Forget Me Not

Chapter one.

Chapter One.

“I’m so sorry Maisey but there’s nothing else we can do asides the treatments I’ve mentioned earlier.”

Maisey’s heart sank further in her chest as soon as the doctor said those words. She had thought she would make it through this, she had thought that she would somehow pull through and survive but she had thought wrong. She had made a huge mistake which would probably tell on her for the rest of her life. If that life was going to be meaningful anyway.

“So…, I’ve got stage four lung cancer, is that what you’re telling me?” She still didn’t want to believe it, that her problem had escalated.

“Unfortunately, Yes.” Came the doctor’s reply. “But it can still be treated and managed.” The doctor added but he had already lost Maisey’s attention.

She wiped off the drop of tear that had just fallen down her cheek. She had been diagnosed years ago of having lung cancer and it hadn’t been an issue then because the cancer had only began to spread and there was a high chance that the doctors could curb it. However, the issue had escalated over time in a way that none of them saw coming. The doctor had promised that if she followed his instructions, she would be fine and she had followed them every single day for weeks, months, yet she came up with this. She had avoided certain lifestyles because her health could no longer take it. She quitted everything including her job. Oh, Maisey you did yourself wrong! She chided.

Maisey tightened her jaw in torment, she was a firefighter or put more accurately, she had been a firefighter until a few years ago and she had enjoyed it every single day that she went out with her team to rescue fire casualties. The job kind of brought a certain light to her life, it made her feel like she was doing something for the whole world. Being a firefighter was being another kind of superhero. The kind without superpowers, yeah.

“Ca- can I see th-the results?” Maisey asked in throaty whisper.

“Yes, of course. It’s yours.” The doctor hurriedly picked up the envelope from his table handed it to her. Her hands brushed against his fingers slightly as she took it from him but there was not the usual sparks. This was just a doctor patient relationship, nothing more.

Maisey flipped the card open and pulled out the medical slip from the it. She noticed a second slip fall out from the envelope, she instinctively bent down to pick it up as she began to read.

“A prognosis?” She asked the doctor for confirmation. “You carried out a prognosis on me?” She asked in disbelief. Had it reached that stage?

“If it bothers you, I’m sorry but yes, We did.” Doctor Mayes said in a low tone while also trying to calm her down.

“So what does it say?” She asked after a few minutes. She had read it herself. She just wanted to hear from the doctor. To let him affirm her that she had read it right. If this was true then there was no use living anymore. Her heart ached at the sight of the result slip. Now, she wasn’t even concerned about the test result, only the prognosis result bothered her and she wished she hadn’t seen it earlier.

“Prognoses are not always accurate. Sometimes there…” Maisey did not let him finish.

“So you think this ain’t accurate?” She asked flailing the paper in her hands.

“I hope so, I hope that it turns out in a positive way. You just have to believe.” He told her. Maisey bit her lower lip. Believe? Wasn’t that all she had done all through the years or was there a certain way to believe something?

“I bet it would.” She said sarcastically. She had spent all her life in the service of humanity, being a firefighter was not an easy job. She had risked it all without knowing that it was also a detriment to her health. Now, she was suffering the consequences all by herself. No one, not anyone to carry the burden with her.

“This isn’t the time for sarcasm, Mrs. Donovan.” The doctor pointed out but Maisey wasn’t concerned about whether it was or not.

“Everything is quite alright.” She muttered to herself.

“Have a nice day doc.” She said sniffling as she picked up her bag and got up from her seat.

Behind her, she heard the doctor’s response. A low and almost emotional whisper. “You too.” It was simply just that. Nothing more, nothing less.

Maisey exited the hospital still holding the tests results in her hand. She took a deep breath and opened the car door placing her bag in the passenger seat and settling herself in the driver’s seat. She veered her car out of the hospital lands on her way to her daughter’s school. She couldn’t wait to get done with all of this. Her life and everything, maybe it should come to an end just now. When she returned from the school, she would take a nap which she hoped she would never wake up from. She sought an end to all of this torment but when she considered her daughter, her twelve year old Lily, she just had to take those thoughts back.

Six years ago, when she was first diagnosed of having cancer. She and her husband, Adam had done everything in their possible best to keep her going and alive. They had pulled through for years, Maisey was proof that they had. Faith had always been on her side, never leaving her until recently. With the prognosis that she had received from the doctor, she knew she was done for. That kind of news was what she always saw in tvs, she never imagined it happening to her. It was quite the same, the only difference being that the doctors usually explained to their patients while in her case, she had read it herself and the doctor had done no explaining. Not that she allowed him to by the way.

She arrived at Lily’s school less than thirty minutes later. No sooner had Maisey parked her car in the lot than Lily had jumped out of her classroom weaving her way through the tons of students that littered the compound as she ran towards her mum.

“Hey dear, how is school going?” Maisey asked hiding the bitterness in heart behind her smugly smile.

“It’s great mum.” Lily giggled and gave her mum a heartwarming smile. “Is something wrong mum?” Lily’s countenance changed as she noticed the look on her mum’s face. “Did something happen?” She asked.

Maisey immediately shook her head, blinking her eyes nervously as she said, “nothing out of the ordinary dear, it’s just mum is really preoccupied this days. That’s all.”

“Are you sure? There’s nought wrong with you?” Lily asked still not wanting to believe Maisey.

“Of course I’m sure.” Maisey reassured her with a soft chuckle. . “See, lets go home honey. Daddy would be waiting for you.”

“Okay.” Lily opened the car door and took the passenger seat, she placed Maisey’s bag which had earlier been there in the rear seat while Maisey started the car engine and began the long ride back home.

She held on tightly to the steering wheel, her face twisted in a frown as she looked up ahead daring not to blink so the tears in her eyes wouldn’t fall off. Off all things, what she dreaded most was having Lily see her in a vulnerable state. Maisey had always been independent, not wanting to depend on anyone and not wanting to look vulnerable in the eyes of others also. At age thirty five, she had ended up instilling the same habits in her daughter only Lily’s habits were not as fully developed as hers.

“Mum, can you drop me off at Jane’s house. I heard she is not well, so I want to see her.” Lily asked her mum.

“Oh, how kind of you sweetie.” She cheered her daughter even though she had not the first idea who Jane was.

“Yeah. And we also have to prepare our Halloween costumes for Halloween. I just can’t wait.” Lily exclaimed with a smile. That was right, Halloween was just by the corner and Maisey had almost forgotten about it.

“So what’s your costume going to be?” Maisey asked paying attention to the road.

“It’s obvious! I’ve always been a mermaid. That’s what I want to be when I grow up.” Maisey smiled softly, for a twelve year old, Lily still lived in a world of fantasy that most children had grown past.

“So if you’re gonna be a mermaid, what are you up preparing?” Maisey asked curiously.

“Well, this time I want to create my costume myself so Jane and I are planing on how we would make that happen.”

“That’s okay dear. So where does Jane live?” Maisey asked. Lily looked out the window for a while before replying.

“We’re almost there. The third house from where we are now.” Lily replied.

Maisey nodded and used the brakes when she arrived at the said place.

“Have fun, kiddo.” Maisey said as she patted her daughter on the head and placed a kiss on her cheeks.

“I will mum.” Lily giggled and leaped out of the car. Maisey watched her run up the front stairs and into Jane’s house.

“Bye, mum.” Lily waved at her and entered the house. Maisey waved back, although she was sure Lily couldn’t have seen her do that. She drove away a few moments later when she was convinced her daughter was in safe hands.