It was another clear, summer day. Osamu and Izanami were out on a stroll through the neighborhood as Isabella and Yoko remained in the house. Isabella was preparing to cook something in the kitchen, taking out the ingredients from the fridge and preparing the utensils. She pulled the refrigerator drawer out, withdrawing the container of eggs and carefully placing it on the island counter.

She then balanced herself on the tips of her toes, trying to reach the butter on a higher shelf to the side. Just as she extended her arm out, a sharp pain suddenly stabbed her in her stomach like a blade. An agonized shout forced her way through her gritted teeth as she fell to her knees, her right hand still hanging on to the fridge handle. Yoko rushed downstairs to check on her, alarmed by her sudden yell.

"Izzy, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Yoko asked, running over to her.

Isabella forced a smile upon her face. "Just...a really bad tummy a—"

The pain shut Isabella up, forcing her to clench her stomach with her hands. Isabella gnashed her teeth together so hard they almost turned into a fine powder. She tried desperately not to cry, but the pain was great enough to draw tears from her tightly shut eyes.

"Izzy, this doesn't look like it's just a stomach ache! Was it something you ate?"

"No! I haven't eaten yet!" Isabella cried, shaking her head.

"These have been going on for a while, right? We should take you to the hospital and get it checked out." Yoko suggested.

"Okay..."

"I'll help you up."

Yoko helped Isabella walk over to the front door, where they both put their shoes on. The two waited outside in the sweltering heat, sitting at the bus stop in the neighborhood. Isabella looked like death. She was sweating bullets and sat hunched over, still clenching her writhing belly.

"Damn it, I should really just buy my own car." Yoko said, tapping her foot impatiently. "How are you holding up?"

"It doesn't hurt as much anymore, but I feel...dizzy." Isabella answered.

"You don't know what's causing it?"

"Not a clue..."

Yoko hugged Isabella and rubbed her shoulder as she looked on into the depths of the empty neighborhood. "Just hang in there. We'll get you some help soon."

The bus finally arrived after that. They were the only two passengers on it that day. They chose to sit in the back where Izzy's distress wouldn't be too noticeable. She continued to hold onto her stomach as it continued to ache, and Yoko continued to hold her close. Izzy began crying again during the bus ride into the city. The pain was becoming unbearable now that it was compounded by her fatigue and dizziness.

"It hurts so much!" Isabella groaned.

"I know. Just hang on to me, all right? We'll get you some help, I promise." Yoko assured, stroking Isabella's head. "You'll be okay. Just hang in there, little soldier."

After the long bus ride to the city, the two walked over to the hospital. It wasn't too crowded, and was mostly occupied by the sick or elderly. Isabella sat down as Yoko went to talk with the receptionist. Izzy looked around her nervously, clearly feeling tense now that she was actually in the hospital.

She tried taking deep breaths to calm herself, but that only made her feel like she wanted to vomit. She then closed her eyes and visualized herself back at the kitchen, eating the omelette she intended to make today. Before she knew it, Yoko returned to her side.

"Geez, I'd hardly ever been to the hospital in my life. Just to get shots or whenever I had the flu." Isabella said.

" Don't feel too tense about it. We all have to go someday, for something. The boring part is just waiting, that's all. Since it's not crowded though, I doubt we'll have to wait long." Yoko said.

Isabella nodded. "All right."

Waiting, waiting, waiting, and feeling more and more nervous. The wait wasn't even really that long, but to Isabella, it felt like an eternity.

"Do you have your photo ID on you?" Yoko asked.

"Yeah. I brought my insurance card, my social security card, and a checkbook just in case something isn't covered." Isabella answered.

"Good. You'll be fine then."

"I don't know if you're trying to convince me or yourself anymore."

"Both, I suppose."

A female doctor walked down the hall and called out for them. Their wait was finally over. Doctor Hanazawa tied her black hair in a braid near the bottom and always greeted her patients with a gentle smile and a firm handshake.

Hanazawa: Hello, are you Yoko Akiyama and Isabella Bailey? Gosh, I hope I pronounced your name right...

"Hehe, yeah, you got it right." Isabella snickered. "Everyone always messed it up when I was younger. I don't have any immediate family in this country, so I brought her along for support."

"Oh how nice! Well, come with me to my office and let's try to figure out what's wrong."

Ah, the doctor's office. Not a place most want to go to, but today, it was necessary. Isabella sat at the exam table while Yoko sat off to the side. Hanazawa stood close to Isabella with a small notebook and black pen in hand.

"So, Isabella, my name is Ashihara Hanazawa. It's a pleasure to meet you."

" Thank you, you too." Isabella said.

"So, what's wrong?" Hanazawa asked.

"I've been having these sharp pains in my belly for a while. It was really bad today. They seem to happen irregularly, but now they've been getting more painful. Today, I couldn't even stand up because it was so hard to deal with the pain."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"She also felt dizziness and fatigue on the way here. Though, I don't know if that was merely a side-effect from the weather." Yoko added.

"Hmm. Can you be certain it wasn't anything you ate? Nothing that was, perhaps, past its expiry date. Not an undercooked piece of meat?" Hanazawa probed.

"No, I know for certain it wasn't that. Yoko always keeps tabs on the food inventory in the house and throws away anything once it goes bad." Isabella assured.

"We often cook and eat meals together, so I'd notice if something was improperly prepared. I wouldn't allow anyone to eat it. No one else in our house is experiencing these pains either." Yoko said.

"All right. That seems to scratch out the food poisoning possibility." Hanazawa said. "So you've had these for two weeks...."

"Well, I've been getting stomach aches off and on for years now, but it hasn't been particularly painful until two weeks ago. I haven't experienced any kind of stomach pain like this before.

"Do you have any issues digesting your food? Any frequent loss of appetite? Are you sexually active?" Hanazawa questioned.

"I guess I have trouble digesting things sometimes, and I haven't been eating as frequently as I used to. I have had sex before, but I just recently had my period, so I don't think I'm pregnant or anything."

Hanazawa took a closer look at Isabella skin, face, and the whites of her eyes. "Hmm, no signs of jaundice. Would you mind if I touched your stomach?"

Isabella lifted her arms. "Not at all. Please, go ahead."

Hanazawa laid her hands flat against Isabella's belly, pressing gently. "Feeling any extra pain or soreness?"

"Yeah, it feels really tender there."

Hanazawa pressed harder, drawing a pained twitch from Isabella. "I'm sorry. It hurt there, didn't it?"

Isabella nodded. "Yeah, a lot, actually."

"All right. This is painting a more accurate picture for me." Hanazawa said. "In that case, we may just have to put you through some imaging tests. Perhaps a CT or MRI scan, if that's all right with you. We may also want to try out a blood test."

Isabella nodded. "Yeah, that's all right."

"You'll have to stay here overnight. We can run your tests and scans today and hopefully have some answers for you in just a few more days. I'd like to keep a close eye on your condition, in case it gets better or worsens." Hanazawa explained.

Isabella sighed, dreading having to sleep in the hospital. "I understand. I'll stay the night."

"Are you sure, Izzy?" Yoko asked. "Do you want me to bring you something back from the house?"

"It's okay, Yoko, thank you." Isabella said with a smile. "I really appreciate you looking out for me today. I'm sorry for all of the trouble."

Yoko stood up and hugged Isabella, kissing her forehead. "Don't be sorry. I'll go home, then. If you need anything at all, just call me."

"Thank you." Isabella said. "And Yoko, could you maybe not mention this to the others? I don't want them freaking out about me being in the hospital."

Yoko nodded. "Right, I get it. I'll just say you went back to your house for a bit. I'll come back here first thing in the morning, all right?"

"All right." Isabella sighed.

Yoko turned to Hanazawa, giving her a polite bow. "Please take good care of her. She's a good friend of mine."

"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this soon." Hanazawa assured.

Yoko kept her promise the next morning when she went to visit Isabella. She continued to accompany Isabella during her talks with Hanazawa and other doctors and specialists in the hospital. Though Yoko had hoped to take Isabella home that day, she was told that she would need to stay an extra two days and await the results of Isabella's CT scan. They begrudgingly accepted the order, and two days later, Yoko received an early morning call from Hanazawa, urging her to come and accompany Isabella in her office.

Now, the two were back at Hanazawa's office, waiting to hear back from her on the results from the scan.

"Waiting is so nerve-wracking." Isabella said, shaking the tingling sensation out of her hands.

"Oh relax. It's not like you're having a baby." Yoko said.

"I think I'd be more relieved if I was having a baby, honestly." Isabella said.

"Not Osamu's baby. That would be your death warrant." Yoko tittered. "Osamu and I are the only ones suitable to have children together, not counting Izanami or Tsukiakari. Though, it might be beneficial to allow him to mate with two goddesses. Our family would have demigod children in it, wouldn't it?"

"You're really into eugenics, aren't you?" Isabella asked.

"You know what? I am! Thanks for helping me realize that, Izzy!" Yoko declared.

"Anytime, I guess?"

Hanazawa returned, her smile and cheerful attitude from three days prior gone.

"We've looked over the results of the scan and the blood test. It appears that the cause of the pain you feel in your abdomen has nothing to do with your actual stomach itself. The problem lies with your pancreas." Hanazawa explained.

"My pancreas? What's wrong with it?" Isabella asked, her eyes stuck wide open.

Hanazawa pursed her lips, preparing to give Isabella the woeful news. "You have pancreatic cancer."

Isabella's heart fell from her chest to her stomach. Her pupils shrunk and her face suddenly went pale. "What...what did you say?"

"I'm very sorry." Hanazawa lamented. "It's a very aggressive form of cancer that's almost impossible to detect in its early stages. For most, by the time they get the diagnosis, it's already...."

Hanazawa stopped herself, trying to find a better way of breaking the news to her patient. Though, the task proved impossible. She resolved on simply being upfront and blunt. "There are signs of it in your liver as well. In its current state, I'm afraid your cancer is inoperable."

Yoko stood out of her seat, her hands slapped over her mouth in devastated shock. For Isabella, Hanazawa's words were like a sonic blur, as if her mind couldn't comprehend what she was saying anymore.

Isabella grew flustered. Tears began to roll from her eyes down her cheeks. "I...have cancer? But I....I don't understand!"

"Hanazawa, how bad is it? Can she be treated for it?" Yoko asked, fighting back tears.

"Pancreatic cancer is tricky." Hanazawa warned. "It's more than likely that it was growing before she began to feel those pains. It could've been months or years before the symptoms became visible. Once those symptoms are visible, it can be very aggressive and grow fast. In Isabella's case, her cancer has already flown through her bloodstream and it's spreading to her liver. Under those circumstances, it is possible to treat the symptoms, but…"

Isabella's eye widened with worry. "What's going to happen to me?"

Hanazawa clasped her hands, hating every second of this awful aspect of her job. "Pancreatic cancer has some of the lowest survival rates out of all forms of cancer. It's...very likely that you will die from this."

"How long? How long does she have?" Yoko asked.

"Whether I answer that question or not depends if Isabella wants to hear it. She is the one who ultimately decides if she wants to know how much time she has." Hanazawa said.

It's difficult to explain the many thoughts that were violently spinning around in Isabella's head at that moment. She could hardly comprehend that she had such a serious disease, nor could she comprehend that she was about to die. Now she had to make a choice of whether or not she wanted to know how much time she had left. She managed, just for a moment, to calm her mind and speak in a relaxed tone.

"Please. Tell me how long you think I have left."

"At this rate, I believe you have roughly five or six months left. You might die just short of the New Year. Now, there are some treatment options that could extend this time, such as radiation and chemotherapy. Ultimately, though...it'll most likely be just that. An extension."

All Isabella could think about is how professionally Hanazawa told her how long she had left. It was like she was giving her the weather forecast.

"I understand this is a lot for you to take in. I'll leave you to your privacy. We can discuss treatment and everything at a better time. Please excuse me." Hanazawa said.

Hanazawa closed the door behind her, leaving Yoko alone with Isabella in an office that now felt a thousand times smaller and quieter than it was just several minutes ago.

Yoko put her hand on Izzy's back. "Isabella..."

Isabella eyes' frantically darted across the floor. Her entire world had been flipped, twisted, and shattered. "Yoko..."

Yoko saw the tearful eyes of a frightened girl who had just been told she had a disease that would kill her slowly and painfully. She didn't know what else to do but hug her and hold her tight, sharing in the raw emotion and utter devastation. Isabella broke down in tears, crying into Yoko's shoulder as she embraced her. Yoko, who always had something to say to make someone feel better, couldn't find the right words for this situation. The both of them, terrified of everything to come, could only hold each other as they wept.