I sat in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for the nurse to call my name. I've been having unstoppable headaches these past two weeks that didn't want to go away despite drinking coffee or taking painkillers. It started getting very annoying, I couldn't work or sleep because of the pain. I never wanted to go to the hospital, but my cousin threatened to pull me by the hair and drag me here.  (She was serious.) therefore I was forced to go. 

I hate hospitals. Their smell makes me nauseous, and the bright lights make my head hurt even more. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. 

But I mostly hate hospitals because they remind me of my best friend's death. I remember running after her with the doctors taking her to the emergency room. My clothes and hands were covered in her blood, I was crying and shaking uncontrollably while her boyfriend was pacing around the room just as anxious and terrified as I was. No more than fifteen minutes later, the doctor came out of the emergency room and looked me straight in the eyes.

We're sorry, she couldn't make it.

The words were like a bullet to my heart. My eyes burned, I felt like I was going to lose consciousness, and I couldn't breathe, so I walked quickly outside the hospital to get some air, and the moment I was outside I fell on my knees and busted into tears. I needed someone to hold me, a shoulder to cry on, but the shoulder that I used to lay my head on was gone.

Rachel is dead, and it's all my fault.

I shook my head to chase away the thoughts. It's been years now and The torment of conscience is still torturing me.

I sighed through my nose. This nurse is taking too much damn time.

suddenly felt my looked at my caller ID. I don't know why, but I picked up the call. "What's up, old geezer?"

"Cassandra, how many times did we argue about you calling me that?"

Ah yes, that harsh tone he always uses, so I would stop my imbecility. It used to work on me when I was a kid, but now, it just makes me want to irritate him even more.

"And when are you accepting the fact that you became old and dull?"

"I'm your father, young lady, you should address me with respect."

"Ok boomer."

"Cassandra."

I rolled my eyes. What a deadpan, he can't take a joke. "Fine, shall I know the reason behind your call, your honor?" I asked sarcastically.

He sighed. "I called you because today is thanksgiving and your mother wants you to come early."

I raised my eyebrows, wow! Did they just remember that I'm a part of their family? "I'm flattered that you have thought about me and invited me to your humble house to eat dinner with your excellence, but I'm afraid to inform you that I cannot make an appearance." I'm exaggerating when talking like this, but it's annoying him, and I'm having fun. "However, I'm curious to know why your dear wife hasn't called me herself instead?"

"Her phone is broken, so she made me call you."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

She made you call me, so if she didn't, you wouldn't even pick up the phone to check if I'm still alive.

"Why can't you make an appearance?"

Like you care.

"I'm sick. I'm in the hospital." I didn't want to tell him that, but I wanted him to worry, to care for once; to ask me if I'm alright.

"Whatever. listen, your mom needs you, you better show up early to help her. Don't upset"

How disappointing. I don't know why I thought that he would genuinely care about me. I'm so stupid. of course, they remember me only when I'm needed. "You have two other kids. Ask them to help you instead, I'm not coming."

"Why can't you be useful at least once in your life?"

And why can't you be a dad to me at least once in your life?

That's what I wanted to say before I noticed that a nurse was smiling and walking toward me.

Finally.

"I have to go now, bye." I declined before he could say another word.

"Miss Hall, Dr. Carter is ready to see you."

I got off the chair and followed her to the doctor's office. She opened the door, and I got in to find the doctor sitting at his desk writing something on a piece of paper, he lifted his head and grinned at me. "Good morning, Miss Hall. Please take a seat." he referred to the armchair beside him.

"Good morning." My voice came out low. I cleared my throat as I approached the armchair and sat on it.

"How are you feeling these days?"

"Nothing changed, I still have strong headaches in the morning, and sometimes they stop, sometimes they don't."

"Do you have vision problems or have you ever lost consciousness?"

"No, Just the horrible headaches."

"Okay." he cleared his voice. He looked more stressed than I was, well actually, I'm not stressed at all.

"I, unfortunately, have bad news for you" He joined his fingers together. "The bad news is that we looked at your MRI scan and..." he looked at me straight in the eyes, the same way the other doctor had looked at me when he announced Rachel's death. "We found out that you are diagnosed with a brain aneurysm."

I frowned. "A brain aneurysm?"

"Yes, it's a balloon-like bulge in a blood vessel that can potentially burst. It can rupture and cause a hemorrhagic stroke."

I put a hand to cover my mouth. Oh my god...am I going to die?

"Please don't panic, miss, It's going to be alright. Some people can go a lifetime with an aneurysm that never raptures, but you may need a surgical clipping or endovascular coiling to prevent it from rupturing."

"So if this aneurysm bursts...does it mean that I'm going to die?"

The doctor took a deep breath. "If it ruptures, yes, there is a risk for your life."

"That's, that's..." I couldn't find the words. "The best thing that I've ever heard!" 

 The doctor took a moment to figure out what I have said and then frowned at me, confused. "A-are you okay?"

"I'm fantastic!" I didn't feel this joy for years! "I'm amazing! When is this aneurysm going to rupture?"

Dr. Carter looked at me as if I were insane. "I told you, people can live a long time with an aneurysm without being ruptured but now that you have these symptoms there is a possibility that it can burst anytime, that's why_"

My eyes shined. "So that means that I can die any time?"

"That is why I'm telling you that we should make surgery as soon as possible. Miss, this is serious. How can you be so happy about it?  you are dying!" 

I couldn't pretend to be sad, I have been waiting for this a long time ago, and now it finally came true. "Oh  I know I actually manifested this, have you ever heard of the law of attraction?" I asked. "that shit Is real! you have the evidence just in front of you, you should try it."

The poor doctor was so perplexed and confused, which made me burst into laughter. When I calmed down, I stood, wiped my tears, and took a deep breath. "Anyway. I don't want to submit to any surgery or whatever kind of treatment. I just want to get out of here and go home. Would you please just give me something for the headaches because they're really unbearable?"

I got out of the hospital with a wide grin on my face, jumping and dancing in the street, ignoring my headache. People stared at me as if  I was crazy, some of them laughed and made fun of me, but I didn't care. I was too happy to care. Why care about people's opinions when they'll forget about me when I'll die anyway?

Author note:

Hey! thank you for reading. I hope you like it, If you do please leave a comment it'll be nice to read your opinion, If you don't, also, please comment I would love to hear your critics.