Once In The Flower Fields

Chapter 1

"Crystal, honey? Are you ready?"

"Not at all," I smile to my mother who's still sitting behind the steering wheel of our Mercedes.

"Me neither," she undoes her seatbelt and turns towards me. I avoid her look, knowing I'll cry if we make eye contact.

   We walk in and are welcomed by shouts, chemical smells, and rushing wheels. Welcome home Crystal.

"Mom, after we get out. Promise we'll have our picnic in the flowers?" I feel the pit in my stomach growing as a nurse approaches us.

"I promise, Crystal."

"Hi, I'm Lindsey. I'll be working with Dr. Eaton." She smiles and holds her hand out to me.

I hesitantly take her hand in mine and shake it.

"I'm Crystal Mason. I'll be putting my ending life in your hands," I smile sarcastically.

"Crystal!" My mom smacks my arm and smiles apologetically to the nurse.

"We're going to do absolutely everything in our power to keep you from ever having to say those words again."

"You're shit at pep talks." I let out a small laugh.

"I'm so sorry Lindsey. She's only like this when she's uneasy."

"I understand. And, Crystal. You do understand what you're about to be put through?"

"I understand completely."

"And you've opted to stay within the hospital during all of it? So no going home?"

"How else would I make friends with all the other dying teens?"

My mom smacks my arm again.

"After your first treatment. You'll go through hell. Puking, fainting, constantly nauseous, and very weak."

"Wow. I thought chemotherapy was going to be a frat party with IV bags."

Another smack to the arm.

"If frat parties were miserable with lots of vomit, then yes."

"That is what frat parties are."

This time I actually see her crack a small smile. Victory.

"If you'll follow me," she smiles and turns to go down a hallway.

"You'll be in a joined room with a young man, Tyler. Don't worry about him though. You won't be seeing him until next week in the party."

"Great. So it is a frat party with IV bags."

"I guess you could say that." She smiles again and has me change into a gown.

Let the fun begin.

After a few failed attempts they finally found a vein. Once I look like Pinocchio with strings in my arm they hook me up to a little bag thing.

"This is what will be saving your body today," Dr. Eaton smiles at me and I can tell he's trying to make me feel better it's not working.

"Saving me, while making me fall apart." I nod and that's when it happened. My first drop of my chemotherapy.

"Shit."

"Crystal? Is everything okay," he looks at me and seems truly concerned.

"As okay as it can be. It's just now hitting me that I'm dying."

"You're not going to die," my mom strokes my cheek. I pull away from her and look at Dr. Eaton.

"Can you guarantee that I'll live through this?"

The doctor looks at me.

"I can guarantee we'll do everything in our power to help you make it through this."

"That's what I thought."

Well, it was nice knowing you world. Catch ya on the flip side.