Forever

Chapter Six

He went alone.

Balanced on the edge of the chair, anxiously, Danny wasn't entirely sure he could really do this alone.

You are stronger than this,

But the voice was faded, uncertain if this were true.

Was i strong enough to beat this?

The question hung in the air like thick, grey smoke surrounding him, the heavy suspense making it almost impossible to breath.

And then a voice called him to enter and panic raised within him.

No, I can't. I can't do this, I just can't.

In that moment, he realised what a fool he was for not bringing Serena. How stupid it were for him to ever think he was ever 'strong'.

"Mr O'Donoghue?"

His eyes timidly peered up, gulping solidly, he nodded up at the nurse as he stood up. His legs trembled as he quietly followed her to the doctor's office where that daft old man smiled in such a fake way it made him sick to his stomach.

He sat before him, trying to sit in a more, comforting, comfy position but he felt hard like an action man who couldn't bend his limbs quite right.

"You came alone?"

Danny nodded and the man appeared to simply accept this without caring really, only concerned for how much money he's going to get at the end of the week.

Dick, he thought to himself even though Danny knew he would do the exact same in his position.

From there, he was handed paper after paper. He felt overwhelmed by the long, painful words that caught his eye across these deadly sheets.

"Mr O'Donoghue, as you read these papers, it explains the cause and the treatment possible for this cancer. May we begin?"

He didn't reply. In fact his brown, rusty eyes stayed glued to the shivering paper in his unsteady hands.

The doctor began anyway, seemingly wanting to just get it over with, in Danny's opinion.

"You are diagnosed with heart cancer."

His eyes lifted, staring at the doctor's casual words in complete horror.

Heart Cancer...

His stomach launched, sweat piling up under his skin as he tried to push the thought away.

But of course, how could he? It was inside him. And after all; you can't run away from something inside you, can you?

"Please, take your time." The doctor spoke blankly and Ashton finally realised, he has done this a million times with a million other patients.

He swallowed roughly.

"No, no...continue."

The man nodded before clearing his throat croakily and leaning forward with direct eye contact.

"Well, cancer that starts and develops in the heart, are very rare.

Heart cancers can develop from any part of the heart. Benign myxomas are the most common tumor arising from within the heart.

"However your diagnose seems to be directed towards the liposarcomas which is very rare, indeed."

"What's...the lipst-"

"Liposarcoma," He appeared pleased by Danny's puzzled reply, as though he adored spilling out this information to his patients. Maybe that's why he had taken the job, not to help people but to put his knowledge to use. It made sense now why he was a doctor. "The liposarcoma occurs within the fatty tissue surrounding the heart. This type of cancer spreads from fatty tissue and infiltrates these tissues around the heart..."

Danny blinked, trying to produce the information and try and make sense of these details, though his heart did the opposite by refusing to enter this reality. He couldn't run away from this though. You can't run from something that's inside you.

He tried daydreaming. To create a fantasy around this but his soul felt empty, like someone had taken all his hope and dreams just like that.

"Mr O'Donoghue," The doctor grumbled, annoyance rising in his voice. "Do you feel as though you would like to come another time, perhaps with a friend or family member?"

He had thought about it at first. To run from the entire situation, hide behind friends and act like it wasn't him who was facing cancer.

I mean it could've been anyone, he wept silently inside. Why me? It could have been anyone but why me.

You should walk out. Get Serena to come with you, maybe Mark and Glen too. That way you won't be alone and-

But I have always been alone. Always. He interrupted himself, suddenly feeling braver, almost stronger:

"No, I'm fine." He tried to make it sound bold but instead a pathetic, whimpering whisper escaped.

"Very well."

It was becoming very clear Danny didn't approve of this man's attitude which seemed to help. If he kept peering up at this man and taking fine details of his lazy, deep tone of voice and bald wrinkled egg head; he could easily distract himself.

"Mr O'Donoghue?"

He had froze completely. His heart clambering harder and harder as he stared at him.

"Have you confirmed you are willing to go through with treatment?"

Oh dear god...

He gulped, trying to remain calm while the idea raced through his brain.

Treatment?

He should go for it.

But did he want to?

No.

No, Danny was admittedly scared. No, no he wasn't. He was fucking petrified.

His heart thudded with the distant image of him lying weak and deadly pale in a bed, bald with no pride, no life.

Just another cancer patient...

Is this what he should really do?

Well he didn't want to but what other choice was there?

To die...

He closed his eyes, clearing his throat - he made a decision.

"Yes. I'm willing to go through with treatment."

- -

AUTHORS NOTE:

Haven't updated in ages though this one is particularly quite long, but I'm doing another chapter soon to make up for it anyway.

Thank you for reading.

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Chloe x