• I coughed with agony as the machine began beeping even faster.

    I sighed. One step closer to death. I was scared to die. Every second seemed to be an hour as I waited for Kyle to come.

    "Hey Amy," he called, "sorry I'm late, I was a bit busy." He handed me flowers and kissed me.

    "Oh thank you these are beautiful!" I exclaimed in a hushed voice. I cringed as the words burned my throat. I ignored it. "I'll have the nurse put these in a vase."

    "So," he began, "how has it been going?"

    "Okay I guess. I never thought I'd get cancer." I felt a tear in my eye, but I eliminated it.

    "I know," he remarked, "you seemed so healthy." Kyle never seemed to be upset by my illness. I just told myself that he didn't want to make me feel worried, but the smallest part of me had doubts. He was always late to see me, and his visits were brief. Did he not see I was dying? I shook my thoughts away. I heard a ringtone from his phone.

    "Excuse me," he said. He walked out and closed the door, but was still in my sight. He answered it, and a bright smile lit his face. He shook his head yes as he spoke. His smile faded as he hung up his phone. He walked back in the room.

    "Hey," he said to me, "I have to go."

    "Already?" I complained.

    "I'm sorry, busy night," he said without any interest in his voice. He walked over to me and kissed me as he ran out of the room. Would it kill him to stay with his dying girlfriend for three minutes?! My nurse came in a few minutes later. Nancy was always warm and comforting. I always thought of her (and Kyle) to be the reason I'm still alive.

    "How are you today Amy?" Her sparkling smile lit up the room.

    "I'm alright," I lied.

    "What beautiful flowers." Her eyes lingered to flowers by the side of my bed.

    "Thank you. Could you put them in a vase?"

    "I'm sure I can find one. I'll be right back." She took the flowers and walked out.

    "Oh!" I whimpered in agony as my heart rate accelerated. One of the other nurses (Beth) ran in.

    "Oh, are you okay?!"

    "Yes. It happens a lot."

    "I should know," she laughed. "You need to get some rest." That sounded pretty good to me.

    "Alright." She left with a satisfactory smile. I loved sleeping. It was the one time I could get off this hospital bed and be free. Free to go outside and feel the breeze; sometimes have Kyle hold me. My waking moment was always a cold slap in the face. I thought of happy things, (which wasn't that easy) and drifted into a dream.

    I was with Kyle and we were eating at our own private picnic. It was lovely until I looked down and realized I was dressed in my hospital gown. I then coughed up my heart and woke up screaming the next morning.

    Nancy rushed in with Beth trailing sluggishly behind her.

    "Amy," Nancy said alarmed, "what happened?!"

    "It's okay Nancy," I sighed, "I just had a bad dream."

    "That's the second time this week," Beth moaned.

    "Amy it's okay," Nancy comforted me, "You just have a lot on your mind. Everything is going to turn out okay." I wish I could make myself believe that. Nancy kissed my forehead and walked out of the room with Beth in front this time. I heard them whispering in the hallway.

    "Seriously Nancy," I heard Beth's voice, "you need to stop becoming so attached to this kid. She isn't gonna last anymore than a week. You are just going to hurt yourself."

    "Beth!" Nancy exclaimed quietly, "This is a child, not an animal. We have to show her love to make her last longer. That's what we want; more time. More time equals more chances of finding a cure for her. We have to go out of our way to help her, as she would with us."

    Great I thought to myself, I'm a burden to everyone around me. I dug my face into my pillow as tears began to cascade out of my eyes. I fell to sleep for a few hours.

    "Amy," I heard a familiar voice call my name softly, "wake up." I opened my eyes to see Kyle.

    "You're here," I smiled for the first time in what seems to be an eternity.

    "I always will be," He smiled back and touched my face. Did my illness finally kick in to his mind?

    "How long are you going to stay?" I asked.

    "As long as you want," he answered. I relaxed my muscles in relief, and he laughed. He bent down and hugged me tightly. "You're going to get through this." His words ripped a hole in my chest, because I knew they were lies.

    "I wish I could agree."

    "Amy," he added seriously, “don’t talk like that. I love you.” I just let him have it. Why ruin a long piece of time together, especially since it would probably be our last.
    So we sat together for hours and hours just laughing, talking, and kissing. Everything in my dreams came true, except this hospital bed. We talked about the things we feared, the things we hoped for, and the things we’d accomplished. He said he couldn’t wait for us to grow up. Four more years and we would be old enough to run off into the sunset. I always died inside when he brought up a subject like that, because I knew none of them would come true. Nancy walked in during our conversation.

    “Excuse me. Kyle someone named Carissa is here to see you,” Nancy informed.
    Kyle went pale white, and his green eyes lingered to the door and back to my face.

    A beautiful blonde girl walked in. Her golden blonde hair reached a few inches past her shoulders. She had crystal blue eyes and a dazzling smile. But what I envied most about her was that she was so alive.
    “You must be Amy,” she said with sympathy in her voice. I nodded weakly. “I heard so many good things about you from Kyle.” Her voice went more defensive as she spoke her last statement. “Hello Kyle,” she looked at him as she spoke now.
    “Hey,” he said quickly. He seemed flustered.
    “I’m so sorry,” she said to me, “I’m even sorry for Kyle too. Imagine how hard it must be to have a cousin with cancer.”
    “Cousin?” I questioned as I looked at Kyle. His eyes were wide, and he was biting his nails.
    “Um…yea,” she said bewildered, “Are you not his cousin?”
    “I’m his girlfriend.” She looked shocked.
    “Kyle!” She screamed. “How long has he been your boyfriend?”
    “Two wonderful years,” I bragged. I knew what was coming, but I lied to myself. He was just telling her that because she was a friend. Yea that was it. And he didn’t want her to feel bad because she liked him. There were holes, but I wouldn’t examine them.
    “Kyle, how could you? She has cancer and you cheat on her!” I was right. My heart rate sped up as Carissa stormed out of the room. Tears were flowing down my face and Kyle’s.
    “…How?” I whimpered.
    “Amy please,” Kyle begged.
    I took my last breath, and suddenly, death didn’t seem so bad anymore.