Only One Year Left to Live

Prologue

I coughed and wheezed, gasping for air like a fish out of water. My head spun as I suddenly felt feverish, with my face burning hot. I was gradually becoming dizzier by the second. My memories blurred along with my vision. My mind was clouded and fuzzy, as I lost focus of everything around me. The ticks of the clock, the view of the classroom, the whispers of students chattering, and the monotonous voice of the teacher all faded away.

My ears became deafened, as I suddenly find it harder and harder to think. It was getting difficult to breathe. I coughed a few more times into my fist, and that's when I recognized a familiar shade of red... A color that I had to deal with more than I'd liked in the past.

That was the last thing I remembered when all of a sudden, my vision blurred and my surroundings darkened...

***

By the time I woke up, I found myself lying down in a room of white light. I squinted at the bright ceiling of nothingness. For a moment I thought I had died and entered Heaven. However, that thought was crushed instantly when I heard the sound of voices and footsteps scurrying all around me.

I slowly sat myself upright, trying to make sense of the situation. My memories were still foggy and unclear. I noticed the nurse walking into the room. As she got closer, I saw the solemn expression on her face and immediately felt something was wrong... My stomach tightened as I clenched my hand into a shaky fist.

"Hello sweetie, you up?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," my voice cracked slightly. I hated hospitals ever since the day my twin passed away in one of these beds... "Why am I h-here? What happened?" I stuttered weakly, feeling drained of energy.

"Well, the report says you've passed out. After your school called the ambulance, you were emitted into the hospital. May I ask how you're doing?" She smiled feebly.

I ignored her question. "How long have I been out?"

"Only two days, hon."

I cringed at the word only, but I nodded anyway.

"So while you were out, we did some tests to see what caused this to happen..." She glanced over the papers in her hand, quickly flipping through the pages with her freshly manicured nails. "So...Would you like to hear the results?"

She flicked her attention onto me, waiting for my reply.

No. I wanted to say, but I replied with the only reasonable answer at the moment.

"Yes... But please tell me, is it bad news or good news?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm afraid that it's..." She paused, and her expression turned sorry and sympathetic. "Very bad news."

I felt a part of me die in that moment... My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. Although I knew the answer all along and was half expecting her to say that, a part of me was still hoping that she would say something else...

"So what is it?" I managed to get out.

"You have very severe lung cancer..."

"This can't be!" I screamed at her. "It can't... it can't... possibly be..." I began to break down into tears. Salty droplets poured down my eyes, making streams down my cheeks.

The nurse walked over to me and gave me a comforting hug.

"I'm sorry, dear... I'm so very sorry..."

I sniffled, and wiped at my tears with the sleeves of my hospital gown

"So is there a way to recover? Like I bet it can get cured, right?" I asked with wide eyes glistening and full of hope.

"No... I mean, yes... but it's only temporarily..."

"How long do I have left?" I asked in a weak voice.

"One year..."

I gasped. I never thought life would be so short for me... I felt my eyes starting to tear up again.

Then, she added. "At most... One year at most..."

"Well, unless you would like to begin cancer treatments.... That would cost around $1,000,000. But it's not guaranteed to make you live much longer. Probably increase your life by a year or so..."

"We don't have that much money..." I whispered quietly...

Only one year... I only have one year left... I'll live life to its fullest, and be sure to savor every second of life...

***

Oh has the sky ever looked so blue? Wow, it's beautiful... I'll definitely miss it when I pass...

Oh wow, look at that tree! Has it always been there?

Wow, look at the sun... It's so bright...

I guess you can say, that I've begun to appreciate life more, and started to pay more attention to my surroundings...

But there is one thing that I've always wanted to experience....

Love.

I wanted to fall in love... I wanted to have a boyfriend... I wanted to know what it felt like being in love...

But too bad, I won't live to that day...

I'm dying soon, and it's better off dying alone than have your loved one mourning over you, right?

**

The nurse gave me one last hug, and she turned to leave, but before she got to...

I started to feel pressure on my lungs, and all of a sudden, I was unable to breath... I felt the world around me spin, and everything darkened... My eyes fluttered shut, and I remember feeling a sharp pain on my side, as my body hit against the ground...

***

How is it?