"Doc. I can't move them.. I think it's time."