The Girl In Room 417

Untitled Part 16

The next day I decide to take a break from the hospital. My mind is still whirling and I can't stop my thoughts. Max even notices my abstraction when I hand him my drink's straw instead of a spanner.

"Dude, seriously, what is wrong with you?" He asks, looking at the straw in my hand with a ludicrous expression. I note that it's a blue straw and sigh, throwing it behind me. I pick up the spanner and hand it to him.

"Nothing, I'm fine." I insist and he scoffs.

"No, you aren't. Everything ok with your sister?" He asks tentatively and I sigh again.

"Everything's great actually, doctors are really optimistic." I mutter and I feel his hand slap against my back.

"Hey, that's great!" He says and I nod, transfixed with the wrench in my hands.

"So, why are you even more out of it then?" He asks, refusing to drop it and I shrug.

"Come on, tell uncle Max." He says, patting the seat next to him as he wipes off his hands.

I slump next to him and nick his towel to wipe off my own hands.

"There's this girl at the hospital." I pause, expecting to get a ribbing but am instead met with a curious silence. He's waiting patiently for me to continue.

"She's very...different. She doesn't look sick, she looks healthier than I do most of the time. She's really good friends with my sister." I state, finding it challenging to accurately describe Abby's enchanting nature.

"So, what about her?"

"She's dying, she told me yesterday." I say and Max whistles as he exhales.

"You're her friend too?" He questions.

"Kinda, I guess." I shrug and he frowns questioningly.

"She's intriguing, okay? I hated her at first because I thought she was a rich, stuck-up princess who got everything she wanted but she's not." I say, throwing my hands up in exasperation.

"She's the complete opposite. She's sweet and selfless and funny and kind, really kind. No one sees it, she doesn't get any visitors." I mutter.

"And she's dying?" He asks, disbelief colouring his tone.

I hum and look away.

"Well how'd you react?" He asks and I cringe at the memory.

"Not good. At first I didn't believe her, but she explained everything I wanted to know and then I, well I flipped out. Told her not to talk to me or my sister again." I say, letting my head fall into my grubby hands.

"You what?! Fuck man, what the hell were you thinking?" He practically yells and I peer up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"She's dying, mate. She wants to have fun, make friends, feel like a normal teenager before she goes. She's stuck in a hospital, no visitors, of course she's not going to advertise the fact that she's dying. Give her a fucking break. She's facing the end of her life, all alone, in a place far from her home and she's probably doing the best she can. Then she tells you her darkest secret, purely because you can't control your curiosity and you yell at her? What the fuck were you thinking?" He says incredulously, shoving me and I groan.

I'm a pig. A heartless, worthless pig.

"How do I fix it?" I ask desperately and Max scoffs.

"I'm not sure this can be fixed, bro, but good luck." He says, slapping me on the back. I groan again.