Bound by survival

Chapter 2

As the hospital came into view, my chest tightened more than it already had, I gripped my bag harder as the cab slowed down, stopping right in front of the place I had feared the most since my childhood.

I stepped out of the cab slowly, my legs weaker than they had ever been. My heart pounded louder with every second as I stood there. Macy reached out for her bag, paid the driver and murmured a quiet thank-you.

She held my hand trying to keep me calm as we walked into the hospital.

The automatic doors slid open, and the sharp smell of antiseptic filled the air. The beeping of machines, hurried footsteps of nurses and low murmurs of worried families felt too loud. My grip on Macy's hand tightened.

“Anna, come on, you have to calm down. You don’t want your mom to see you this way, do you?” She said softly. “Seeing you like this would make her worry, and I know you don’t want that."

I took a slow breath, in and out, forcing my shoulders to relax. I wiped my palms against my dress and lifted my head, trying to look stronger than I felt.

This wasn’t the time to fall apart, Anna. You have to be strong for mom and Ashley, I told myself.

Macy gave me a small, encouraging nod and I returned it.

“Now that’s the Anna I know,” she said.

And I didn’t even realize when I smiled.

“Let’s go,” I said quietly.

As we went further, we approached the receptionist’s desk. The woman stared intently at her computer screen, her fingers moving quickly over the keyboard.

“Good day, ma’am,” Macy greeted politely in a low tone.

The receptionist paused, typing for a moment before looking up.

“We’re looking for Linda Stevens. Her daughter was rushed in this morning,” Macy said.

“Emergency ward, third floor,” the woman replied. “Room 205.”

“Thank you,” Macy and I said quickly.

We stepped into the elevator, the doors sliding shut with a soft thud. That was when the panic hit me again but this time even more intense. The familiar fear I thought had buried came rushing back, flooding me as the elevator began to move.

When the elevator doors finally opened, I barely had time to take a step forward before I saw my mom, pacing up and down the hallway. Anyone would notice how worried she was even from a distance.

“Mom,” I shouted, running towards her. The moment she saw me, a weak smile spread across her face. No words came out from my mouth, I just wrapped my arms around her, holding her as tightly as I ever could.

Beside me, Macy greeted her softly, giving a small reassuring smile.

“Mom, how is Ashley?” I asked, the desperation clear in my voice. “What are the doctors saying?” My eyes flicked around the hallway. “And why are you just standing here, pacing up and down like this?”

But before mom could mutter a word, a doctor stepped out of Ashley's room, his expression unreadable. He turned to her and said quietly,

“Mrs Stevens, I need to see you in my office now, please follow me.”

We all followed the doctor down the hallway, and Macy held my hand, offering comfort along the way. She could already see the fear in my eyes.

When we reached the office, Macy had to wait outside while mom and I went in with the doctor.

“Please, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chairs right in front of his desk. We sat down, facing him.

“Ashley’s leukemia has gotten worse and now requires urgent surgery. She needs a bone marrow transplant. We can’t guarantee stability for long if the procedure isn’t performed soon.”

Those were the exact words that came out of his mouth.

My heart skipped, my head felt heavy while Mom immediately broke down into tears. I wanted to cry too, but tears wouldn’t fall, so I just sat there as everything inside me went numb.

“How much is the surgery?” Mom asked as she wiped her eyes with the napkin she carried everywhere she went.

The doctor inhaled slowly, glancing at the file in his hands before looking back at us.

When he finally told her the amount, my vision blurred. It wasn’t something that could be easily, not even if I worked myself to the bone for five years straight.

Mom’s tears worsened. I tried to calm her down, whispering words I wasn’t even sure she heard, but nothing worked.

“I’m sorry ma’am,” he said gently.

“You can take leave now. I’ll do my best to make sure she survives, but the surgery still needs to be done urgently.”

He closed the file he was holding, stood up and turned to leave.

I grabbed Mom’s hands as we stood to leave also.

We stepped out of the office and found Macy sitting outside. She immediately hurried towards us, her eyes filled with concern.

“Why are you crying?” She asked Mom, then looked at me.

I gave her a small look and said," I’ll tell you later," and she understood.

I turned to mom. “Mom, you need to go home and rest. You have been here for a long time. The doctor said Ashley’s stable for now, so you need to rest. You don’t have to worry, I’ll stay here with her.”

“What about school? Aren't you supposed to have lectures today?” She asked, her voice shaky.

“I don’t want anything distracting your studies, don’t worry, I’m fine just go back to school.” Her eyes were already swollen.

“Don’t worry Mom, I’ll catch up with school when I get back, but for now you have to go rest. I’ll get a cab,” I said as we walked towards the elevator taking us down.

Outside the hospital, I stopped a cab and told the driver Mom’s exact address. She got in without a word and I waved her goodbye with a faint smile as the car drove off, even though my chest felt unbearably heavy.

Macy just stood there quietly, watching as the cab drove away and so did I also.

We went back to the hospital, returning to the room where Ashley lay, pale but conscious.

My phone buzzed, and it was a message from Eric: “I didn’t see you at school today. Hope you are good?”

I read it but didn’t reply. A few minutes later, he called.

I stared at the phone as it rang. I couldn’t pick up. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk to anyone.

Macy noticed the call and frowned. “Why aren’t you picking up?”

“ I really can’t talk now,” I said quietly, my eyes still fixed on the screen.

She turned to me fully. “It’s Eric,” she said, like that alone should change my mind. “ Aren’t you supposed to let him know what’s going on?”

I let out a tired sigh, slipping my phone into my bag. “I don’t want to bother him,” I said gently, “You know he’ll come running the moment I tell him, I don’t want to feel like a burden.”

Macy looked at me for a long moment, then her expression softened. She didn’t push anymore.

Hours passed. It was already getting late, but Ashley still hadn’t woken up. Though she was conscious, she hadn’t said a word.

“Anna, we need to head home,” Macy said. “At least we know she’s stable. We’ll come back early tomorrow to check on her again. The nurses are here, so she’s safe.”

I looked at Ashley one last time, then nodded slowly.

“Okay,” I whispered, even though it didn’t feel okay at all.