"Sir, I can't take this!" I gasp. "It's your money!"
Will only smiles and Brian says, "My dear, I'm afraid it's already yours. I wrote it in my will."
"No, I can't take it. It belongs to you!"
"Well, what else am I going to do with it?"
"I don't know, but I can't accept this!"
"It's yours now. Just promise you won't use it on drugs. I'm giving it to you so you can accomplish your bucket list," he said.
"Alright," I give in.
"Very well," he beams,"As for your bucket list, I would like to see it."
The elevator ride to the room was silent and full of stares. Mr. Martin smiled occasionally, mostly at me, while Will scrolled through his Instagram feed.
"Here," I say, handing him the list, which recently I had added his envelope stickers to.
Brian took the list and skimmed through it thoughtfully. He traced his fingers up and down the paper and flipped it over and over. "Fascinating," he said.
I thanked him and motioned for him to take a seat, but he said, "No, no. I must be on my way. But, use the money for your trip, and keep your promise." He smiled and gave me a tight hug, leaving his address on the table. He shook Will's hand and left.
"Will!" I screamed and tackled him in a hug. "How did this happen!?"
"I have my connections," he shrugged. "A thank you would be nice."
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"You're going to fulfill your bucket list!" he cried.
"Wait, but don't I need the doctor's approval first?" I asked.
"And I am working on that. I'm talking to my dad today," Will explained.
And he did. Later that week, a few days after Will asked his dad, we had a meeting. Dr. Montez called me, my family, Will, and a few more doctors and nurses into a small conference room. The doctors were still hesitant about letting me leave, but when they gave some bad news, everyone took sides. "After a recent MRI discovery, we found some, unusual, things."
"What does that mean?" Becca asked.
Dr. Montez gave me and my family a sad look. "The medication isn't slowing down this disease anymore. It's a matter of time, before..."
"Before what?" Becca asked again. She seemed to be more worried than my mom, who's breathing had rapidly increased and wore a blank expression.
"What he's trying to say, Cora, is that, we are very unsure about how much longer you'll be alive," Dr. Armstrong explained. "The disease is growing too strong, and medications won't do their job anymore. There's really nothing we can do.
"Which is why," he went on, "we are considering letting you go."
"But if she stays," Becca suggested, "surely there's more possibility for a miracle, or you might find a way to help her."
"Becca, we can't do much," a nurse said.
"But if she stays you might be able to keep her alive longer-"
"My God, Becca!" snapped Eli. "You heard the guy! There's nothing they can do! Just let her live for once! I'm pretty sure she'd much rather go out and do what she wants than be stuck sitting around all day in a hospital room doing nothing like she has for the past year!"
Becca's cheeks flushed red and a small tear escaped her eye. "So you'd rather risk her chances out in the open than have the doctors try to help her."
"No, I want the doctors to help her, but she's miserable! Can't you see?"
"But if they can help her, she won't have to be miserable!"
"Dumbass!" Eli yelled. "Did you not hear them say that there is nothing they can do!"
"But maybe-"
Eli slammed his hands on the table. "She's gonna die, Becca! What do you not get?"
Everyone kind of jumped at that remark. Even thought it hurt hearing my brother say that, I'm pretty sure he was most affected by it. "She's gonna die," he said with watery eyes before storming out of the room.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," one of the nurses, Nurse Jordan said. "But now, we take a vote. We'll go around the table and everyone will say whether they believe we should allow Cora to leave or if she stays and we hope we can find a way."
Will, who was sitting between his dad and Dr. Armstrong, went first. "I say she should go. It's what I would want if I were in her place."
Next, Dr. Armstrong. "Dr. Montez and I have worked with this sweet girl for a few years now, and she's always been so good about staying in the hospital all year. I think we should let her go."
Nurse Jackie: "Oh, what the heck. Let her live."
Nurse Shauna: "I think we should try our best to help her."
Dr. Fawn: "I agree with Shauna."
Nurse Jordan: "I'm with Jackie and Armstrong. And the boy."
Mom: "I want her to stay here."
Dad: "I agree with whatever Cora wants. It's her life, after all."
Connor: "I agree with dad. But, even if she wanted to stay, I still think she should leave."
And of course, Becca said, "She should stay. I really don't think she should leave and she doesn't have to be miserable all day."
Even though Dr. Montez was to go after me, my decision was last. "I'm torn. Yes, I think she's best here. However, I am going to have to choose what she chooses."
Everyone stares at me, anticipating my choice. I don't get why they're so eager to find out. They already know my answer. "What are you people looking at? Of course I'm going!"
"There you have it," Dr. Montez says, smiling at me. "We'll arrange for you to leave within the next week or two."
Becca rolled her eyes. "Excuse me," she whispered, leaving.
I went back to the room alone. My parents and the doctors were discussing things, Becca went who knows where, and Will and Connor went down to get food. I tried looking for Eli but it was no use. He probably left anyway. As I sat on my bed, texting Gianna the good news, I had an unexpected visitor. "Hey."
"Hello, Carlos."
"Mind if I sit down?" he asked. I shook my head. "I heard how the meeting went."
"Did you?"
"Becca isn't very happy."
"Well, Becca is never really happy with anything I do, so..."
"Look, Core, I know you're not happy about this wedding but-"
"What makes you think that?" I ask. "And don't call me Core."
"You can tell."
"Really?"
"I just want you to know that, if Bec cares about you, I care about you. I really don't get what your problem is with me."
"Honestly, I think my sister can do better than you, and ever since you came along, she's been a total buzzkill."
"She's just worried about you."
"She has a great way of showing it," I mumble.
"You're really stressing her out. Especially now that you're going on this trip."
"She wants to be stressed."
"Personally, I get you want to get out, but I agree with her."
"Good for you," I say, rolling my eyes.
"I don't like your hostility."
"I don't really like you in general, but we all don't get what we want, now do we."
"I don't like your attitude."
"I don't care."
Carlos sighs. "Just don't go. I don't think it's a good idea and I don't think you'll be as excited as you think you'll be. You're making your family miserable and I think you're just being selfish, if you ask me."
"Excuse me?" I ask, shocked. "Who are you to tell me that I'm being selfish? Who are you to think I make my family miserable? You're not the one living in the hospital here!"
"Cora, I know how you feel. But you're just inflicting pain on your family. You may be sick, but trust me, if you leave, even if you die, you're making your family hurt more than yourself."
"You're not the sick one here," I scoff,"You wouldn't know."
"Yes, I would know!"
"That's a story I'd like to hear."
"Stop acting like such a bitch!" he finally yells. I flinch when he yells, Carlos is normally calm and quiet. By now, he's up on his feet, his face inches from mine. "My little fucking sister was in the hospital, sick, and just like you, the fucking doctors couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with her.
"She wanted to leave, the doctors said no. So she snuck out. I helped her; I hated seeing her miserable. She had a reaction or something, I don't really know. By the time I got her back to the hospital, the doctors couldn't save her. I felt horrible, like it was all my fault. I was the one who snuck her out, after all. My family fell apart from there. Mom and dad divorced. One of my brothers started dealing drugs. Maria was the beating heart of my family. Without her, we couldn't function. I don't want to see Becca fall apart."
When he finishes, he's crying. He rubs his forehead and backs away, slumping down in the chair.
"I'm sorry," I whisper.
"Me too," he says before getting up and leaving. "See you later."
YOU ARE READING
100 Things To Do Before I Die
RomanceCora has a heart disease. As simple as that. The doctor says she has not much longer, and she still hasn't had the chance to finish or even start her "99 bucket list." But when a dying millionaire gives her a check for $200,000, a doctor's son liter...