Prescription for Miss Walker

I opened my eyes to a brightly lit room, the scent of lilies contaminating my sinuses straight away. I tried to find them and did, on a table in the corner of the room. A room, I discovered that was not mine.

It was faint in color, with a brown two-person sofa on one end and automatic door on the other. On the walls there were paintings, but I couldn't say I knew who made them.

I squirmed, but a foreign tenderness touched my arm.

I looked up to find my brother, Ciaran, smiling down at me. His eyes were heavy, almost like he hadn't slept in days.

"Try not to move. I've been told you're supposed to rest it off."

I blinked and licked my lips, they were chapped and dry. How long had I been asleep for?

"What... What happened?" I found it was hard to speak.

"You were having severe stomach pains and threw up a lot of blood. We gave permission for an endoscopy and found that..." He trailed off a little, his eyes shining from the light, more so than usual. "Your cancer has spread to your stomach, sis. Dr Cameron and Dr Numel estimate you have less than three months now."

I rubbed my lips together, taking in the information. I didn't prepare myself for this, even though I probably should have. I mean, after all, I did refuse the treatment.

"Where's Dr Cameron? And Numel?" I forced myself to speak. Numel must be my new oncologist, I thought, although I wonder who appointed him. I didn't want to see either of them, and I didn't want to be in the same room as Ash, but I couldn't stand it anymore with my brother.

He turned to look behind, as if thinking they'd just magically appear.

"I don't know. They left us a while ago."

It was nice enough of him to stay and all, but I didn't want to be in his company as of right now.

"Can you try and find Dr Numel for me?" I picked at my nails, trying my best not to mention the other doctor. I mean, I was grateful he picked up the phone and brought me here -- but I held nothing more for him. I'd blanked all else from mind.

My brother nodded, pressed his cold lips to my forehead and headed out. I was thankful that he'd stayed by my side all this time. I bet he'd missed out on some bonding time with his son to take care of me.

I wasn't alone for long. I raised my head, expecting to see Dr Numel by the doorway, but it was Ash who came busting through. He drew the blinds and locked the door, as he grabbed Ciaran's chair and sat on it, reaching for my hand.

I flinched away, not caring about how distressed and hurt he looked.

What did he have to be so miserable about anyway? He'd gotten what he wanted, why was he pretending to give a crap?

"What are you doing here?"

A glare soon overtook his features, all softness gone.

"You called me, I just did what any other doctor would do if in the same position."

"Thank you." I said quickly. "Now leave."

Clouds could never compare to the storm that washed over his face and eyes. If I were weak, it probably would have struck me down.

A quality about myself that I didn't mind: I could be more stubborn than trying to crack open a coconut.

"Shira, I apologize for how I left things but--"

"But what? Do you expect me to carry on? Like everything's okay?" When he didn't answer, I breathed out slowly. My heart monitor showed it wasn't steady. "It's not okay. It's never going to be okay. I gave you all of me and you just... You walked away. I knew you were many things, Ash Cameron. A genius, a puzzle of emotions, someone who went through life and received everything they ever wanted -- but I never had you for a coward."

He remained silent. The only sound in the room my machinery. It made me feel all the more sick.

"I'm really going to die, aren't I?" My voice squeaked at the end, a telltale sign of what was to come.

His eyes were sad. No man that wasn't family had looked at me in the way, at least not since...

I gasped.

"I passed out and you carried me from the bathroom. Which means you had to get someone else's permission for the tests..." My eyes went wide as his cast down, his hands moving slowly into his coat pockets.

I had someone listed as my next of kin, and it was the same as who was to be contacted in case of emergency. I'd meant to update my records a long time ago, I'd just never gotten round to it. I hadn't needed to, as before now I didn't have anything wrong with me.

Whereas now, I was dying.

He was going to come running. He was going to put on a nice face and pretend everything was okay between us. He was going to be kind and lovely, but as soon as backs were turned he'd give me every reason to want to die.

"Ash, please, tell me you didn't!"

He blinked a few times, then bit the inside of his cheek as he advanced upon me. "I was worried about you and it's my job to--"

"To what? Bring that man back where he doesn't belong? You know what he did to me." I licked my lips vehemently, considering getting out of bed just so I wouldn't have to see his face. "No. No! He simply can't be here. I won't allow it."

"Shira..." He brought an arm out to touch me, to calm me down from my hysterics, but I slapped it away. The sound pierced the room like a cannonball.

The look he gave me was one of shock, but there was more to it.

Concern.

"Shira, you have to understand me here. I had to. You have him listed--"

"I don't care!" I cried, literally. Tears were streaming down my face longer than the river Nile.

Sensing this conversation was over, he swallowed audibly and began to pry open the blinds. He wasn't my first choice of people to see me here, but he had also invited the last on my list. I'd told him weeks ago to basically disregard that part of my records.

He didn't listen to me.

I felt numb.

"I never should have trusted you." I whispered to his retreating back. I didn't dare look up in case I saw something that would make me want to take the words back. Instead, I folded my arms over and continued with my sob fest.

Which didn't last long, because as he unlocked the door, another voice boomed from behind it.

It was fairly masculine, deep and gravelly like always. I knew that it came from within a throat that had stubble all over it, that would continue all the way to a chin and jawline. I knew that voice charmed women from all over the world, and took pride in every single word it said. I knew the face that went with it.

It had always been a relatively handsome face; big full lips and wise brown eyes made for the most obtrusive features. Floppy brown hair usually covered those eyes, right enough, but they never seemed to get in the way. It's where his essence lingered, where lies could betray you and feel like truths.

My hands curled the sheets in a tight grasp. I had to stop myself from committing a crime as best I could, despite how I didn't want to.

He stood by the door, every inch of him exactly as I'd predicted, except for the bouquet of roses he held in his olive-toned hands.

I didn't know whether to cry or scream. Both seemed like good reactions to me -- but he didn't deserve the satisfaction.

"Alright doctor? Hey, Shira," He stalked towards my bed, ignoring Ash as he watched us carefully, and tossed the flowers onto the bed by my feet. I resisted kicking them up into his worthless piece-of-shit face.

"Bloody hell. You sure you're not dead yet?"

Fuck you, Ben.