Teach Me

Maleena's POV...

I smiled big while standing at the head of my five-year-old nephew Assad's bed watching him sleep. I adopted Assad at three months old when my twin sister Selena died of a drug overdose. At that time, she was suffering from major postpartum depression. On top of that, she was undergoing intense chemotherapy for breast cancer. She was on some high-powered medication to help her cope with her depression and cancer.

Since finding out that Lena has breast cancer, I've become a light sleeper. There were some nights when I didn't sleep at all because I was afraid of losing my best friend. Some nights, she would ask me to sleep in the bed with her and just hold her once her pain subsided enough for her to relax. The night before she died, I awoke to hearing her groaning in immense pain seep through the open crack of my bedroom door.

Flashback Started...

I sat up in the middle of the bed with a start when I heard Lena cry out in pain. This wasn't the usual sound that she made when she was hurt. This was a cry out in pain that sounded unbearable for her to withstand. A cry that sounded like she was sick and tired of being in so much pain.

I quickly hopped out of bed and ran across the hall to her bedroom. I found her laying on top of her favorite Les Twin comforter, balded up into a fetal position, weeping and drenched in sweat.

I hated seeing my sister suffering this way and me not being able to do anything to help her. It made me feel useless and like a terrible older sister. Pushing my emotions to the side, I lifted her head and laid it on my lap. Taking the wet washcloth off the nightstand, I gently removed the large beads of sweat from around the edges of her temple.

"What's wrong, Lena," I asked as I sat on the bed beside her, damn near in tears.

"My head hurts something terrible, I feel weak and nauseated." She replied in a strained voice while messaging both sides of her temple with her fingertips.