#Chapter4
THE WEEK PASSED by in a blur and still, there was no sign of Kai, Jake and Nick. I was starting to get worried and not for them, it was the mere thought that I would be stuck doing the Civic Ed assignment all on my own. Not that I couldn't do it, but still.
The hallways were abuzz with student chit-chat as I made my way to the school library. I heard my phone vibrate through my jean pocket and I took it out to see who would text me whilst at school.
It was a text from Mum saying I had a doctor's appointment later in the afternoon.
Sighing, I typed a quick okay before stashing my phone back into my pocket.
I spent the rest of my morning in the library studying as I waited for lunch to roll up. And when it finally did, I packed my things and went to the school parking lot to wait for her to come pick me up.
/"Alexis,/" I heard Asher's voice a few metres from where I stood.
I turned to see him jogging toward me all sweaty. /"Where are you going?/"
/"Doctor's appointment,/" I simply said and he understood.
/"Do you think there's going to be any good news this time around?/"
/"I highly doubt that's a possibility right now./"
Asher sighed, /"have a bit of hope would ya?/"
A dry laugh escaped from my lips unwillingly. /"You know, I hoped I wasn't diagnosed with such an illness at the age of nine, but guess what? That didn't happen./"
/"I understand that, it's just that-/" I cut him off.
/"No, you don't understand. you're not the one walking about knowing that any second you could just drop dead and you wouldn't even know it./"
Mum's car decided that that was the best moment to pull up in front of us and I quickly got in and shut the door.
/"Hey Asher,/" mum spoke looking between us with raised eyebrows.
/"Hey Kate./"
/"Can we go already?/" I asked impatiently.
/"See you around Asher,/" she said and Asher waved.
We sat there in silence with me staring out the window but I could feel her gazing at me every once in a while but she didn't care utter anything and neither did I.
-----☆-----
/"Let's run some tests on you and see what we have./"
I sat there and did as the doctor said- turning, lifting, laying and what-not.
/"Can I have a word with you Kate?/" Dr. Dave said and mum followed him out of the little room we were currently in.
Have a bit of faith. As if that's something I can will myself to do at this point.
I sat in the little white room alone and let my thought run to the most bizarre of scenarios. What if I was never diagnosed with it? What if I got to live my life the way I wanted? What if I never get to go to college after all my hard work? Would I still be the person I am today? Those questions kept playing around in my head. But the one question I never wanted to ever think about was how my family would be without me here in their lives.
I don't know how long I zoned out-but I was pulled out of my reverie when Dr. Dave and mum came back into the room. /"The tests came back negative and we are worried that the illness has reached its high and there's nothing we could do,/" Dr. Dave spoke. /"But we will still keep you on your regular treatment until we have further information on what can be done./"
I released a breathy sign, /"I don't want to keep doing the treatment anymore if there's no surety that I still have enough time left./"
/"What! No honey, we can't stop your treatment,/" mum said as tears rimmed her eyes.
/"But it's just a waste of money./"
/"No, it's not and you father and I will do everything to make sure you're better./"
A dry laugh escaped from my lips as I shook my head, /"you just don't get it, do you? I've lived for eight years with this thing and I can't keep doing this to you, to everyone and more importantly to myself./"
/"I'm afraid that's not a good idea Alexis,/" Dr. Dave spoke, /"you've been my patient for eight years and I know you're a fighter and you will get through this./"
/"Oh please! This isn't something about being a fighter, it's about life and I am slowly losing mine,/" I scoffed.
Mum's eyes were now puffy and her nose was a ruby red colour but no tears were visible.
/"I want to go home./"
/"Okay dear,/" mum said and we left the hospital and everything in it.
The atmosphere in the car was so tense that you could be able to cut through it with a knife. I didn't want to say anything after that appointment and I hoped mom felt the same way but guess I'm always wrong at everything.
/"Honey we need to talk about this./"
/"There's nothing to talk about./"
Mum glanced at me momentarily before focusing back on the road ahead. /"You can't stop your treatment and you know your brother will highly be against that,/" she said. /"How will Asher feel when he finds out that you don't want to have your treatment anymore? Do you think he will be happy about that?/"
/"Suffice to say James will be beyond annoyed and quite certainly livid with me but I can talk him into trying to understand my decision,/" I spoke, /"and for Asher, I don't know what he will say. He might possibly stop talking to me after I tell him./"
/"Then why do you want to go ahead with it when you know you'll be hurting the ones that love you?/"
/"It wasn't an easy decision to come up with,/" I admitted. /"But I am most definitely not going back on it./"
Mum was quiet for a while and I assumed that was it with the talk.
/"Your dad and I will be broken and you know that./"
/"I know./"
And that was that. We drove the rest of the way home in silence as I stared at the buildings that we passed in a blur. This is the right decision, I told myself.
When we finally pulled up into the very familiar driveway-we sat there in silence with no one making a move until I got out and mum quickly followed after locking the car.
The front door was unlocked and immediately I knew dad was home already, /"Dad?/"
/"In the kitchen honey,/" he shouted and I followed the voice.
/"How did the appointment go?/" he asked once I was in view.
/"The same as usual./"
Dad nodded and mum later appeared besides me.
/"I thought we could hang out with the whole family like old times this Saturday,/" dad began, /"you can invite Asher as well as his part of the family.
/"But James is at school,/" I said with a raised eyebrow.
/"Lexi!/"
No way, that voice is familiar but I thought-no it can't be him.
/"James?/"
/"Of course, it's me, who else would it be?/" he asked from behind me and I turned to pull him in for a hug.
/"I missed your annoying self,/" I sighed clutching onto him and never wanting to let go.
/"Missed you too baby sis. But if you don't let go anytime soon then I might die from suffocation,/" he joked to which I reluctantly pulled back. /"Aren't you supposed to be at school?/"
/"Yeah but I took a couple of days back so I can hang with you guys and annoy my baby sis,/" he said. /"So, are we up for that family hangout or what?/"
/"Yes, we are./"
Mum finally spoke after standing there for a long time watching us and what she said made my blood run cold.
/"Alexis has something to tell you about the appointment./"