The Last Light

Tears in the ICU

Veyra quickly called Novera’s mother to tell her what had happened. Terrified, Mrs. Seraphine drove to the hospital like a criminal racing down a runaway road. By the time she arrived, her daughter was already in the ICU. Confused and shaken, she kept asking the doctor what was wrong. When they finally told her that Novera had acute leukemia, she almost collapsed from the shock.

Moments later, Tavros, Novera’s brother arrived at the hospital. When he heard the news, he knew what had to be done.

He went into the ICU, stood beside his sister’s bed, and apologized to her for bringing her into this situation. Then he turned and looked at his adoptive mother, who was weeping outside the ICU doors. In his heart, he hoped Novera would wake before he had to do what was right, so that he could say his final goodbye.Veyra and her cousin were deeply heartbroken when they learned about Novera’s illness. The doctor later called the family into his office to explain the severity of the disease. He told Mrs. Seraphine that her daughter had less than six months to live, and that, since the leukemia was already acute, there was no cure. The words shattered her, but she had no choice except to accept what fate had dealt her daughter.

By the time the meeting was over, Novera had woken from her coma. Veyra sat by her side, while her cousin left to collect his luggage from the airport. Mrs. Seraphine was relieved that her daughter hadn’t stayed long in the coma. Soon after, the doctor entered to check on Novera’s condition. But to Novera, everything felt like a blur. Confused, she asked questions, and Veyra tried to explain what had happened. Still, Novera had no idea that her best friend was hiding a secret, the truth about her limited time. Outside the ward, Mrs. Seraphine pulled Veyra aside and told her the painful reality. Shocked and full of pity, Veyra promised to keep the secret. She was then sent home to avoid exposing the truth to their classmates.

Back inside, Tavros broke the news gently to his sister. Novera stared at him in disbelief. She tried to insist that she was healthy, that the hospital must have made a mistake with the results. Fear spilled out of her in frantic words, until she began to panic, thinking about all the things she hadn’t yet done. It was as if she believed she had only six months left to live. Tavros and her mother did everything they could to calm her, but it was only when the nurse arrived with a sedative that Novera finally rested. In the quiet corridor, Mrs. Seraphine and Tavros spoke in low voices about what needed to be done. Tears filled Tavros’s eyes as he apologized for bringing such misfortune to the family. Mrs. Seraphine thought of her late husband, who had died in an accident because of the same cursed fate. She couldn’t blame Tavros—after all, she had chosen to take him into the family.

Before he left, Tavros made a final request: to see Novera once more before beginning his tragic journey.