The end of dreams

5

At eleven o'clock in the morning Silvia's cellphone rang.
As soon as she saw that name appear on the display her eyes glittered.
«Pina!»
«Ughina, I'm going home!»
«Home? What a joy! Just fancy I thought you were at the seaside... I was told only yesterday that you had been hospitalized. I'd have run to you If only I'd been told  before.»
«I know...» said Michelle, in a loving voice «I was afraid I'd make you worry.»
«What do the doctors say?»
«That it's not so serious as they had imagined. You'll have to bear me for some more time!»
Then she told her all she had been told by the oncologist.
«I'm coming to your place this afternoon. I've got something to tell you.»
«Come on, tell me now, I can't wait so long...»
«You'll never imagine what a mess!» she said, laughing.
Every time Silvia laughed that way Michelle realized straight away that her friend had done something wrong.
«Ughina! Come on, come here quick, I wanna know it all...»
«I'm gonna take a snack and then I'll run to you.»

The joyful phone call had just finished, nevertheless a sudden unpleasant feeling caught Silvia the moment she reflected upon Michelle's words.
She thought it was surprising that the doctors had decided to give up a stronger treatment on Michelle, although they had found those brain metastases. To Silvia's mind radiotherapy seemed too moderate an option. Okay, if those nodules were small they would get reabsorbed, why not, but they were metastases anyway.
As soon as she focused on that very word a shiver ran down her spine; she was no expert in tumors, but she knew quite well that metastases were the worst complications which could arise in cancer patients.
She turned on the oracle, her computer, and connected to the internet.
She made a rapid research and what she discovered was all but reassuring. She started her research off with the term metastasis, also called secondarism, and she found out right away that this form of tumor was in most cases much more violent than the cancer it had been generated by. It was a very bad piece of news, since the tumor which had stricken Michelle's breast was already very malignant for its part.
There was really little reason for joy on account of that premature discharge.
She continued her research on brain tumors and she felt extreme dizziness on reading that the highest survival chances usually corresponded to forty weeks..
She tried to read it again, incredulous.
Forty weeks, just like pregnancy.
Suddenly it seemed to her that life was communicating once again, yet this time it was making fun of her.

Her nausea increased.
«Please, Alien» she addressed the heaplet of cells that was freneticly multiplying in her womb «don't you give me hard time too.»
She ran to the bathroom to vomit.
"Doctors are obliged to tell the truth" she thought, catching her breath "things have changed!"
She turned the oracle off, while cursing it, then she got ready to go and see Michelle.

She said good-bye to Andrew: he was on the terrace, unaware of everything and smoking a cigar.
«Hey wait a minute, let's have lunch together and then you'll go...»
«I'm going right now, I'm pushed for time!»
«But how shall I close the door here?»
«Leave it open, in case a thief should come in what could he ever steal? If he should steal my oracle he would just do me a favour! I'll call you soon!»
«I'll call you tonight.»
The boy received no answer from Silvia, who was already hurrying down the stairs and about to reach the front door.