I sat there. I felt cold. Where was the heat? Had it broken? A doctor's office couldn't afford some heat? "Lyd?" I looked over at my older sister. She had to bring me since my parents were too busy to care. "Lyd?" she asked again. "What?" I asked. "Are you alight?" "Obviously not. I'm in a doctor's office." My throat started to close. She burst out of her seat and threw her arms around me. I just sat there, like a doll I didn't hug her back. She bawled into my shoulder, she cared. "I'm sorry, Lydia. I'd give you options but there aren't any at this stage," the doctor said sadly. It was just a front though. He had spent every day of his life telling people they were going to die. I ws no different. Maybe I was a little younger than he was used to but that made no difference. "How much longer?" I asked coldly. My sister pulled back to hear the doctor. "I wouldn't give you more than a year." I just nodded dumbly. I wondered how long until it sank in. I was going to die. I was never going to fall in love and get married. Never have kids and watch them grow up. Even this didn't sink in though. Maybe my body wanted me to be strong for my sister. She pulled herself together. "We could admit you here and watch over you maybe lessen the pain, but I think the best option would be for you to take some drugs and go out and enjoy yourself." He didn't have anything else to say and so turned and left.

We sat in the car in the driveway. Rachel just stared off into space. I guessed she had fallen numb too. "Lyd?" "Yeah?" I asked. "I think I'm going to take a leave from school and be with you during this time." I hadn't been able to make it to college. I was too sick and my medical bills outweighed how much college would cost. "That's alright. College is important." "I can go back afterwards." I just got out of the car. She checked in the mirror and applied some makeup before she caught up with me. "You know what you should do? You should make a list. Write down all the things you want to do and I'll do everything I can to make them happen." "I don't need anything, Rache. I'm just going to go to bed." I climbed up the stairs and into my bedroom. I turned my stereo on. It hit me. Tears filled my eyes and I just let them come. I was going to die.