Forever and a day

Chapter Three:Christa p.o.v :-)

"No! As a father, I forbid you to do this."

  "Please baby. Think about this."

"Cool....."

  These are the conversations that were going on in the hospital room. You can probably guess who is saying what by their emotion in their words.

  I had just cracked the egg and told my immediate family that I decided to create a bucket list. Sounds pretty ordinary for a dying person. But this bucket list requires me to do some flying. And I didn't want to take my family with me. Not because I don't want to see them or anything. But because I knew if they came, they would freak over some of the things I want to do before I die. They would worry over me and I would probably do only 2 of the things I had planned to do. Anyway, bucket lists are best when there is only one person to do it. Others who aren't dying would never understand what it meant to one to do these things before they die. They just won't get it.

  "I understand that you want to be with me through this heart breaking ordeal, but some things are best left for one person to experience. Anyway, I am 20 and a half. I need to learn to do things on my own. All my life I have been watched over by you two, but now I need to grow up and be a woman. I haven't even been kissed yet for crying out loud!"

I usually am a quiet person, so for me to be loud and very outspoken is a shock to everyone. And it was clearly shown by the shock and bewildered faces in the room.

My father was the first to recover. "Look honey. We understand that you are older now. And you have grown into a fine young woman. But we just think that staying home with your family will be the best thing for you and your condition."

  "Daddy! You treat my condition as if it is the spawn of the devil. What if it is God's way to help me make a life changing experience? What if this is what God wants for me? You will just be going against his wishes." Christa- 1.

Dad- 0.

  My father was gaping like a fish and his jaw ticked. My mother had stopped sobbing and was now sniffling every now and then. My brother was smirking his signature smirk.

Me? I was thinking of how the hell I was going to keep from getting killed.

  "Christa-" He never got to finish his sentence because mother cut him off and surprised us all with what she said next.

"Just let her go honey." It seemed as if the pause button was hit and everyone froze in their own little pose.

  I was sitting on my bed with eyes wide open and a shocked expression on my face. Dad was still gaping like a fish and had a shocked expression on his face.

Gabe, well he was just smirking as usual. But now looked like a constipated fish.

  "Sweetie? Are you sure you understand what you are implying?"

"I know exactly what I am implying. I am saying we should allow our daughter to go out and explore the world. She is 20 anyway. All she has ever known is a hospital bed and us breathing down her neck. Maybe she should be allowed to go out and explore the world as an adult. She is an adult right?"

  The whole time she was looking at me with a sad smile on her face. Sadly, she started crying again and quickly sat down on the hard hospital chairs that are provided for guests who are visiting patients.

  To say I was happy is an                          understatement. I was truly excited.

So excited, that I started bouncing on my bed. But that proved to be a tiring task quite quickly, so I opted to just grinning like an idiot.

   It was almost 8, when my father deemed it time to go home for rest. It was my brother who spoke up and asked to speak with me before they were to leave.

   I scooted over to allow him to sit on the hard hospital bed with me. It was quiet for a few moments before my brother broke the silence. "Bailey called. She's been asking about you. Wants to know when you two can speak again." I was speechless. Since I had been hospitalized, I totally forgot about Bailey. We were friends since high school. That was before my condition got worse and the last time we had talked was before graduation day.

"Did you tell her about my whereabouts?" Truthfully, I didn't wish to tell her about my condition. She had enough on her plate and was one to worry over everything and anything. I didn't wish for our friendship to be a burden.

"I figured you would want to tell her yourself." He looked at me with a questioning expression when I turned away from his expectant gaze. "You are going to tell her right?" I thought about what I would say to his question because I didn't want him to think I didn't want to. I just wanted to keep her from worrying over me so much.

"It's not that I don't want to. I just think it is best she doesn't find out about my condition. Anyway, I might die, so I wouldn't want her too heart broken." To me, it seemed a sensible answer, but not to Gabe I guess. "She will be even more heart broken if she were to find out when it is too late. She will keep asking herself what she did that made her best friend keep something this big away from her." I thought about what he said and understood where he was coming from. She would be devastated by this secret. But I just couldn't bring myself to tell her. "Gabe. Promise me you won't tell her anything about me and my condition. Just tell her I am on vacation or something. Just don't tell her anything. I will think of some way to tell her myself. Got it?" Gabe looked torn between saying yes and no. Finally he sighed out a barely audible okay.

I smiled and embraced him in a hug. Before he left, he gave me a package that he had in his pocket. I smiled up at him and thanked him.

When he had left, I looked over the documents that he had given me. There was my plane ticket and the savings that I had saved before I was hospitalized. I am surprised no one asked me where I was planning on going to. I guess they weren't thinking about it at the time.

I already had my bucket list ready and had told my doctor that I was ready to be disconnected. By tomorrow noon, I was going to live my life in 6 weeks.