Unforgivable Lacerations

Chapter Three

Cancer, my father who I idolized, had cancer. The same disease that killed many, robbing innocent families of their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, leaving only the memories and aftermath of such a traumatic experience.

I stuttered out a breath as it left my parted lips shakily, in sync with my eyes watering and nose beginning to sting. Why? Was all I could think, what had I done to have all of this shit piled at my doorstep?

"Cancer?" I whispered, just to check if I heard him correctly and this wasn't some sort of dream.

"Brain tumor... They said stage three."

My stomach flipped and the remains of my heart dropped, alongside the tears that fell lifelessly down my cheeks. Why was life so unfair? I couldn't make myself move to comfort my father; my arms and fingers didn't register the message my brain was saying, as the source was all muddled up. I was confused. Shocked. Terrified. But all through this, was the realization, since everything added up, the vomiting, the headaches, the heavy sleeping, the short-term memory loss, the list went on and on...

A sob started to rise to the surface.

"Are...Are they sure?" I refused to believe this. Cancer didn't happen to my family, it happened to the neighbors as you heard their sob stories, work colleagues who missed work, and would feel obligated to go to their funeral, and friend's parents. Not my family. This didn't happen to us.

"I'm sorry, Isabella," Charlie comforted me by leaning in and hugging me, whereas I should have been comforting him- such a pathetic daughter I was.

"I'll do all I can Dad, have you sorted out treatments?" I asked while pulling away from his embrace.

"I have to get the results back first. I have had blood tests to see if the cancer has gone into my bloodstream. If it has then..." He didn't have to finish, I knew. If it had gotten into his bloodstream then it would be much, much worse. "My appointment is at ten o'clock next Saturday. I probably will forget," Charlie continued.

"We'll go together on Saturday, and as I do not want a stranger coming into our house to take care of you, I'll graduate early," I stated, sniffing and rubbing my tender eyes.

"Bella, no, I can look after mys-"

"-No, you will not be able to, and I have already done what I am doing at school in Phoenix, so you have no real argument against me," I interrupted him.

"We'll talk about it if it gets to it," Charlie finished, knowing he would have lost the argument now. We drifted into a tense silence, both deep in thought of what the future would bring. It was only when Charlie's stomach rumbled did I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

"What would you like for dinner, fish? Pizza? Lasagna?" I listed.

"Fish sounds nice," he yawned. With the thought of food, I was reminded of my mother, who was miles away, unaware of the news we had just received. I knew Charlie would want Mom to know since he still loved her...

"Should I tell Renée?" I asked as she deserved to know.

"Would you?" Charlie whispered after taking longer than necessary to answer my question. "I'm going to have a little snooze for a while." Reluctantly, I nodded my head. I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, especially to someone so lively like my mother. I kissed Charlie's cheek and walked to the door without another word, not taking notice of how weak my knees felt.

Unsurprisingly, I couldn't call my mom immediately and not have something prepared to say. I paced around my bedroom floor, tapping my phone subconsciously to my cheek with every step. My breathing was heavier and my heart refused to slow before I abruptly stopped in my tracks.