In The City

Chapter Eight

"Good morning Stacey!"

"You came back!"

This had become routine since I started visiting her at the hospital. Every time she said it I felt a little guilty and regretful about how I failed her. I still laughed and smiled and pretended the remark didn't hurt me at all.

"So what's the big news?" I asked Stacey for the twelfth time. She gave me a look as if to say she had no clue what I was talking about. That week. After she had texted me that night saying she had some exciting news to tell me I haven't been able to get a single word out of her. It was beyond irksome.

"I forgot." She said flippantly and smiled.

I groaned in frustration and sunk into my chair. I pulled out a novel that had I started reading three years ago and had never finished. Just as well, it was extremely boring. Even though when I visited Stacey we weren't always speaking, it was nice to sit with her and be in her presence. The only time I left was when Christo came to see her. I couldn't stand the sudden contempt he had for me. So I tried to avoid him at all costs. If Stacey noticed my weird behavior around him she didn't say anything. I didn't want to admit it but when I wasn't with Stacey, I was relatively lonely. No one knew I was in the city and even if they did I was worried they wouldn't want anything to do with me.

I hadn't encountered Jordan yet thankfully. I didnt know what to say to him, or to anyone for that matter. He was away on business in Tokyo but he called Stace whenever he had the chance. They seemed more in love now than they ever were before. I couldn't help feel a little jealous over her thriving relationship. I would sometimes find myself wondering whether Christo and I's relationship would have strengthened like theirs did. I would zone out, during Stacey and Jordan's calls, and think of happy moments I treasured with Christo. Eventually reality would set in. We were no longer in a relationship. He had no feelings for me, except distaste disdain . I had no feelings for him. He was just very attractive and I was just lonely. Yes, that was it. I sighed sadly and turned the page I had been 'reading' for the past twenty minutes.

"Okay." Stacey relented

"Okay what?" I looked up at her surprised.

"I'll tell you." She said.

"Oh yay!" I said excitedly.

"You look like you need some cheering up." She began " I was waiting to tell Jords first but he's away and this is really important. Hardly something you say on the telephone right?" The last question seemed directed at herself.

I squeezed her hand encouragingly but she wouldn't meet my eyes. This worried me. Wasn't this supposed to be good news? I thought.

"You're crying. Look you don't have to do this. You don't have to tell me." I tried to call her down.

"It's just this means I'm getting it all back," She mumbled . "I should be mad. But I'm just relieved..." I waited. She continued, "I didn't plan for THIS eventuality Kat!"

"What is THIS eventuality?" I asked mimicking her tone of voice. "You're not making any sense."

She took a few deep breaths and then looked me square in the eye and said:

"I don't have cancer."

"What do you mean? Like you're in remission?" She shook her head no. "Your oncologist has been in to see you everyday. You have Cancer." I said thinking my friend was going the insane. "Let me just go speak to one of the doctors and ask them why you feel this way." Maybe her brain is deteriorating.

"No you don't get it. I don't have cancer. I never had cancer. I wasn't sick!"

I stared at her blankly.