A Bit Of Luck
[04]
“Miss Burton, I’m afraid it’s bad news.”
Scarlett looked up at her new doctor, a puzzled yet interested look on her face.
The doctor cleared his throat. “Your case is unique. Despite the frequent visits due to illness and for treatment, you are clearly a text book case. I mean, by now the sufferer would usually have passed away or progressed to the fatal strain, but you haven’t.”
Scarlett smiled, trying to hide the uneasy feeling that the doctor’s word were building up in the pit of her stomach.
“But I have no idea how long this will last, no-one does. I’ve made the decision to put you on two additional courses of meds and see if that can alter the calculations that have been made.”
Scarlett looked at him, puzzled again.
“Is that the bad news? And what do you mean calculations?”
“We entered all your data into a new system that the hospital has. It combines symptoms and results of tests, and calculates a life expectancy for patients. It’s not exact but it’s reasonably accurate,” the doctor finished.
“Was it bad?” Scarlett asked.
“It wasn’t promising. You’re 21?” the doctor frowned as he asked.
“20. I’ll be 21 on November 17th. So in about a month. Why?” Scarlett answered, not really wanting to hear the answer to her question.
“Oh right. The results came out as 27 – 30.”
Scarlett felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water around her. She bit her lip, determined to keep back the tears. “30?” she whispered. With a simple nod to confirm it, the doctor stood and after placing his hand on her shoulder in a way he felt would reassure her, he left the room. Her eyes welled up with tears and she let them fall.
x-x-x
She zipped her overnight bag up and scanned the room for anything she had missed previously. Upon seeing that the room was clear, she pulled on her heavy biker jacket and boots and slipping on a big pair of sunglasses to hide her bloodshot eyes, she left the room, shutting the door gently behind her. With a gentle smile at the nurses, she swept out of the ward quickly, not allowing the time for them to ask questions.
As she walked out the front doors she heard someone shout, “Scarlett?” She looked up and saw Frank, leaning against the wall, some girl pressed up against him. Frank smiled at the girl, kissed her on the cheek and walked over to Scarlett. She noticed a cigarette in his hand and resisted the urge to pull out hers and join him. The girl Frank had left at the wall scoffed and sighed loudly. Scarlett scowled at her and rolled her eyes.
“Bye Frank,” she said, cutting him off as he went to speak. She turned on her heel and went to where she had parked. Smiling as her motorbike came into view, she slid her shades off and into her pocket. After storing her bag in the bad compartment under the seat, she pulled on the helmet and got in. She smiled as she turned the key in the ignition and the bike roared to life.
Just as she went to leave, she saw Frank approach, with--what Scarlett assumed was his girlfriend--on his arm. He looked at the bike with a dazed expression, with a hint of admiration. She smiled lightly, then revved the engine and sped off, leaving Frank and the girl in a haze of fumes.
x-x-x
After she had driven around for a while, she pulled over; realising driving wasn’t going to clear her head. She sat on the kerb beside her bike and pulled out a smoke. Her mind was racing and as she stubbed the smoke out, the truth sank in. The doctor had given her about 6 years to live. She sobbed loudly, she would never be able to get married or start a family – not that she really wanted kids. She hated small children. But it was the idea of finding someone and wanting to settle down with them that she liked.
She pulled out her Sidekick and typed a number she knew off by heart. She tried to compose herself, and stop sobbing, but she found that she couldn’t. ‘Grow up,’ she scolded herself.
“Hello. The Sugar Mill.” Cobe’s voice was calm and reassuring to hear, that Scottish accent always calmed Scarlett down. It was exactly what she had needed to hear.
“Cobe?” she sobbed down the phone.
“Shit, Scarlett? Are you okay?” Cobe asked quickly, recognising Scarlett and sounding worried.
“Cobe, they said I have ‘til I’m 30. That I’m gonna die.”
“What? Where are you?” Cobe sounded more worried than before.
“I don’t know. I’m not lost, just… I’m not sure where I am.”
Cobe thought for a second then replied, “Will you come to the shop? We can have a cup of coffee and a bun and a wee chat?”
Scarlett sniffed, “I’ll be there soon. Thanks Cobe, for everything.” She could imagine Cobe smiled softly.
“It’s okay angel. Thank you too.”
Scarlett looked up at her new doctor, a puzzled yet interested look on her face.
The doctor cleared his throat. “Your case is unique. Despite the frequent visits due to illness and for treatment, you are clearly a text book case. I mean, by now the sufferer would usually have passed away or progressed to the fatal strain, but you haven’t.”
Scarlett smiled, trying to hide the uneasy feeling that the doctor’s word were building up in the pit of her stomach.
“But I have no idea how long this will last, no-one does. I’ve made the decision to put you on two additional courses of meds and see if that can alter the calculations that have been made.”
Scarlett looked at him, puzzled again.
“Is that the bad news? And what do you mean calculations?”
“We entered all your data into a new system that the hospital has. It combines symptoms and results of tests, and calculates a life expectancy for patients. It’s not exact but it’s reasonably accurate,” the doctor finished.
“Was it bad?” Scarlett asked.
“It wasn’t promising. You’re 21?” the doctor frowned as he asked.
“20. I’ll be 21 on November 17th. So in about a month. Why?” Scarlett answered, not really wanting to hear the answer to her question.
“Oh right. The results came out as 27 – 30.”
Scarlett felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water around her. She bit her lip, determined to keep back the tears. “30?” she whispered. With a simple nod to confirm it, the doctor stood and after placing his hand on her shoulder in a way he felt would reassure her, he left the room. Her eyes welled up with tears and she let them fall.
x-x-x
She zipped her overnight bag up and scanned the room for anything she had missed previously. Upon seeing that the room was clear, she pulled on her heavy biker jacket and boots and slipping on a big pair of sunglasses to hide her bloodshot eyes, she left the room, shutting the door gently behind her. With a gentle smile at the nurses, she swept out of the ward quickly, not allowing the time for them to ask questions.
As she walked out the front doors she heard someone shout, “Scarlett?” She looked up and saw Frank, leaning against the wall, some girl pressed up against him. Frank smiled at the girl, kissed her on the cheek and walked over to Scarlett. She noticed a cigarette in his hand and resisted the urge to pull out hers and join him. The girl Frank had left at the wall scoffed and sighed loudly. Scarlett scowled at her and rolled her eyes.
“Bye Frank,” she said, cutting him off as he went to speak. She turned on her heel and went to where she had parked. Smiling as her motorbike came into view, she slid her shades off and into her pocket. After storing her bag in the bad compartment under the seat, she pulled on the helmet and got in. She smiled as she turned the key in the ignition and the bike roared to life.
Just as she went to leave, she saw Frank approach, with--what Scarlett assumed was his girlfriend--on his arm. He looked at the bike with a dazed expression, with a hint of admiration. She smiled lightly, then revved the engine and sped off, leaving Frank and the girl in a haze of fumes.
x-x-x
After she had driven around for a while, she pulled over; realising driving wasn’t going to clear her head. She sat on the kerb beside her bike and pulled out a smoke. Her mind was racing and as she stubbed the smoke out, the truth sank in. The doctor had given her about 6 years to live. She sobbed loudly, she would never be able to get married or start a family – not that she really wanted kids. She hated small children. But it was the idea of finding someone and wanting to settle down with them that she liked.
She pulled out her Sidekick and typed a number she knew off by heart. She tried to compose herself, and stop sobbing, but she found that she couldn’t. ‘Grow up,’ she scolded herself.
“Hello. The Sugar Mill.” Cobe’s voice was calm and reassuring to hear, that Scottish accent always calmed Scarlett down. It was exactly what she had needed to hear.
“Cobe?” she sobbed down the phone.
“Shit, Scarlett? Are you okay?” Cobe asked quickly, recognising Scarlett and sounding worried.
“Cobe, they said I have ‘til I’m 30. That I’m gonna die.”
“What? Where are you?” Cobe sounded more worried than before.
“I don’t know. I’m not lost, just… I’m not sure where I am.”
Cobe thought for a second then replied, “Will you come to the shop? We can have a cup of coffee and a bun and a wee chat?”
Scarlett sniffed, “I’ll be there soon. Thanks Cobe, for everything.” She could imagine Cobe smiled softly.
“It’s okay angel. Thank you too.”
♠ ♠ ♠
= ]I'm beginning to like this story!
Heehee.
Comments anyone?