Binded Hearts

Mila

I woke up to the most mouth watering smell of all: chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup. I even spotted a glass of orange juice and an enormous fruit salad sitting on the table at the feet of my bed. This must be a special day; I don't get breakfast in bed very often, especially not this kind of delicacies.

"Happy birthday, Charlie!", my family shouted as soon as I opened my eyes.

Oh, I forgot... it's my nineteenth birthday.

"What are you all doing here?" , I said.

"It's your birthday, silly", said Candice, my ten year old sister.

"Aren't you guys trespassing or something? It's really early. Visiting hours are not till three hours from now", I said.

"Way to be grateful", she answered, rolling her eyes.

Ever since I was condemned to stay at this hospital I had not recieved many visits, so having my four family members present at the same time caused tears to prick in the corners of my eyes. Mom, Dad, Candice, and Ryan, my seven year old brother.

"How are you feeling?", asked Mom.

"Fine, better now that you guys are here", I confessed, with tears almost escaping my eyes.

"Nineteen, huh? You're so grown up, and there are a lot more years to come", said Dad, winking at me as he did.

Boom. He shot me the pistol of optimism, the bullet penetrating my heart without mercy. I hate it when he does that. I wouldn't be staying in this hospital if I was healthy. I knew since the third day I was imprisoned in this pale prison... I've only got nine months in me. I overhead Dr. Blake speaking about it to a nurse in the hall while I was visiting my best friend, Mila. She's also a cancer patient; I honestly believe we were fated to be best friends. Well, my parents don't know I have knowledge about my remaining nine months, and I'm not planning to tell them today.

"Hey, hey... can we pause this party for a second? Charlie has to bathe now", said the nurse.

"Sure, but make it fast!", said Mom.

I was helped to stand up and was directed towards the door. As we walked through the hall I noticed Mila's room with the corner of my eye.

"I'm gonna say hi to Mila", I said to the nurse.

"I don't think that's-"

I had a terrible feeling in my gut the minute I started walking towards Mila's room. My pace was slow and steady, until I felt the doorknob hot like burning iron against the bare skin on my hand and turned it.

Mila's room was empty. All I saw was a tidy room, ready for the next patient to arrive and occupy it. The rigid palm of desperation hit me hard across the face.

"Where's Mila?", I asked the nurse.

Her body tensed.

"She...", she said.

All of my muscles ached; my mind was running at a thousand miles per hour. Where's Mila? She couldn't be... She wasn't due for another year.

"Where is she?", I asked the nurse.

"She..."

"Where is she?!", I shouted, shedding tears as I did.

The roof lights were the last thing I saw before I passed out in the nurse's arms.

Where's Mila?