White Stag

Chapter 1~Cancer

Click. Click. Click. The quiet chatter stops, and heads turn to see who has entered the room. A woman saunters into the waiting area, towering over the receptionist who is hunched over at his desk. Her dominating stature sends a demanding aura through the room. My eyes suddenly find the tile floor increasingly interesting.

"Arabella Mizenko, we are ready for you," the woman says with a clipped voice. She was the kind of women who happened to wear heels so that her clients could hear the terrifying click

I glance up and give her a small smile. "That's me," I reply eagerly. My worry ebbed away.

Welcome to Rose Hospital. I am Mrs. Mere," she says, glancing back at me briefly before entering a maze of hallways. After walking for a few minutes, Mrs. Mere leads me into a room scently faintly like disinfectants. "Your doctor will be with you shortly," she says before closing the heavy door behind her and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

My family was unable to accompany me to the hospital. My father, Dawson Mizenko, was busy with work, as usual. He is the CEO of the Mizenko corporation, which is famous for making amazing hair products that cater to those who aren't blessed with great locks. My father only cares about money, even though we have a lot of it already. On the other hand, my mother only cares about family.She wanted to be with me today but her elderly friend passed away a week ago. Her funeral is today. My mother means everything to me. I would take a bullet for her. She has been my shoulder to cry on, my light in the dark, and she has always been there for a cuddle. I don't know where I would be without her.

My thoughts dispersed as a soft knock echoes into the room. An older gentleman steps in and gestures for me to sit on the examination table.

"Arabella Mizenko, it's a pleasure to meet you," he says. A smile wrinkles the corners of his eyes. " I am Dr. Zed." I shake his hand and some of my worry starts to ebb away. Doctor Zed sits in a chair. He pulls out a yellow folder with my name on it and starts flipping through the pages.

"So, last time you were here, we did an MRI of your brain. I will be giving you the results in just a moment. How are your headaches?" Doctor Zed asks.

I have suffered from severe headaches since I turned 17, a year ago. The headaches begin randomly and don't leave for hours. The pounding from them feels like an artist chipping away at my head to make a sculpture. Most of the time, I end up curling up in a ball and crying in my room.

"Same as always, Doc." I give him a forced smile. Truth is, my headaches have been gradually getting worse, which is why I'm anxious to see the results and find out if something is wrong with me.

"Well... Arabella you have developed a tumor in your brain." Doctor Zed holds up a black and white image of my brain. I can see a white blob seems to be growing on the top of part of it.

"After taking your biopsy sample, we had a pathologist look at the tissue." Doctor Zed's face was looking a little pale but he continued on. "Treatment is available but not in the way that you may think."

Sweat starts to trickle down the nape of my back. I shudder out a breath. My fingers start to fiddle with the loose material of my sweater. "C-can you remove it?" I ask him in a hopeful tone.

Doctor Zed lifted his eyebrows. "Arabella, you must understand. The brain is a very complex organ. The surgery would take hours. The risk is higher then the reward at this point. But alas, that's not the problem."

"Then what is?" I ask him in a small voice. I'm reminded of when I was a child and my father used to scold me.

Doctor Zed slides his tired hand through his greying hair. He sighs sympathetically. " This tumor your have is cancerous. I'm sorry, Arabella."

I frown to hold back tears. "Oh," I whisper.

"Now there is a little need for worry. We recommend that you start chemotherapy treatment. We can start as soon as I call your parents and they decide what to do." Doctor Zed's confident smile pierces my defenses. "We can also start you on corticosteroids."

"I don't want to go through chemo! What about the surgery? Can we do it without the chemo?"

"I'm sorry, Arabella. Removing the tumor is not the problem. The tissue from the biopsy displayed rapidly multiplying cancer cells." Doctor Zed examines my crestfallen face. "There is the option of extensive surgery after chemotherapy." Doctor Zed murmured to himself.

I can feel my world toppling down. I have to go through chemo, I have a tumor, and it's cancerous.

"Thank... thank you, Doctor. I'd like to go now," I mumble as I get off the examination table. My head is full yet none of the information is registering. It feels like my head is stuffed with cotton.

"I will call your parents and inform them of your glioblastoma multiforme. I'm very sorry this has happened to you. Please, try to have fun before we start the treatment on Monday." Doctor Zed's face fakes a smile. I could already tell what he was thinking.

When I get out of the hospital, I look around me. My lips feel incredibly chapped and the need to gag comes over me. I hesitate to get into my car and shake my head, trying to get rid of the cotton.

I step on it once I'm outside the hospital area. I have cancer, who cares if I die now? I let out a sickening laugh. My face falls as I realize the fact that I will have to tell my best friend, Apollo, the truth. It would be easier then confronting my mother about my condition.

We have been best friends ever since he moved here from Texas. We've been through elementary school and high school together. We have always been there for each other and hate being apart. Apollo would be devastated by the news. But I am determined not to let it change who I am.

Cancer may have started the fight, but that doesn't mean it's going to end it.