🔴 Recording
May 12, 2023
──────⊹ ᥫ᭡ ⊹──────
Arithea just waved at the camera and so as Killian, they're on their way to the doctor's office.
Arithea's parents including her sister also waved at the camera.
Her sister is on Killian's back.
"Anak whatever the doctor says, I want you to be strong." Arithea's mom said.
Arithea smiled and gave her a small nod.
She started feeling more nervous than before, they're going to have the second opinion today to a doctor at the lung center. Since she's been taking medication for tb for 4 months and her cough is just getting worst, even her chest pain. She even had a fever.
When they arrived at the clinic, Killian knocked and the secretary let them in.
"Hi, doc." Arithea greeted and the doctor smiled at them and motioned them to sit down.
Killian found it a little funny because they were all there.
The camera was just placed on Killian's lap that's why the view of the camera is Arithea sitting on the right chair infront of the doctor's table and her mom on the other chair.
The doctor was checking the results and her expressions were unidentified, they were all nervous while looking at her.
Is there something wrong? Arithea asked at the back of her head.
The doctor cleared her throat and gave them all a small smile.
"How are you, Arithea?"
"I'm good, doc." She never thought that she would say that. She wanted to be the one called 'doc'.
"That's nice. I have heard that you want to be a doctor? You're taking pre-med already, am i right?" Arithea nodded while smiling.
"I want to be the one sitting there someday." She said weakly.
"You will, Arithea. You will." The doctor said with a genuine smile plastered on her face.
Meanwhile, her parents badly wants to know the results.
"Doc... Ano po 'yung mga resulta?" Her mom asked slowly.
Arithea's dad went behind her mom and held her shoulders. Arisa was starting to get scared so Killian hugged her and caressed her hair to calm her.
Arithea didn't want to look at her parents, not to Arisa, not to Killian.
She was just looking at the doctor.
The doctor inhaled and smiled without her teeth showing.
"I've been checking your results since yesterday and.."
"I'm afraid that what you have is not just TB." The doctor held Arithea's hand that was placed on the table.
"You have... stage 4 lung cancer."
Arithea was dumbfounded. The doctor was just silent and let go of her hand when Arithea's mom started to cry.
Arisa ran to hug their mom including their dad.
She was just sitting there, looking at the table. She was holding her tears, she doesn't want to cry infront of them.
Killian placed the camera on the chair and went to hug Arithea but she still wasn't looking at him.
"P-Paano.." Arithea tried to ask but she was too weak.
Paano nangyari 'yon? Bakit ako may cancer? Where did i get it?
"I- I don't understand. I don't smoke, I- I don't drink. I don't..." Her voice was shaking, Killian hugged her tightly, her face was burried on his chest. She was gripping on his shirt.
"It's okay." He whispered.
She shook her head repeatedly. "It's not."
She stood up went infront of the doctor, the doctor was shooked when Arithea held both of her hands. "I don't want this, c-can you check it again? Baka mali kayo ng basa."
"Iha, I'm sorry pero 'yun talaga ang nakita ko. If your doctor knew immediately na may mali sa lungs and chest mo based sa xray then sana nagawa mo ang tamang medication at naagapan agad." The doctor was struggling to explain.
Arithea was still shaking her head, her parents were looking at her painfully.
"You were taking medication for TB, not cancer. Ang bilis kumalat sa loob mo 'yon kaya stage 4 kaagad." Malungkot na dagdag ng doctor.
"No." The tears she tried to hold is now escaping from her eyes, she didn't care anymore.
She knelt infront of the doctor, still holding her hands.
"P-Please." She cried.
Killian tried to pull her up. Arithea's dad tried to help Killian but she won't budge. Arithea's mom was covering her mouth and couldn't watch the scene so she left the office, Arisa followed her.
"Arithea." The doctor was trying to pull her up too.
She was pleading, like she was asking for help.
"I don't want to have cancer. I- I don't want to have chemo, I want you to understand that." Her voice was weak, they almost didn't hear her.
"Anak, tama na." Her dad said.
Killian gently carried her bridal style and she had nothing to do. Her dad apologized to the doctor who's also tearing up.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"Shh, it's okay." He said and kissed her forehead.
He took the camera first before going out of the office. Arithea's mom stood up and checked on Arithea.
They left the hospital without anyone uttering a single word.
──────⊹ ᥫ᭡ ⊹──────
🔴 Recording stopped
