Terminal

Cancer.

It is a short word - six letters, two syllables. Despite its short length, this word has the power to destroy families. It had the potential to decimate a person both mentally and physically. A word that comes with no warning and with malicious intent. It drove fear into the hearts of thousands of people every day.

And right now, she was one of those unlucky souls.

She sat there, frozen in time, trying to process the information her doctor had just relayed to her. 

"Ms. Evans? Are you alright?" The doctor proceeded with much caution. She had delivered this news to many people, and she knew that one false move could send a patient over the edge. Especially under these circumstances.

Rachel snapped back to reality, realizing that she was being spoken to. She tried to speak, but the words were caught in her throat. Finally, she gathered up enough courage to talk, with only one question on her mind. "I... I h-have cancer?"

The doctor let loose a deep breath she had no idea she was holding in. "I'm sorry," she began. "I know that this must be hard, but with the proper treatments we can b-"

"Am I... going to die?" Rachel asked.

Her doctor, visibly shaken by the bluntness of the question, did not know how to answer. "Ms. Evans, there is no way t-"

"Am I going to die?!" Rachel had no idea that she was yelling, but so much emotions were flowing through her, just looking for a way to break free from their prison.

Realizing that her patient would not be satisfied with a sugarcoated answer, the doctor decided on the best way to respond. "Ms. Evans, you should know that the survival rate for this exact disease is very slim," she stated, sorrow evident in her voice. "And given the fact that we didn't catch it early enough, your chances of living for even another few years are... almost nonexistent."

Rachel, now beyond the point of no return, just sat there, tears endlessly streaming down her face.

"I know it's hard, but we can at least make things more comfortable for you. Maybe extend your time a bit. We can- Ms. Evans? Where are you going? Ms. Evans!"

The doctor's calls never made it to Rachel's ears, for she was already sprinting out of the building. She didn't care where her legs were taking her - she just needed to run.

Streaks of water still blinding her vision, Rachel simply let her body take control. She could hear people on the streets talking about her - that psychotic woman running down the street to get to god only knows where. What did she care what they thought? She wouldn't live long enough to let the shame and embarrassment soak in anyway.

Noticing that her legs were going to give out from under her at any moment, Rachel decided to settle down on a nearby park bench. She continued to let loose the tears that would not stop coming, the dam long since broken. Her ears perked up, however, when she heard an almost angelic-like voice from beside her.

"Excuse me, miss?" the owner of the voice started. "Are you alright?"

Rachel brought her water-soaked eyes up to see a man sitting right beside her. There was nothing too striking about him, save for the effeminate appearance. 

She wasn't normally one to talk to strangers at the park, but she figured that she might as well answer his question. What did she have to lose at this point? "N-not really," she stuttered out. "I just found out something horrible."

"It must be if it has brought such a beautiful woman at her wits end."

Giving a dry chuckle at his peculiar manner of speaking, Rachel wiped her eyes of as many water droplets as she could before addressing him again. "I... have cancer," she stated grimly. "I'm pretty much dead before New Year's."

The man gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry. Is there nothing they can do?"

Rachel just solemnly shook her head. "Even if they could, what does it matter?" With every word, she could feel her voice cracking, her resolve shattering like glass. "They'll make me sit through tons of painful treatments, and then what? I squeeze by for another two months? There's no point! I'm going to die! I'm g-going to d-die!" Rachel began to violently sob once more, her spirit crushed by the weight of her condition.

The man, however, was not fazed by her outburst. He simply put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's such a tragic thing to be absent from such a beautiful world." Rachel looked up at him through teary eyes, bewildered by the randomness of his statement. "It would be such a shame for a young lady like yourself to waste her final months cursing herself and not enjoying the world around her." Before she could utter a response, the man lifted a finger toward the direction of the sky. 

Given her situation, Rachel had never even noticed what a lovely day it was. Beautiful blossoms adorned each and every tree, and the sky was the clearest blue she had ever seen. The sun, radiant as ever, shined down upon the earth, granting it a gorgeous spring day. 

Her gaze dropped from the sky to the surrounding area. Flowers seemed to be bathing in the sunlight, dancing as the breeze passed over them. Countless people walked to and fro, simply enjoying the perfection that was this particular day. Everyone seemed to have a smile plastered on their face: adults, children, and even the animals seemed to be more exuberant than ever.

Before she could examine any further, she heard a soft voice begin again. "You see? Why spend your time crying and wallowing in pity when you could enjoy the rest of your days, as these people are doing?" 

Rachel wiped her eyes yet again, and looked at the man. "I... I think I get the message." She beamed a large smile at him - all the thanks and reassurance he needed to know that she was alright.

"Sometimes, in order to 'get the message', you just need the right messenger." With that, he gave her a smile, rose from his seat on the bench, and started on his way.

"Wait!" Rachel called out to his retreating form. "I never got your name!"

The man smiled once more, before turning around to answer. "Gabriel." Making sure that she needed nothing else, Gabriel walked off into the distance, seemingly vanishing into the afternoon sun.

Rachel sat there, reflecting on the enlightening conversation that just took place. A few minutes later, she stood from her position and walked away, pondering on what to do next.

After all, she had her whole life ahead of her.