Tag Along | ✔︎

23.Breaking down

W I N T E R

“C-ca-cancer?” I stutter, not being able to avoid the pain and sinking feeling in my stomach. My mother nods and breaks down, while dad helps mom by wrapping his arms around her.

“Why?” Mom and dad looks at me with a frown on their face. “Why did you both hide it from me? Were you both planning to do the same and never tell me the truth? Till when? Till mom…” I break down myself now feeling useless who can do nothing but sob.

Xavier kisses my forehead while wrapping his arms around my body while I sob uselessly. He hugs me tightly, while mom and dad seems to be doing the same.

Finally, after what felt like eternity I finally break the silence which have occupied the room after our sobbing session. “What cancer do you have?”

“Breast cancer,” Mom replies while standing up and coming towards me. This explains why my mom's breasts have been in strange shape these days. I should have thought this was a symptom of breast cancer before, but I thought it was just because of aging. How silly was I.

“How did you find out?” Mom comes to me and takes both of my hand to her and then bring me to hug which makes me want to cry again. But I don't.

“Your dad knew something was wrong from looking at my breasts,” Mom still kept on holding me while I feel drops of water on my nape. “So we came here yesterday. Don't worry, I am not in my last stage, so I am okay. The doctor said that I have a high chance of survival. Don't worry.” I feel a little weight on my chest being lifted. I hug her tightly while I feel like I am the most imperfect daughter in the whole world ever.

Well, but little did I know that there isn't a thing which is perfect in this world. Perfect is just a motivation like they say, 'Aim for the star you will reach the mountain.'

I sit down on my mom's ward bed, not knowing what to say and do. I feel helpless. I try to find a song which might motivate me but no, I don't remember a single song. I don't even remember my name now. Shit.

● ● ●

After what felt like eternity again I finally got my senses back. My tears have stopped. I am still sitting on the bed and my mother has settled beside me, hugging and crying. I didn't reciprocate her action. I couldn't. I can't even lift myself.

Xavier and dad has settled themselves on the couch, both looking worried.

After sometime I hear a ding, making Xavier look on his phone. He clenches his jaw while frowning, making me want to ask what happened.

“Excuse me,” Xavier murmurs and stands up, making his exit.

I stand up and leaves the room, leaving behind my parents with questioning looks. I walk towards Xavier, who is standing near someone's else ward room closed door.

“What happened?” Xavier looks at me with a surprised look. He must have thought I wasn't even in the state to talk, forget about the walk.

“Nothing,” He makes his way towards my mom's ward room. I follow him.

We take our previous seats while I remember that I have a lot of question in my head to ask. “So… what's next?”

“Don't worry,” Dad speaks while standing up and coming towards me. He holds my hand while I nod my head to encourage him to continue. “Your mom has to go through two operations. The last one will be the last one… and then we are going to know whether she is going to survive or not.”

I nod my head, becoming speechless right when I have to comfort my family.

“Winter,” Xavier calls to me. “Let's go grab a coffee.” Coffee sounds good right now. I smile and nod my head to Xavier.

“Anything to get you both?” Xavier asks politely while my parents shake their head.

We reach the café near the hospital, which is thankfully not that crowded. Xavier insisted on coming to this café, while I was more looking forward to the coffee shop in the hospital. Xavier said it wasn't that great, so I have to agree.

We take our seat after ordering. The café is a Marvel styled one. There are lots of pictures and statues of Marvel superheroes. We take a seat near the Captain America's statue.

“It's been a hectic day today,” He starts the conversation. “Especially for you, so I thought that you would need some break. Are you a fan of Marvel Cinematic movie?”

“Yes,” I nod. “But I haven't really watched all the movies of 'em. My first movie of the Marvel was Avenger:Endgame, so what can I say."?

Xavier is trying his best to hold back his laugh, so I tell him not hold back. He does not hold back and laugh out loud while I smile at him. “Did you even understood what was happening at the Endgame?”

“Well… no to be honest,” He now smiles while taking my hand and kissing my forehead while leaning a little. “I did understand a little. But after watching some movie of Marvel, I knew what was happening when I watched it again.”

“Who's your favorite hero, then?” The waiter comes holding our coffees and lay them on the table and leave.

“Well… I love all of them. Even Thanos. At first, when I watched Endgame for the first time, I felt really bad when the Avengers attacked Thanos. I didn't know at that time what he did so…yeah,” Xavier nods his head while he starts rubbing the back of my hand, making me smile. “If I really have to choose, then I will choose… uh… Captain America and Iron Man and Wanda Maximoff, you know the Scarlet Witch. She is gorgeous and powerful. But I also like Hulk, Clint, Scott an-and al-all of them.”

“Well, I really know that you love all of them now,” Xavier chuckles while brushing his thumb on my cheek and stealing a peck from me.

“Well, what about you? Who do you love?” I give him his question.

“You,” Xavier states blankly, making me facepalm myself.

“I mean who do you wait I mean what super- wait you know what I mean,” I state while blushing profusely, making me want to stab myself.

Xavier chuckles at me before he gives in. “I don't have one.”

Xavier's phone which is on the table lights up, indicating a text. He ignores it, making me wonder maybe the text might be from his family.

I nod at his phone. “Xavier read the text. Maybe your parents must be looking for you.”

“My parents know I am here,” I look at him and still nods at his phone, which makes him sigh and look at his phone.

He takes the phone in his hand and looks at it for quite a time, making me wonder what it must read. He clenches his jaw while I know that he is trying to control himself. “Xavier, what is happening? What did the text read? Are you okay?”

He doesn't respond, making me take his phone. I look at the ID which is an unknown one, making me frown. I expected it to be his family. I read it while taking Xavier's now cold hand.

I have seen you've gotten yourself a girl. Gosh, even started caring for her parents now. They say hospital is the place where most people heals, but I know clear enough that it is the place of death.

—Blood Swap Mafia

Hell NO!