Like a Skyscraper

Kaelyn took one last look at her room. It would be the last time she saw it. Tightening her grip on her small overnight bag, Kaelyn turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. She walked down the stairs and saw her mom waiting for her in the living room.

“You all packed?” Lila asked softly. Kaelyn nodded and looked at her mom. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy, but she didn’t comment on it. Lila took the bag from her daughter and walked out to the car with her. She planned on staying in Seattle until her daughter passed over. The girls got in and began the long three hour drive.

When they finally pulled into the hospital parking lot, Lila took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Kaelyn was sleeping with her head against the window, and she didn’t want to upset her daughter. Lila choked back a sob and blinked away the tears. Slowly she undid her seatbelt and gently patted Kaelyn’s shoulder to wake her up.

“Are we there?” She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Yeah, we’re here. Let’s go get you checked in,” Lila replied. The pair walked into the main building and were directed to the hospice wing. Kaelyn stood back and waited for her mom to talk to the nurses. They were expecting her.

“Kaelyn, you can come this way. We have a room set up for you.” Kaelyn followed the nurse into a room made up for her. The nurse took her vitals and documented them in her file.

“Dr. Bensen sent us your file so that we could have your medical history. Has anything changed since you met with Dr. Bensen?” The nurse, Taylor, asked.

“Nothing has really changed. Yesterday was my high school graduation, and I felt fine. No aches or pain, but today it’s hit me twice as hard like it’s making up for yesterday. I’ve also been coughing a lot more and having trouble breathing. Dr. Bensen said I had lung cancer as well now so I guess that’s to be expected,” Kaelyn explained. Taylor nodded and wrote a few more notes down.

“I’ll inform Dr. Yates about this, and he should be by to see you in a little bit.” At that, Taylor left the room.

“You didn’t tell me you were in pain. I have your prescription in my purse if you need it,” Lila said quickly.

“It’s okay, Mom. I didn’t want to worry you. It’s just the usual but a little worse. They’ll probably put me on something here so I didn’t want to take anything and have it interfere,” Kaelyn said quietly. Lila nodded and sat back in her chair.

“Are you hungry? Bored? I can get the remote for the TV,” Lila said gesturing to the small TV in the room. Kaelyn shook her head and rolled onto one side.

“I just want to go back to sleep for a little bit.”

~*~

The next day, after Dr. Yates met with her, Kaelyn sat in bed just thinking. Her mom was sitting in a chair reading so it was quiet. Kaelyn thought about everything she left behind in Forks. Paul spent the whole day with her after graduation. He finally left near midnight; it was sad. They both knew it was goodbye. Kaelyn didn’t want anyone visiting her at the hospital; it would only make things harder. It was already hard enough seeing all the tubes around her, taking the pain away.

Then her mind drifted to Emmett. Her fingers lingered on her father’s dog tags that were resting against her chest. She put them on after he gave them back and hadn’t taken them off since.

She wondered if she made the right decision by lying to him. What if he found out later that she never made it to Florida? How would he feel? Biting her lip, Kaelyn grabbed her journal from the night stand and flipped to an empty page so she could write. Once she started writing, she couldn’t stop. It was almost cathartic for her.

Dear Emmett,

Do you remember that one time in art class when I told you that everything happens for a reason? I think that I met you so that I could learn to love someone before I died. When I was eleven years old, I was diagnosed with leukemia. Now seven years later, I’m dying because of it. I’ve run out of treatment options and the doctor says I probably have another week left. I'm sorry for never telling you, but I did it to protect you.

I tried to keep my distance because I knew it would only end badly, but you kept coming back. Maybe what happened in Strawberry Bay was a good thing. If we ever did become a couple, I would have left you far too early…

I’m not writing you to make you feel guilty for how things ended, but I wanted to explain myself so you know the truth. We both need some kind of closure. I have never cared for someone as much as I care for you. I don’t want you to visit me because that will only make things harder. But know that I am happy to have ever met you, and thank you for being a part of my life and letting me love you.

Love,

Kaelyn

Kaelyn’s hand cramped up when she stopped. Her wrist ached and tears filled her eyes when she read over the letter. She closed the journal and set it aside, her feelings for Emmett coming to the surface once again. She missed him. She wished she would have had longer to be with him, get to know him, but she didn’t.

Lila heard her daughter sniffle and looked over. Startled to see her crying, she dropped her book and wrapped her arms around her. She rested her chin on Kaelyn’s head and held her tightly, not wanting to let her go. They sat there for what felt like forever before letting each other go.

“Want to talk about it?” Lila asked not knowing if she was crying out of pain or for what she was feeling. Kaelyn shook her head no.

“I’m sorry for bursting out like that. I just felt overwhelmed for a minute. I’m okay now, promise. Are you booking a hotel room tonight?” Kaelyn asked, wiping her tears away and trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, I’ll head to a hotel in a little bit.”

~*~

Alice watched Kaelyn write the letter to Emmett and cry. The scene in her mind then flashed to Kaelyn with an oxygen mask covering her face and breathing heavily. Alice watched Kaelyn’s eyes drift close and the heart monitor flat lined. Kaelyn’s mom fell back in her chair crying as the nurses turned off the machine and tried to comfort her.

Coming out of her vision, Alice took an unnecessary deep breath. The letter she saw Kaelyn write would never reach Emmett. She knew that and felt an undistinguishable amount of pain and sorrow for her brother. Her bedroom door slammed open and there stood Edward looking pissed.

“I’m telling him. Now.”

“Edward, please—“

“No, this has gone on long enough. You just watched her die, Alice. I’ve had enough of hiding this from him,” Edward snapped and turned around to seek out Emmett. Alice wanted to stop him, but she didn’t. She was too busy seeing another vision because of Edward’s decision.

Edward ran outside and saw Emmett sitting on the porch steps. He sat down next to the other vampire and leaned back.

“Hey, Ed.”

“Emmett, I need to tell you something important. Tell me tell you everything before you interrupt, okay?” Edward listened to Emmett’s suddenly confused thoughts, but he knew Emmett would hear him out.

“Alice and I have been keeping something from you, and I can’t stay quiet anymore. Kaelyn is dying.”

“Wha—“

“Let me finish. She’s had leukemia since she was little, but she was in remission when she moved here and met you. Shortly after meeting you, the cancer came back. She didn’t have anymore options; it was futile. She didn’t want anyone to know. She’s kept it from everyone, even you by telling you that she was moving back to Florida. She was transferred to Seattle yesterday so she could die under the care of the doctors there.

“She wrote you a letter to explain everything to you. Alice saw it in a vision, but she doesn’t ever send it. She dies before she has the chance to. Emmett, Kaelyn will die in three days. I wanted to tell you before it was too late,” Edward finally finished. Emmett was shocked to the core.

“How could you keep something like this from me?” Emmett finally got out. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried not to lash out at his brother.

“Alice knew that Kaelyn didn’t want you to know. It was out of respect. We only knew because of our powers, but I wanted you to know. In case you wanted to do something about it,” Edward trailed off. This made Emmett look up at him with hard eyes.

“Do something? Like take her life away and have her live like us?” He snapped.

“She could live like us and be happy with you, or she could die. Those are the only options left, and it’s your choice to make on what you want to do about it. Alice and I will support you no matter what,” Edward whispered. He caught images of Emmett thinking about changing Kaelyn and living his life with her. Hope filled Emmett, and he stood up.

“You said Seattle, right?” Edward nodded and Emmett was suddenly gone. Edward sighed and leaned forward on the porch steps. He heard Alice walk outside and sit beside him. She was smiling.

“Everything will be alright, Edward. You did the right thing.”