Disease

Afton braided her hair and laid it against her shoulder, tying a band around it. She smoothed out her shirt in the mirror and applied some chap stick before turning off the light. She walked past Oliver's sleeping body in the bedroom as she snagged a pair of his shoes and grabbed the keys, walking out into the freezing air outside. Once she was inside their car, she started up the heater and sat there for a few moments.

She was debating on going to the doctor and seeing if they had an appointment open or pretending to go to the doctor and telling Oliver they didn't have any free spots. She sighed loudly and realized that she had to at least try. It was obvious to her that he was getting upset over her potential death after last night. Oli'd never mentioned anything about Afton's death. He'd never brought it up intentionally.

If anything, he did his best to brush it under the carpet. If possible, he'd nail the carpet down and never look at it again. Death was something Oliver hadn't personally dealt with. Tom was allergic to animal fur, so there was no family pet that had gotten hit by a car or died of old age. Both grandparents were still alive on Carol and Ian's side. The only thing remotely close to death that Oli had to deal with was the deterioration of his and Afton's relationship over the last year.

Last night when Oli shoved the engagement ring in his parent's face and talked about getting married as soon as possible, Afton knew. He wanted to marry her before she was dead. He wanted to prove his love to her. And when he made that comment outside, Afton couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Might as well waste what I 'ave on yeh before yeh kick the bucket, yeah?"

She knew that talk of her death upset Oliver, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. If it was up to her, she'd be dead already. She was sick of pretending like she was going to live to see Oli's tattoos wrinkle up and his hair turn grey. Afton was going to die. She and everyone else knew this. She was the only one that chose to embrace it.

Easing the car into reverse, she let off the brake and sighed loudly, looking behind her before making a turn out of the parking spot and towards the doctor's office. The whole way there, she was nervous and jittery. Maybe Oliver was naive enough not to realize that the toilet was taking her medication, not her. But the doctor would be able to tell. She turned slowly into the parking lot of the office and parked the car as straight as she possibly could.

She gripped the keys in her trembling hand and put the car in park, taking her foot off the break and pulling the keys out of the ignition simultaneously. Afton held them tightly in her hand, trying to find some reason to just leave the office. It was times like these when she wished her parents gave a fuck. But they didn't. This was something her and Oliver had to go through with only each other, much like everything else they'd had to go through.

She pressed against the door handle and stepped out of the car, locking it behind her. Her feet carried her inside, where she meekly approached the front desk.

"Um, I was supposed teh come in fer an appointment yesterday, but I woke up late and I was wonderin' if there was anyway yeh could fit meh in today?" Afton said quietly.

She watched as the secretary typed in several things, opened files and checked the waiting room. Behind Afton's back, her middle finger and index finger on her right hand were crossed tightly over one another, praying there was nothing open. Although, nothing could ever go the way Afton would like it to.

"Dr. Grant is on 'is lunch break right now, but yeh are one of his more important patients. Let meh go notify him yer 'ere."

"Oh no," Afton began, "I wouldn't want teh bother 'im on 'is lunch, it's just that--"

"Afton. Yeh need teh be in 'ere. It's important yeh show up regularly. An' since yeh didn't show up yesterday, it's best we try teh get yeh in today, and right now is the only time we 'ave somethin'. Go sit down and I'll talk to Dr. Grant."

Afton gave up arguing with the secretary and took a seat near two little boys. Both with white blonde hair and big, brown eyes. She was trying to determine if they were twins or not when their mother walked out of the bathroom with a third one pulling at her hand.

"Aye, Jason stop it!"

"I don't wanna be at the doctor's mum, I ain't even sick."

"Yeh need teh get checked on before yeh go back teh school after winter break. Knock it off."

She peered over at Afton and Afton quickly looked away from the boys, feeling like she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing.

"They weren't pesterin' yeh, were they?" The mother asked.

Afton looked up, "Oh no. Not at all. They're over 'ere just playin'."

She smiled, "Right well."

Afton was quiet afterwards, the conversation had become awkward. She twirled a piece of hair around her finger and peered at the three boys again, speaking lowly, "Are they triplets?"

The mother nodded, laughing slightly, "If yeh ever decide teh get pregnant, make sure yer 'usband's baby juice doesn't divide inside yeh."

Afton smiled, "Is it 'ard?"

"Havin' three boys? 'Course it is. But I love 'em." She paused, "Yeh 'ere 'cause yer pregnant?"

"Oh no. 'm just 'ere for a check up." She said, "Meh and meh boyfriend ain't ready fer kids just yet."

"'ow old are yeh?"

"23."

"Perfect time teh start," She grinned, "Yeh don't want 'em too late, or yer gonna be too old teh chase 'em around!"

Afton watched as the woman jumped up from her seat and grabbed a magazine out of one of the boy's hands and tried setting it back on the table, the cover torn from the front. She smiled softly, laughing at the little boy as he tried reaching out for the magazine again.

"Afton?" A nurse popped through the door way. Afton looked towards her, "Aye, yer 'ere today love, why don't yeh come on back?"

She stood up stiffly from her seat and walked through the door, following the nurse. Her whole body was trembling now and her chin ached from being held against her jaw. Tears pricked her eyes as her stomach tossed and turned. She was brought to a room where Dr. Grant sat, swallowing what must've been the last of his lunch.

"Mmm," he said, turning away from her, "'m sorry 'bout that. 'ad teh finish eatin' meh lunch."

"No, 'ts alright. I shouldn't 'ave come at such an inconvenient time."

He shook his head, "Where were yeh yesterday?"

"Slept in late," She lied, "Didn't feel well."

He placed his stethoscope on her chest and felt her breathing, "All the more reason teh come teh the doctor, Miss Wright."

"'m sorry."

"'ave yeh been takin' yer meds?" He asked, pressing a wooden depressor on her tongue and telling her to say ahhhh.

She nodded.

He clicked off his flash light and threw the tongue depressor in the trash can, "'ave yeh 'ad any attacks lately?"

She thought back to the week before when her and Oli were on the bed and she nodded, "Once last week."

"'ave yeh been havin' them weekly?"

"Yeah."

He shook his head, "Are yeh sure yeh 'ave been takin' yer meds Afton? They're supposed to lessen the attacks so your esophagus can 'eal and yer gettin' a better chance at riddin' yerself of this disease."

She looked away from him, "I 'aven't."

"Yeh 'aven't what?"

"Been takin' meh meds."

"Why not?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno."

"Listen teh meh Afton. I've seen people like yeh in 'ere thousands of times. Yer one of those who's just gonna sit 'round and ignore yer disease. Yeh think yer just gonna die off. But yer gonna put yerself through more 'ell than necessary if yeh go down that path." He paused, "An' from hearin' Oli on the phone yesterday, yeh 'ave put 'im through enough 'ell, I don't think 'e needs much more from yeh."

Afton remained quiet, tears dripping down her face.

The doctor turned away from her and wrote down a prescription, "I want yeh teh go fill this prescription and start takin' yer medicine. Don't be that person that ruins Oli's life, that young man cares 'bout yeh."

"Thanks." She said hoarsely before jumping off the foam bench and leaving the office, not bothering to sign out or leave a payment as she walked out the door. Once in the car, she folded her prescription into a neat little square and tucked it into her pocket. She started the car quickly and began her drive home.

As she arrived home, she walked quickly up the stairs and shoved the key in the front door, pushing it open and walking straight into Oliver's chest. He gripped her elbows and inhaled the soft scent of her washed hair.

"'m sorry for what I said last night at meh mum's Af."

She kept her face away from him and mumbled softly, "'ts alright."

"No, it's not. I shouldn't 'ave said it. 'm sorry." He paused, "'ts just, yeh frustrate meh so much Af. Yer always talkin' 'bout dyin' and shit and I thought we already talked 'bout not doin' that."

"I know, 'ts just hard not teh think 'bout it."

"Can yeh try not teh?" He asked, "Where were yeh?"

"The doctor." She spoke the words quietly, the small square of paper hot on her leg.

He wrapped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head, "Thank yeh fer goin. 'm sorry fer bein' so cross with yeh yesterday."

"'ts alright Oli, I understand."

He pulled away from her and beamed down at her, "Wanna watch a film?"

She nodded, "I 'ave teh pee first."

"Alright. 'm pickin' the movie then."

She smiled at him and walked towards the bathroom. She pulled out the prescription and stared at it until the words became a mess of letters. Afton turned and looked at herself in the mirror, nowhere near as pretty as she used to be, not as happy, and not as sane.

She crumbled the piece of paper into a small ball and dropped it in the toilet, her jaw tight as she flushed it, watching the water swirl around and empty into the hole at the bottom. She turned off the bathroom light and walked into the living room, cuddling with up with Oliver on the couch.