I AM Dying

LARA

“I didn't do anything, Gerald!” I pleaded, tears burning in my eyes. His eyes burned with hatred as he carried Ria up, her hands hanging limply. “She tried to hurt herself, and I stopped her.”

“Stop lying!” he thundered, and I flinched. “Ria has no reason to hurt herself. You're so selfish and jealous that you want her out of this place. You know damn well she doesn't have anywhere else to go, Lara! I only left for thirty minutes, and you did this.”

“G-Gerald.” My voice broke, my heart shattering into a million pieces. “How can you think so cruelly of me? I have been with you for three years. You know I would never do such a thing... I'm not that type of person. Ouch.”

A sharp pain throbbed in my lower abdomen as though someone were slicing my organs with a knife. Something warm poured out, and I looked down with shaky eyes as thick blood trailed down my legs.

“Now you're faking? You should become an actress,” he scoffed, turning toward the door.

“Gerald. The baby.” My shaky voice sounded strange even to my own ears. I lifted my hands toward him as he moved farther away from me. More blood trailed down my legs as I moved. “G-Gerald!”

I screamed, and he froze instantly. I rushed toward him, but my legs gave way, and I crashed onto the floor on my belly. More pain shot through me, tears streaming from my eyes as my head grew dizzy.

“Please... help me,” I pleaded, my fingers tightening around his jeans. “Take me to the hospital. I'm bleeding.”

“Let go, Lara.” He jerked his leg back, and my fingers slipped from him harshly. “Can you be fucking sane for once? Why are you such a fucking attention seeker? Not only did you try to kill Ria, but now you want me to focus on you so I won't attend to her quickly.”

“No, Gerald, you know that's not true. I'm in real pain.” I struggled to speak, feeling my consciousness slowly slipping away.

“I'm not standing here listening to your nonsense,” he spat coldly before running out.

“Please.” I cried, the pain unbearable. Who was I supposed to call for help?

My eyes scanned the room, and I spotted my phone. I dragged myself up with shaky arms and grabbed it. My trembling fingers scrolled through my contacts, but apart from Gerald's number, which I frequently called, there was no one I could reach out to.

Except... Bryan.

Tears filled my eyes as my best friend's name appeared before me. I never expected he would be the person I would call after everything that had happened between us.

I pressed his number, and it began to ring.

I would completely understand if he didn't pick up. After all, I married Gerald even when I knew how much Bryan loved me.

“Hello? You suddenly remembered to call me, Lara.” Bryan's calm voice came through the speaker, and so many memories crashed into me that I could barely open my mouth to answer him. It's been three years. Three years, and my body still shook at the sound of his voice. “It's her number. Hello? Lara?”

“Bryan.” I sniffled, the words refusing to come out. “Help me.”

There was silence on the other end, and panic filled my heart. Did he hang up? I looked down through the pain and saw that the call was still connected.

“Where are you?” His voice turned dark in an instant.

I sent him my address while dragging myself toward the front door to keep it open for him when he arrived.

Soon, a car screeched outside, and a man burst out of it, running toward me with panic in his eyes.

“Lara!” he yelled, but my eyes were too heavy to stay open, and I collapsed at the front door.

.

.

.

The sound of a monitor beeping filled my ears, and I slowly opened my heavy eyes, only to shut them immediately from the pain. Then I opened them again and realized I was in a hospital ward, an antiseptic scent lingering in the air.

I turned sideways and saw the sun peeking through the window, a flower pot sitting on the sill.

“You're awake.”

Bryan's voice reached my ears, and my eyes widened as I realized it wasn't a dream. I turned to him and caught him staring at me with a smile.

“For a moment, I thought I had lost you again.”

I blinked. “Is this a dream?”

I slowly tried to sit up but froze instantly.

Something was wrong.

I felt empty.

My eyes dropped to my stomach, and I pressed a hand against it, feeling the soreness.

“My baby.” The words slipped from my mouth before realization slowly dawned on me. “Where's my baby? I can't feel... Oh, God.”

My hands flew to my mouth when I saw the sadness on his face.

“I'm sorry, Lara.” He squeezed my thigh gently.

“No!” My voice broke, and my body trembled violently. I felt like I was dying.

Please, what did I do to deserve this? My only hope of ever truly living.

Bryan stood up and sat beside me on the bed before gently pulling me into a hug. I hugged him tightly, clutching his shirt through the pain and sadness that threatened to tear my heart apart.

A part of me had died with that baby. The baby was my only hope... why? Why was it taken away even though I never wanted it to be?

“It's okay.” Bryan rubbed my back. “Everything will be okay, Lara.”

At that moment, the hospital door opened, and I pulled away from him, my heart slamming against my chest.

When I saw the doctor, a single spark of hope filled my heart.

Maybe the baby was still alive.

“I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs. Stone,” he said. “But thankfully, you survived, considering the state of your lung cancer. I'll have to keep you in the hospital for a few days for monitoring.”

“Lung cancer?” Bryan repeated, and my heart sank.

He didn't know about it.

My eyes went to the doctor, and he immediately closed his mouth, realizing he had let it slip by mistake.

Bryan held my hand. “What is going on?”

I stared into his eyes. Deep down, I never wanted to tell him, but I couldn't keep the truth from him.

“I'm dying. I have six months left.”