Before a ward in a corridor of the hospital, Sharon met a doctor calmly closing the door behind him, and exclaimed. She didn't need to speak to convey her urgent need for an explanation with her panic.
Taking in the blonde's appearance, the doctor was not startled by the mask and sunglasses. He calmly nodded in greeting:
"Miss Kenner. Come with me. There is a situation that has taken us by surprise, but there is still time to make arrangements."
Sharon's heart paused, before finally returning to its place in her chest. Just the fact that it stopped pounding like a war drum was enough to show how relieved she was. She glanced at the white door behind the doctor.
"She is alright. Let's go to my office."
The doctor's words made Sharon restrain her desire to barge into the ward. She nodded after forcing herself to calm down. Throwing one last glance back, Sharon followed behind the doctor, and finally took off both her mask and her sunglasses after closing the door to the office and sitting down.
A part of the tension that had accompanied her till now flowed away, but only enough for her to let the tight string of her heart relax a little. Putting her sunglasses onto the desk, she fixed her gaze onto the doctor:
"What happened to my mother, doctor? From what I gathered, there has been a complication."
Pulling the desktop computer out of its sleep, the doctor gathered his hands together on the desk in front of him, and started with what a patient's relative would want to hear the most at times like these:
"Indeed, there has been a complication, but fortunately, after the tests and the analyses, we confirmed that the situation is still in the early stages and we have some leeway, timewise, to respond."
The confirmation that there was time and there was no urgency to be alarmed by helped Sharon's heart totally settle down at last. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. Now calm, she got ready for the details of the bad but not urgent news:
"What happened, doctor?"
Taking a moment, the doctor looked at Sharon with a calm gaze that had a light depth which made her shift on her seat and ready herself. He didn't make her wait for more than an instant before parting his lips:
"We don't know… yet."
Sharon blinked. She opened her mouth slightly, but then closed it and waited for the continuation of the explanation.
The doctor didn't show much reaction to the blonde's calm. Turning slightly to the side, he typed quickly on his computer and opened a file, before turning the screen to allow Sharon a view of the image on display. Finally, he took a deep breath:
"Your mother…"
_ _ _
_ _ _
"Cancer. We are suspecting its early signs, but fortunately, only its early signs. Your mother had a sharp reaction earlier that sent her body into a state of shock, and through the tests, we have found traces of cells that might be carcinogenic. After some tests, the probability is high, but we still need to observe for some time before determining the truth with certainty. Until then, we will take general measures to curtail the proliferation. You don't have to worry for now. Even if, in the end, it is determined to be one of the worst-case scenarios, cancer, trust that this hospital is one of the best to take care of it. Though less famous than our best departments, the oncology department has talents, equipment, resources, and even experimental programs that are well funded and difficult, if not impossible to find elsewhere. So, let's not expect the worst, but even if it were to come to pass, there will be no need to despair."
Leaning against the wall in the stairwell, arms dropping weakly at the sides, Sharon rested her head against the wall, her eyes closed, and recalled the words of the doctor. No mask, no sunglasses, both her identity and her vulnerability laid bare.
The smell of the hospital assailed her nostrils. It was lighter where she was, but remained distinct enough to prevent her from forgetting where she was.
"After such a long coma, complications are to be expected. Don't lose hope."
Breathing lightly, the last words of the doctor resounded in her mind. They did not bring her hope, and she did not need to cling onto them, but they did show her the reality of the situation.
Sharon pushed herself off the wall. She wiped the corners of her eyes and schooled her expression. After combing her hair with her fingers to look less disheveled, she took a deep breath, and wore her mask again. Going up the stairs, she was calmer this time. She took the same path she had taken earlier, and arrived at the ward she stopped before not long ago.
She didn't lower her head, as she had no mind to worry about being recognized despite the mask. Softly, she pushed the door open, and stepped into the calm world beyond.
The door closed with a soft click. The ward was not that large, but it was simple, and spacious, and bright from the light softly streaming in through the window. On the only bed inside was a form carefully tucked in.
Sharon slowly pulled down her mask, and looked at the bed, though her mind travelled back to her younger years. She recalled the shouts, the pain… the emptiness.
*Pa!*
"Straighten your back, Sharon! Do you want to end up ugly with a twisted and disabled spine?!"
*Pa!*
"Too many mistakes! Was that how the teacher I paid to teach you taught you?!"
*Pa!*
"Your wrists, Sharon! Adjust your wrists and play the score again!"
*Pa!*
"Where have you been, Sharon?!"
*Pa!*
"You need to be the best, Sharon! The best! Only then will you not have to depend on anyone else! You are a girl, and you will be a woman, but you don't need anyone else to stand on your feet!"
*Pa!*
"Have you been to the training class?"
*Pa!*
"Have you done as I told you?"
*Pa!*
"Can you not waste my sacrifices for you?!"
*Pa!* "Can you…?"
*Pa!* "Do you…?"
*Pa!* "Have you…?"
*Pa!*
*Pa!*
*Pa!*
"Stop! Playing around is not for you! You cannot be like other girls! You can only have fun when you are capable enough! So, again! Restart from the very beginning!" *Pa!*
"They took everything from me but you are the only thing they can't take away! So you have to be the best! You have to be strong to not depend on anyone else! You have to show them! So, again!"
*Pa!* "I said, again!"
*Pa!* "Again!"
*Pa!* "Again!"
*Pa!* "Again!"
*Pa!* "Ag–"
*Ring~ Ring~ Ring~*