Nearly dying

3rd P.O.V.

Early in the morning when the sun was shining bright striking Jade’s eyes who were still sleeping on the sofa placed inside Andrei’s room in the hospital.

Jade was half-awake, trying to examine everything that was happening inside Andrei’s room.

She found herself in a noisy environment and was forced to wake up in full.

Jade tried to sit while she was remembering the last thing that she remember with Andrei. They were alone inside Andrei's room and they had a lot of things to talk about.

As for Jade, it was one of the most memorable nights in her life.

She was awakened by the sound of the loudest apparatus placed at the side of Andrei’s bed.

There were a lot of doctors and nurses that are checking Andrei, especially his vital signs.

Andrei was having a seizure and it lasted so long.

When Jade saw Andrei in this state, she immediately squeezed herself in to see Andrei closer.

This was a piece of shocking news for Jade because last night she just had a conversation with Andrei, a very long and deep one, and then suddenly this happened to him.

The most disturbing part is that the doctors and nurses are panicking.

"He's okay I just talked with him last night," said Jade in the middle of the chaos.

The doctor cast her way because she wasn't needed in that sector.

“We need you to get out of here. Now,” said the assistant nurse.

But Jade was really competent. She doesn't want to leave Andrei in their hands alone.

As Jade knows how painful it is for Andrei to be alone in the hospital room together with the doctors and nurses. He’s been keeping it inside of him, and she doesn't want to add up to those memories.

The doctors have managed to put Andrei into a better state. However, Andrei was unconscious.

He’s in a coma.

Doctors asked for the waver of Beatrix before that whenever it is needed to put a tube inside Andrei, and Beatrix agreed before.

Now that Andrei needs it, the doctors had started to put a tube inside of him.

"He’s fine, this was just one of his episodes. Please, don’t touch him!” Jade shouted, interrupting the ongoing session.

Nurse Anna, the personal nurse of Andrei whom Beatrix left with Jade, helps the doctors to cast Jade away.

Nurse Anna said, "I'm sorry we have to put you outside because of doctors couldn't focus."

Jade was so mad. "Why are you leaving Andrei’s side when Beatrix hired you because she wanted someone to look after him closely especially when this kind of thing happened?! But look, here we are, escaping from the truth. what's making you scared?"

Nurse Anna had to put Jade away from the patients before she could answer her question.

It's not easy because Jade was really the kind of girl that wanted to fight for her point.

"I don’t want to get away from Andrei! Why are you forcing me? STOP!" snarled Jade.

"Andrei needed to get checked up on and if you keep on insisting to come inside then how would Andrei get treated? How could Andrei successfully overcome his cancer?"

"C-Cancer?" asked the perplexed Jade.

"You didn't know? Andrei didn't tell you about his sickness?"

Jade’s tears streaming down her cheeks, while her eyes were having no emotions.

She was having complicated emotions and doesn't know how to respond to any of them.

Andre’s nurse had no choice so she told Jade everything but she tries her best to limit the information that she will about to give to Jade.

Jade was too young to process the incoming information especially because it was the detailed information of her closest friend.

Nurse Anna brought Jade to the canteen and bought her a soda.

"I know that this will be too much for you but and wanted you to know that I'm always here for you and I can be your crying shoulder. If you feel like the information is starting to become overwhelming for you—”

"Cut to the chase please."

Nurse Anna took a deep breath.

She looked around, making sure no patient was present, and when she was sure of it, she started to speak.

"All right,” she started.

“Andrei was first brought here when he was caught up in an accident. It brought him into a coma. Andrei woke up soon after, but that's just to start of Beatrix’s battles and Andrei’s journey. Doctors have found out about Andrei’s complications in his heart. They were glad that Andrei was just in Stage 2, so they could still do something for him. But then, Andrei’s cancer was more aggressive than the doctors had thought. So they couldn’t prevent it from spreading to the 4th Stage.”

Jade butted in. "I mean, I thought doctors could prevent the cancer from spreading any further if they discover it at an early stage?"

"Beatrix discovered Andrei’s cancer when he was on stage 2. As for the doctors, although it was not spreading too far from the source, it was still hard to cure it. All of a sudden, Andrei had a heart attack, and it put him again into a coma. So when he woke up again, it was a miracle. That was the least that the doctors had expected to happen because Andrei was still not going to surgery.”

Jade’s mouth was ajar as she was listening to Nurse Anna.

"Andrei was having seizures because it's the nature of his cancer. Right now, since the operation is not yet beginning or at least starting to get ready Andrei is expected with a lifespan of three months.”

"Three months?!"

"That's all I could say to you. That's all I know. Right now, I don't want you to bring so much emotion with Andrei because it was bad for his health. He wasn’t advisable to feel so much emotion right now. If you can’t do that, I’m afraid you will be forced to stay away from Andrei.”

Jade was perplexed. She doesn't know how to absorb everything she had heard today.

Jade responded to Nurse Anna with a nod.

She looked elsewhere, trying to divert her attention to someone else.

She was dumbfounded, left with no words.

All Jade wanted right now is peace of mind.

But her thoughts betrayed her. It keeps on haunting her and she was not planning on shaking it off. Instead, she let it soak inside her head.

RIX's P.O.V.

I was running in the hall of the hospital while I was wearing the silk casual dress that Apollo brought me last night.

I felt guilty wearing this while rushing toward Andrei.

Did I become too comfortable that this wouldn't happen to him again?

Fuck…

"Nurse Anna!” I shouted.

Nurse Anna was standing beside Andrei’s bed, so my eyes automatically landed on Andrei and when I look at him, I noticed that the apparatus had increased.

I covered my mouth using my hand, trying not to burst into tears.

As I was walking inside, I heard Harley and Charis, shouting Anrei’s name.

But they stopped when they reached the door.

I slowly walked toward Andrei who was unconscious right now.

I felt my voice cracking up. "What happened?"

It was almost above a whisper.

I couldn't increase the volume of my voice because I know that if I do, my voice will continue to crack up and I won't be able to help myself from sobbing.

When I reached Andrei, I caressed his head, kissing his forehead.

"Am I too late to talk with you?" I whispered to him, making sure that no one really heard it.

I shouldn't have left you last night…

Maybe I was right.

I started to become selfish the moment I start to have feelings for Apollo.

Now, I’m beginning to question myself if it’s still right to continue a relationship with Apollo.

Ha…

I shouldn't let myself feel something romantic.

I started to do it and become fond of it, but now I lost myself and was about to lose my brother.

I just wish I could still talk with Andrei.

I looked at Jade.

Jade was fiercely staring at Andrei.

Is she waiting for Andrei to wake up?

"Nurse Anna, is he in a coma again?"

Waters are starting to form around my eyes.

It's becoming cloudy. The edge of my eyes is starting to wet up.

I wouldn't stop these tears.

"Well, the doctors are still trying to figure out what happened to him and what made his vital signs drop so fast. But one thing is for sure, Beatrix, he is starting to feel something towards someone and that mixed emotion had made him uncontrollable of his own feelings.”

"Nurse, my brother is too young for that kind of feeling. Maybe what he felt is just a puppy love but it was too shallow for him to be in this kind of state.”

Nurse Anna shook her head feeling disappointed with my response to her.

"Please, don't invalidate kids' emotions. Age is just a label but we're all the same. Don't see puppy love as something that you didn't feel when you were a kid or as a joke. Once, it was you who was in that state."

I was shocked.

Nurse Anna was right.

Why am I invalidating my brother's emotions?

Ha…

Maybe I was just too overwhelmed and blinded by the situation.

"Beatrix…" called Apollo.

I looked at him.

"Can I talk to you?"

"I'm sorry… no."

He just nodded and went outside.

I don't know where Apollo went right now.

I don't want to bother to know where it is.

"The surgery is not impossible to do, Beatrix. Please expect that anytime now, Andrei is considered as good as dead.”

My shoulder drops.

This is not true. Nothing of this was true.

Why is she making me feel bad?

I was shaking my head, trying to convince myself that everything she said is a lie, and that it was just her way to stop us from asking.

Yeah, that's correct.

"Andrei will not die. The money I've sent to the doctor was complete and he told me that once my money was ready, Andrei would be able to afford to absorb all of the medications including his chemo."

Nurse Anna didn't say anything.

All she did was nod to all of my self-diagnosed shits.

I was glad that they didn't try to push off her point and just let me soak in sadness, let me feel it.

After all, emotions are meant to feel.

"This wasn't true, right?"

Nurse Anna shook her head, still not saying anything.

I don't know anymore. All I can say is that no one will die.

—

Three consecutive days.

I filed a leave with my boss and Madam Glo instantly approved my request as she knew everything that I was facing the moment I entered the club.

This is one of the days that Madam Glo was expecting to happen to me.

I was glad she didn't ask for more details or personal things that had happened with Andrei.

Jade was looking at Andrei, feeling hopeless.

I tried to talk with Jade and convince her that everything will be okay but because her mindset had already set I couldn't change it with just words.

Kids like Jade want solid evidence like pictures, or an actual situation and solid support that could help her feel there's still a chance.

Charis give me a tea

Charis also filed live and then she was with me the day she filed it. It was her.

She was lucky because Madam Glo confirmed her leave despite having those lame excuses for employers.

"It's been weeks since you started throwing up. Why are you throwing up? What did you eat that the food poison has lasted for weeks?"

I shrugged looking elsewhere, looking at nothingness.

I didn't answer Charis and let her think of anything that she would want to think as I love being self-diagnose.

"What if you're pregnant?" she asked.

All of the incoming thoughts have been automatically blocked because I've suddenly heard an offensive question.

"How could I be pregnant? I've been taking pills to stop all the unnecessary pregnancy."

"Unnecessary huh? Well, right now it's necessary for you to take the pregnancy test so we could know what's happening to you that you kept on having a sensitive nose and throat.'

That was the only thing that I approved of Charis after everything that she told me.

It's also been three days since the moment I saw Apollo properly.

I could only see Apollo a few times a day for like an hour or 2, and then he will go somewhere and I don't know when I will meet him again.

Or maybe I just didn't see him because I was too busy thinking about my brother's welfare.

"But what if I was right? What if you're pregnant? What will you do? Do you have plans with your baby, while also dealing with this kind of problem?"

I bluntly looked at Charis and smiled at her after. "You're so good at making me feel I was helpless, really, you are so good at that."

"Oh, sorry, okay? I mean that's just the possibility that you might face and if you keep on running from it you won't be able to solve it. Sooner or later, you will have to face it, forcibly by the life itself.

I thought of it for the first second and somehow, although Charis had very weird thoughts, she was right.

It started to linger around my head and somehow I wanted to do the pregnancy test alone.

It's like I wanted to do it without the eyes of Charis, Harley, or Apollo.

At least, if I ever find out about my condition right now, I could decide if I will stop this, or continue, or ask for someone to help me abort the baby— I don't know.

Well, I was looking at Andrei. He was the only one that's running through my mind, my priority.

"I'm hungry," I said out of the blue. "I'll go out for a bit and get some food for myself."

Charis and Harley nodded.

I left them Jade.

I was right. Apollo was beside me and I just couldn't manage to see him because of my focus with Andrei.

He was always following me wherever I went.

Even now…

Now I have to divert his direction.

If I don't, how would I do the pregnancy test?

Charis' P.O.V.

While I was waiting for Beatrix, I was forced to see everything that's happening around me.

Jade sat closer to Andrei.