Right Now (Camila/you)

one

The IV that currently rested inside my arm was starting to itch. I used my nail to scratch the surrounding area as I laid on the hospital bed.

I had lung cancer, an common cancer for young adults and up. Tumors rested in my lungs and we're increasing ever so slightly.

At 18 years old I didn't think I'd still have it, or even have it at all. It was a curse.

Through the fake smiles and encouraging words, I knew my family were breaking down. I don't blame them. I'd been in this hospital bed for too long. All they wanted was to see me get up and walk out healthy and rid of this disease.

But life doesn't work like that. Months of chemo and different treatments, daily visits if you are allowed to go home, sudden attacks from the tumors, and a possibility of dying is a huge part of it.

My nurse, Jenny, came in with a smile with another morphine bag. She quickly switched them before taking my hand. Ever since I'd been here she's been my burst fir the past three years.

"What's the number today?" Jenny asked.

"I'd say a five." We had this scale on the amount of pain or weakness I was feeling instead of asking the dreaded 'how are you' question asked by almost everyone.

"Better than yesterday. That's good." Jenny smiles. "We've got some good news for you today."

I pressed the button on the remote to raise the back of the bed a bit so I didn't have to lift my head to look and listen. "What's the news?"

"We've got you a roomie, now you won't be alone in the room anymore." I frowned.

"That's great and all, but why do I have to get a roomie? I'm sure Isabelle down the hall is in need of a buddy." I tried to reason nicely, but I had no chance.

"Oh come on, you'll like her." Jenny gave me a light punch to my arm and let go of my hand.

She left the room, only for a few minutes before coming back in with a petite brunette with a hospital gown on. The girl was looking around the room and she sat in a wheelchair.

Her eyes landed on me and they stuck there. Maybe my pale skin made her think I was a vampire or something.

"Y/N, this is Camila. Camila, this is Y/N. You are now roomies." Jenny said happily.

I gave Camila a tight smile. She sent one back. Jenny helps Camila onto the bed and put the wheelchair aside. She began fixing her morphine and IV tube when Camila turned to me.

"What do you have?" Camila deadpanned.

It took me back how straight forward she was. Usually there was a safe way to say it or something.

"The easier way to say it, lung cancer. What about you?" I asked.

"Same thing with a complicated name." Camila said.

"Look, you two already have something in common." Jenny said.

Jenny smiles contently at the both of use before leaving. It was awkwardly quiet between up, just the heart monitor beeping every five seconds.

"How long have you had it?" Camila asked to break the silence.

"Three years. Been a tough teenage life. What about you?" I turned to look at her to see she was already looking at me.

"Two years. You're right, high school was tough." Camila said, looking down at the IV.

I grabbed the TV remote and turned it on. F•R•I•E•N•D•S began playing and both me and Camila smiled.

"This is my favourite show." We both said. I chuckled and look and her again quickly before turning back to the TV.

Maybe this roomie thing wouldn't be so bad.

×××

It was around late afternoon that my family came to visit. My little sister came running in and jumped onto my bed, squeezing me tight.

"Katie, loosen a little, you're going to crush me." I joked. But it was sort of the truth. My bones were a little weaker than usually because of the cancer.

"Sorry!" The seven year old exclaimed and began kissing my arms.

"Katie. It's fine." I laughed and pulled her to my side to lay with me.

"How are you feeling today, honey?" My mom asked, taking my hand.

"Crappy but keeping positive." She smiled and kissed my forehead.

I knew how tough this was for my mom. My dad had died when I was just nine years old. Two years he fought pancreatic cancer until his heart gave out. He was doing so well, but it was impossible to do a complete surgical removal because it didn't show until it was stage four.

Tumors shrunk to a point where they almost disappeared, then it came back hard. He knew it was coming too, he had squeezed me extra hard that day before I went to school.

Katie didn't even get to meet him. We've had too say he was an astronaut, floating with the stars and watching us through a TV screen. Only until we thought she was ready to know the truth.

"Oh, guys, that's Camila. She just came to this hospital today. We're roomies." Camila smiled and waved to my family.

My mom gave her a smile. "Do you have lung cancer too?"

Camila winced. "Yeah I do."

"My prayers are with you dear." My mom walked over and took her hand as she said those words. Camila smiled, genuinely I think.

"Thank you." My mom nodded and let go. She then pushed Camila's bed so we were in arms length of eachother, nothing the morphine and heart monitor carefully.

"Tell us about yourself. I'm sure you two have warmed up to each other." Camila looked at me, smiled then turned to my mom to tell her the basics.

×××

This will probably be the most emotional story for me to write but I plan to write it delicately and with care. Events from my past will be incorporated in this story. I feel like this will give me closure for somethings. Hope you like how it'll go.