seen worse."
The two continued to hold each other. Neither said a word. Their embrace was all that needed to be spoken. As they held each other, Luke's mind couldn't help but drift to Nessa. It had been two weeks since he'd heard from her. And now she wasn't accepting his calls. He also hadn't been able to reach his connect, Chavez to see if she'd been in contact with him. Shaking his head, Luke was starting to believe Nessa had taken the money and run. He wondered what she was doing at that moment with his money and who she was with.
As if sensing what Luke was thinking, Pamela asked in almost a whisper, "Have you dumped Nessa?"
Without hesitation, he answered, "Yes. I told you I would."
As they continued to sit in silence, although Luke was sure he was done with Nessa, he was still yearning to see her one last time. But not to kiss her. Not to make love to her. No, what he wanted was much more intimate. He wanted to see her one final time so he could look into her eyes as he killed her.
***
In an examination room in Johns Hopkins Cardiology Center, Piper sat on the bed in only an examination apron and socks. The doctor was standing next to the bed holding her latest X-rays and test results. "So?" Piper asked.
Sighing and then looking at Piper with regret, he answered, "I'm sorry, Ms. Kingston. As expected, the cancer is spreading to your chest."
Piper dropped her eyes to the floor. Those words hurt. Even the fact that she was expecting them didn't help to ease their effect. They still left her almost breathless.
Piper's days on earth were now truly numbered.
"I'm sorry," the doctor said.
Piper had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Lung cancer over a month ago. She hadn't been feeling well over the last few weeks but managed to live decently until now. She'd now been coughing a lot and extremely weak. She didn't have an appetite. And when she did eat, her stomach wouldn't hold it down. The lack of eating was causing her to lose weight. Finally, accepting the fact that she had no other choice but to go visit a doctor, she finally went. That was when the news was broken to her.
"How long do I have left?" she now asked.
"A few months."
Chills ran down her spine. She was coming to grips with her mortality. It was a terrifying feeling. There was so much dirt she’d done in her life…she didn’t believe she would be given mercy. She began asking all sorts of questions. “You think I’ll start coughing up blood? And what about my time,” she belted with concern. “You sure I only have a few months?”
“Piper, let’s take this one step at a time.”
“Doc, pleaseeeeee, I don’t know what else to do.”
Piper conversed for several more moments with the kind doctor before his departing.
Hesitating before getting dressed, Piper stood from the bed and headed to the window. Looking out at passing traffic, she got lost in thought and memories. As she watched everyone go about their business and lives, she wished she could be one of them. She wished she had made better decisions in life. She wished she had achieved more. But now accepting that things couldn't be changed, she got dressed and headed out of the room. On the elevator she began coughing heavily. Her coughs were hard, gravelly sounding. But despite the coughing, as she traveled down to the first floor on the elevator, her body was anticipating one thing, the one thing that had gotten her in this mess in the first place...
A damn cigarette.
Now outside, Piper went in her purse, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit up. Feeling the smoke in her infected lungs, she felt relief despite how cursed and how momentarily. She then called Nessa. They had not spoken regularly and she debated on telling Nessa about her prognosis.
Piper hadn't told Nessa about the cancer. She hadn't mentioned it to her daughter at all. She hadn't even given hint of it in her appearance. She continued to keep her hair
The two continued to hold each other. Neither said a word. Their embrace was all that needed to be spoken. As they held each other, Luke's mind couldn't help but drift to Nessa. It had been two weeks since he'd heard from her. And now she wasn't accepting his calls. He also hadn't been able to reach his connect, Chavez to see if she'd been in contact with him. Shaking his head, Luke was starting to believe Nessa had taken the money and run. He wondered what she was doing at that moment with his money and who she was with.
As if sensing what Luke was thinking, Pamela asked in almost a whisper, "Have you dumped Nessa?"
Without hesitation, he answered, "Yes. I told you I would."
As they continued to sit in silence, although Luke was sure he was done with Nessa, he was still yearning to see her one last time. But not to kiss her. Not to make love to her. No, what he wanted was much more intimate. He wanted to see her one final time so he could look into her eyes as he killed her.
***
In an examination room in Johns Hopkins Cardiology Center, Piper sat on the bed in only an examination apron and socks. The doctor was standing next to the bed holding her latest X-rays and test results. "So?" Piper asked.
Sighing and then looking at Piper with regret, he answered, "I'm sorry, Ms. Kingston. As expected, the cancer is spreading to your chest."
Piper dropped her eyes to the floor. Those words hurt. Even the fact that she was expecting them didn't help to ease their effect. They still left her almost breathless.
Piper's days on earth were now truly numbered.
"I'm sorry," the doctor said.
Piper had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Lung cancer over a month ago. She hadn't been feeling well over the last few weeks but managed to live decently until now. She'd now been coughing a lot and extremely weak. She didn't have an appetite. And when she did eat, her stomach wouldn't hold it down. The lack of eating was causing her to lose weight. Finally, accepting the fact that she had no other choice but to go visit a doctor, she finally went. That was when the news was broken to her.
"How long do I have left?" she now asked.
"A few months."
Chills ran down her spine. She was coming to grips with her mortality. It was a terrifying feeling. There was so much dirt she’d done in her life…she didn’t believe she would be given mercy. She began asking all sorts of questions. “You think I’ll start coughing up blood? And what about my time,” she belted with concern. “You sure I only have a few months?”
“Piper, let’s take this one step at a time.”
“Doc, pleaseeeeee, I don’t know what else to do.”
Piper conversed for several more moments with the kind doctor before his departing.
Hesitating before getting dressed, Piper stood from the bed and headed to the window. Looking out at passing traffic, she got lost in thought and memories. As she watched everyone go about their business and lives, she wished she could be one of them. She wished she had made better decisions in life. She wished she had achieved more. But now accepting that things couldn't be changed, she got dressed and headed out of the room. On the elevator she began coughing heavily. Her coughs were hard, gravelly sounding. But despite the coughing, as she traveled down to the first floor on the elevator, her body was anticipating one thing, the one thing that had gotten her in this mess in the first place...
A damn cigarette.
Now outside, Piper went in her purse, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit up. Feeling the smoke in her infected lungs, she felt relief despite how cursed and how momentarily. She then called Nessa. They had not spoken regularly and she debated on telling Nessa about her prognosis.
Piper hadn't told Nessa about the cancer. She hadn't mentioned it to her daughter at all. She hadn't even given hint of it in her appearance. She continued to keep her hair
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