Relapse Again

2

I slowly open my eyes. My room is blurry and I'm having trouble focusing on the figure standing in front of me. 

"How are you handling it?" Sofia (1/3 of my best friends) says. 

I shake my head and sit up. She sits down on my bed with me. "Not well."

"Does it remind you about Eli?"

I pause. Take a deep breath. Bite my lip. Fight back tears. Then speak. "Yeah. A Bit." My voice cracks under pressure and I find myself blinking back tears once more. 

"It'll be alright," Sofia hugs me.

"Mason said she only has about a month, though. That's about the same as Eli."

"I'm sorry," She says. "Just please, come to me if you start getting bad again."

"I will," I say. "I promise." Part of me wonders if that's actually a lie.

2 weeks went by, not much has changed. Smiling and staying strong on the outside and when we're with Laylah, but the second we're not with her we fall apart. 

The 4 of us sit on the couch in my basement. "We need to do something," Allison (The last third of my best friends) says. 

The three of us nod in agreement. "What's something we haven't done yet?" Laylah asks.

I look at our notebook filled with fun things for the four of us to do. The list has just about everything crossed off. "Bowling, drive in movie, or stay out all night." I say reading the list.

"Well, I can't stay out all night," Laylah says.

"Why not?" Sofia says.

Laylah stares at her. "Because my parents would kill me."

"True," I say, not wanting her to do something she'd get in trouble for.

Laylah's phone buzzes and she stands up. "I actually have an appointment. I'll see you guys later."

"Doctor?" Allison asks.

"Yeah," She says weakly. We typically don't discuss her doctor appointments because of the awkwardness and sadness that follows. 

"Is it okay if I come with you?" I ask.

Laylah's face lights up a little. "Yes. Please come."

"Your parents won't mind?"

She shakes her head. "They love you."

I smile and grab my backpack, then get in her parents car. We drive to the hospital and it's there that it hits me hard. I've walked these halls about a million times between my parents getting sick, my brother, and eventually me. We walk into Dr. Wazowski's office. He must be a pediatric oncologist because Eli had the same one. 

Laylah gets taken back for a couple tests, to determine exactly how long she has. An hour goes by and we're found sitting in front of Dr. Wazowski's desk waiting for him to come back.

"It's gonna be 2 months." Laylah says confidently. "I've been feeling a lot healthier. Stronger even! I feel on top of the world."

Dr. Wazowski steps in his office with a solemn look smeared on his face. I've seen that look one too many times, and I know that's not a good look.

He looks to me and to Laylah, "You two might want to sit down."

A nurse comes in with 2 extra chairs and we take a seat. 

Dr. Wazowski takes a deep breath and starts talking. Black spots dance around my vision. Any speaking becomes muffled and I can't tell what he's talking about.