Fixing the Pieces

Chapter 1

Have you ever wondered how life works? One day I'm feeling good, the next day I feel like utter shit. The day after I was sitting in the hospital, found myself staring at Dr. Lockwood and repeated what he said to my parents and me.

"Sorry Nichole, its Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, "

I stared at the result in my hand. My mum burst into tears while dad held onto her.

Dr. Lockwood continued explaining about leukemia, "...cancer of the white blood cells, characterized by the overproduction of cancerous, immature white blood cells..."

I wasn't listening.

What about the future I planned for myself after high school?

How long do I have?

Will I able to go for Senior Prom and graduation?

Can I still fall in love?

How would Haley react when I tell her about it?

How would Niall, my brother, react?

All these questions flashed through my mind.

I took a deep breath and finally asked Dr. Lockwood, "How long?"

"Sweetheart," My dad put his warm hand on my shoulder.

Dr. Lockwood sighed, "We have to go through further test to determine your blood count and hopefully the result will come out as soon-"

"I want to know how long I have before I die." I cut him off. I know everything they are saying now are bullshit. I need honest truth.

Dr. Lockwood glanced at my parents and then he looked into my eyes, "A year or more. The worst case will be half a month. We will put you through all kinds of chemo and tests to see what kind of medication suits your body. It will prolong your chances and hopefully get a suitable bone marrow."

My mum is in an uncontrollable sobbing now. Why is she even crying when I'm still breathing and sitting here? I know she loves me and all but crying just frustrates me.

My dad sat down, began discussing with the doctor.

I am not interested.

I took my bags and stood up. All of them looked at me. My mum looked up with her puffy eyes, asked me in her hoarse voice, "Where are you going sweetheart?"

"Out, I will be home before twelve," I said. Before I was diagnosed, they won't even ask my whereabouts. They trust me to go home before twelve. Now, they are asking. I am not surprised, I just feel like my parents are going to treat me differently now.

"I don't think it's a good idea," My mum started and dad took her hand, "She'll be fine. Call us if you need anything."

He nodded to me.

Daddy knows me the best. He knows I need my alone time.

I bit my lips, swallowing the threatening acid and turned my back to them, letting a tear rolled down my cheeks before I walked away from the depressing office. My parents can handle the hospital shit.

I ran, ignoring all the pitiful looks from people in the hospital. I ran out from the hospital, towards the garden behind the hospital.

I can't believe those bruising and those dizzy spells and those yellowish skins are the symptoms of Leukemia.

I thought I was just having PMS... Since young, I had Anemia and dizzy spells are normal for me.

I've never once had black-out. My best friend, Haley Brighton, thought I was just having my normal anemia days. She took me back home and went back to school.

When I brushed my teeth, my gums started to bleed and it won't stop. I walked downstairs, thought of getting something to stop the blood but my parents literally dropped everything and took me to the hospital.

When I went upstairs to get changed and I looked into the mirror. It was then I realized I looked like a vampire just finished its meal. Blood was all over my mouth and I looked dead.

I plopped down under a tree, facing nowhere but a pond and started to cry. I am going to die.

I am Nichole Pierce. I am seventeen and I am going to die.

I haven't got any chance to experience what I want to do. I haven't got a chance to go to college, fall in love, get married, and have a family. I heard a weird sound coming behind me. Then I realized I was the one making the weird wheezing sound as I cry.

A hand appeared beside me, holding a black handkerchief. I looked up and found a cute guy. He is wearing a normal white t-shirt with a grey beanie and dark jeans. He was looking down at me without any expression. He wasn't judging or anything. He grimaced, stuffs the handkerchief into my hand and walked off.

I didn't stop crying. I don't care how I looked like now. I just feel like shit. I bit my lips and looked at the handkerchief. A little cursive G by the end of the handkerchief at that moment I thought the handkerchief was my only hope. Like how I know the owner of the handkerchief will be in my life forever.