Until The End

Bad News

"Hey babe."

"Hi."

"Did you sleep well?"

"It was alright."

"How are you feeling?"

"Not the best but I'm alright." She smiles.

"So the doctor told me what you have. You know, what's going on."

"What's wrong?"

Her smile disappears immediately.

"You have leukemia. It's pretty bad."

"What?" She starts to tear up and her voice breaks.

"What, Daryl? Please tell me you're kidding.."

"I'm not." I hold her hand and she squeezes it.

"What are we going to do?" She starts crying.

"They're going to give you chemotherapy in a few hours. Then we'll go from there."

She starts crying more.

After two hours she was ready to start chemo.

She's laying in the bed, holding my hand.

"Are you ready, Mrs. Dixon?"

"I guess so."

I let go of her hand and the nurse puts in the iv.

"Now you won't feel the same anymore after treatments. You'll feel fatigued and maybe slightly nauseous. Unfortunately chemo kills all of the reproducing cells, including hair and skin. Your skin may become flakey and your hair might fall out in clumps.

She immediately grabbed her hair and whispered "no, please. not my hair."

Her long hair was her livelihood.

She spent hours a day brushing it and moisturizing it. It was her child, her only thing that made her feel alive.

She had been growing it for years.

"I suggest you cut it short, just so it's not overwhelming to lose it in large clumps."

"It'll be okay, sweetie."

She starts to tear up again.

"Mr. Dixon, you'll need to leave soon."

The nurse walks out and closes the door.

"Babe, I'm going to go. I'll be back tomorrow at 8. I'll visit you every day you're here and never leave your side when you're home."

"Okay." She tries to hide her tears.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

I kiss her lips and her forehead.

"Stay strong, love."

"You too." I get up and walk out of the room, closing the door softly.

I leave the hospital, get in the truck and start to tear up.

I start the truck and drive to Merle's apartment.

I pull into his parking spot and go up the stairs.

I pound on the door.

"Merle."

No sounds.

"Merle!"

I hear his motorcycle in the distance, it pulls into the parking lot. I yell down from the balcony.

"Hey Merle!"

I go down the stairs to greet him.

"Hey baby brother. I thought y'all were camping."

"We came home early, she wasn't feeling good and I took her to the hospital."

"Is everything okay?"

"She has leukemia.."

"Like cousin Mike?"

"Yeah but a little more severe."

"Aw man, that sucks. How is she doing?"

"I don't know, she's going under treatment overnight. I'm going to go see her tomorrow morning."

"Rough, man. I'm sorry. Have you been crying?"

"Nah man."

"I see the puffy eyes! You've been crying!"

"Pfft. Whatever man."

"Haha I told you, you're here little bitch."

"Shut up, Merle."

We laugh together.

"You hungry? Wanna grab a bite?"

"Hell yeah, little brother. Like old times?"

"Hell yeah."

We get in the truck and drive to the nearest restaurant.

After a few hours, I take Merle home and go pick up some flowers for tomorrow morning.

I get home and go lay in bed.

I fall asleep after a while.