A Rare Pearl (COMPLETED)

Chapter TWO

Ida slowly opened her eyes. She had an instant headache.

She looked around, her sight landed on Doctor Logan.

"Wha-what happened?", she shuttered.

"You passed out", He took out his ophthalmoscope to exam her eyes.
"But everything seems all good, how are you feeling?", He knew it was a terrible question to ask at a time like this.

"Hmmm", she sighed.
Then the feeling that she was eventually going to loose her mother washed over her and wishing it was all a dream was the harsh reality.

"I spoke to my mother two weeks ago, there was no sign, not one indication that anything was wrong", Ida tried to sit up on the bed.
   She placed one hand on her temple to soothe her headache and the other to balance herself.

"Woaw, take it easy", he helped her up.

"Thanks", when Doctor Logan saw she was good he pulled a chair and sat besides the bed.

"About the treatment you spoke about" Ida started.

"When cancer reaches that far, it takes over the body rapidly, there's little anyone can do, but as I told you before there's a treatment that can only push back-"

"Her life's span for the rest of the year", Ida finished his statement.

It was October, How much time would that give me, Ida sadly thought to herself.

"Yes", he saw the painful look in her eyes.
"The treatment begins at forty thousand dollars",.

Ida began to cough.
"Forty thou-forty thousand dollars?, Doctor Logan I can barely keep a dollar, let alone have forty grand", Ida stressed.

She thought about all the outstanding bills she had piling up every month; the little she eats a day because she couldn't afford a decent meal, even her co-workers were starting to notice because of her frequent weight loss, there would be times she would feel so embarrassed when Phil offers to her; her trailer could barely get a proper clean because of the double shift she had to work to survive, that and the fact that she had to walk three miles everyday to and from work had her feet constantly swollen.

Ida never wanted to be the victim of anyone's sympathy but couldn't control the uncontrollable tears that began to stream down her face.

"Hey, hey", he stood up and embraced Ida in a hug, knowing he was getting attached against his job description.
"Isn't there really anybody that can't help you, no other family, father, brother, sister?".

I felt a sense of comfort with him, his entire aura seemed sincere, besides he was a doctor, they were trained to be confidential and right now she needed a shoulder to lean on.

"I work at a diner, I could barely afford my own bills Doctor Logan-"

"Please call me Sean", he told her.

"Sean, I have been taking care of my mother's needs for years,my father died when I was eight, he was murdered in a driveby on his way home, I have no brother, my sister", Ida paused.
  "My sister lives in New York City, before my father died his goals were to give his girls the proper education that he never had, but when he died, he only manage to save enough for one, and since I wasn't old enough, Liv had that opportunity".

"Then call her, I'm sure once she's heard about your mother's illness she'll want to step in", Sean assumed.

"The last I've heard about Liv was that she worked at some big fancy corporate firm, that was ten years ago, we've had no contact since then, mom told me it was because Liv had to change her apartment the receptionist there was so bad that it had to be cut because it made no sense paying for a service she couldn't get", Ida explained.

"What about email?", Sean asked.

"We couldn't afford", she answered.

"Then go to her", Sean replied.

"Go to her, how am I-"

"Let me help you, I'll book the flight, give you enough money to cover your expenses, whatever you need, just find your sister", Sean was looking right through Ida' s eyes, sensing she was about to protest to his proposal.
"For your mother's  sake", he added.

Ida knew she shouldn't, life had thought her one thing, it is that independence was better than charity, but what choice did she have in this situation, she was going to loose her mother.
Eva might not have given her life's riches, but she gave her love, her mother has always been kind, modest and loving towards all she knew, a genuine soul, even through the hardship of life, Eva smiled.

Ida agreed to Sean's offer.