4
I checked into a hospital and half–heartedly
began treatment.
“Room 18! You pulled your IV out again!” The
exasperated voice belonged to Chloe, a young
nursing intern. She was efficient and
incredibly…blunt.
I shrank back, letting her scold me. “Do you
even want to get better?! Answer me!”
I rolled my eyes, half–truthfully whining. “It’s too
cold! Can I get, like, a small hot water bottle or
something?”
She eyed me skeptically, clearly unconvinced,
but huffed and fetched a small hand warmer.
“Don’t you dare pull your IV out again!” she
said, bending down. “Doesn’t it hurt?”
Looking into her eyes, I unexpectedly felt a
lump forming in my throat. It had been a long
time since anyone had asked me if I was in
pain. The people who cared were long gone.
“No, not at all. Thanks, Nurse Chloe.”
It was a lie. In just two weeks, my hands were
riddled with needle marks and numb. The paint
<
kept me awake at night, so I often wandered
the halls, IV pole in tow.
One night, Nurse Chloe was the only one at the
nurses‘ station, wiping away tears.
I tapped lightly on the counter. “What’s wrong?”
“Shhh!” She looked around before whispering, “Why aren’t you asleep?”
I gestured to the IV pole. “Couldn’t sleep. Just walking around.”
She glanced at my pale face and reached out to feel my forehead. “Are you in pain?”
I was about to say no, but something made me nod instead.
She beckoned me over. I pushed open the gate and sat beside her. We ate sickly sweet pastries, watched five episodes of a ridiculously
dramatic soan onera used a whole hox of
- ))
88
<
tissues, and talked until dawn before she finally
shooed me back to my room.
“Wait for me to watch the next episodes, okay?
I remember where we left off. Don’t sneak ahead!”
Chloe laughed and agreed. “Go on, go back to sleep!”
After three nights of late–night TV with Chloe, I received a call from Sean.
“Where are you?”
I raised an eyebrow. “None of your business.” He had no right to ask now, after all those years of marriage where he never cared.
He was clearly taken aback and hung up without another word. My good mood
evaporated, and I angrily blocked his number.
3:22
Chloe, waiting for me to continue our TV
marathon, asked softly, “Was that…your
family?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have any family.
They’re all gone.”
88
She pointed at my phone. “Then who was that?”
I glanced at the screen. “Him? He’s just…a
nuisance.”
A huge nuisance!
The call didn’t disrupt my routine much. I continued sleeping during the day, receiving treatment, and wandering the halls at night. If Chloe was on duty, we watched TV together.
But nuisances rarely disappear after just one appearance. A week later, I received a text from an unknown number.
L
“You blocked me?”
I rolled my eyes and blocked that number too.
Sean, flush with his newfound wealth, had developed a stubborn persistence. I finally managed to fall asleep one afternoon, only to be woken by his incessant calls.
Oh, right. He was always a spoiled rich kid.
“Hello,” I grumbled, barely able to open my
eyes.
“Why aren’t
y aren’t you home?” Sean’s voice boomed
through the speaker.
“Ugh,” I was getting annoyed, but I forced
myself to ask, “What do you want?”
“Which account should I transfer the money
to?”
<
“Any of them. Why are you calling me about
this?”
“Don’t hang up!”
I held the phone closer. “Spit it out.”
“Why aren’t you home?” He was repeating himself. Then it hit me. “Are you…at my house?”
“I’d advise you to get out. I’ve listed it with a
realtor. Someone might come to see it any time.
Get out before you lose me a sale.”
“You’re selling it?” His voice rose several octaves. “You’re selling the house?”
I suppressed my annoyance. “What, should I
keep it as a breeding ground for memories? Just get out.”
сл
<
3:23
“Where are you?” His voice was suddenly
serious.
“None of your damn business!” I hung up,
blocked the number, and deleted it, all in one
swift motion. Then, I lay awake, fuming, until
morning.
Cursing Sean’s name a thousand times.
Despite my anger, I still had to
go to
treatment with Nurse Chloe. Being back in my
hometown meant running into people I knew.
Sep
“Claire?” I turned to my best friend from
high school. “Natalie?”
Old friends reunited, of course we had to catch up.
With Nurse Chloe’s special permission, I got a
<
3:23
We chose a hot pot restaurant.
“How have you been?” Natalie asked cautiously.
I smiled. “Not bad. Got some money, but not
much time left.”
Her chopsticks clattered against her bowl. She stared at me, stunned.
I popped a piece of meat into my mouth before noticing the tears streaming down her face.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I fumbled for some napkins, dabbing at her cheeks.
“What…what is it?”
I waved my hand dismissively. “Incurable. It’s
fine, though. Won’t die anytime soon.”
I looked out the window. “I want to die on a
sunny day. Winter is too cold.”
Elena
<
