Just Once

Prologue-

Maggie and I started for the top of the hill, I couldn't run as fast as I used to because of the recent findings of my heart cancer, my heart cancer was different from most, it wasn't bad, we found it just in time and I was told I was getting better and that I'd live a normal, healthy life. I stopped half way up the hill, sat on a rock and looked out onto the small town of Ailey, Georgia.

"Maisie, are you okay?" I heard Maggie yell from the top of the hill.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me a couple of minutes" I yelled back

I started back up the hill but instead of running, I walked the rest of the way. We sat under the huge willow tree, the only time we came up here was to get away from the world, to escape from our problems or to just get away from our parents. We talked for a little while longer until it started to get dark outside, we both headed back down the hill, headed for Maggie's house. It was a typical Friday evening, the sun was setting and the warm breeze of spring, soon be be summer was flowing.

But as we were getting closer to Maggie's house, I started to feel dizzy and then became lightheaded, I kept walking not thinking much about it but then it was starting to get harder to breathe. I stopped walking and took deep breaths, maybe I'm just really out of shape now. I started up walking again as we were only a block from her house but at this point it started to become unbearable, my chest started pounding and I couldn't breathe, at all.

"Maggie, I can't breathe!" I yelled

"C'mon, Maisie, we're almost there" she said reassuringly.

At this point I was gasping for air, I fell to my knees, trying to slow down my breathing. It didn't work, I had no idea what was happening because before I got the chance to tell Maggie to call my parents, I blacked out. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital room filled with people, Maggie's family and mine.

"Why am I here?" I asked

"Maisie, you blacked out in the middle of the sidewalk" Maggie replied.

I looked at her, confused. That's when the doctor came in. He briefly smiled and asked everyone to leave the room but my parents, no one left.

Dr. Zimmer was his name; he came over and sat in the chair next to the bed and grabbed my hand.

"What happened? Why am I here? I shouldn't be here!" I yelled, snatching away my hand.

"Maisie, calm down! I don't know how much of this your heart can take"

"What happened!" I yelled again, panicing.

"Masie..."

"What!" I screamed.

"You relapsed from your cardiac sarcoma and it's much worse than what we thought"

"No, no, you told me I was getting better!" I screamed.

Not caring how much I was screaming, crying and kicking, Dr. Zimmer continued on.

"There's a chance that you may not get better from here on"

"That's insaine!" My mother yelled.

"The cancer that you said was gone is back, again?!" My dad yelled.

The bickering continued between my parents and the doctors, I was in complete shock, denial and I think everyone else was too; the room was filled with yelling, everyone wanted answers but no one was getting any. My head started throbbing and soon everything was fading, yet getting darker at the same time. I was so confused and started to breathe heavily...all I could think about was Rylie and what he'd think, was last week the last week I'd ever see him? And then all at once, everything went black.