Distraction

Ten

"Lucas?" Asked Maya, looking up from her drawing pad.
"Ya?"
"Do you want to climb the tree over there with me. I want to draw the view of the park."
"Well I'm not letting you do it alone." Maya smiled and stood up.
"You need any help?" He asked when they got to the tree.
"Thanks but I'm good. I must have climbed it a hundred times." Before her could protest because she'd been weak, she was climbing up, gripping the bark and branch. He followed after her until they were up on the space between the branches, Maya on the curve between the branch and center and Lucas in the center, her slightly above him.
"Why haven't you taken your sketchpad out of your bag yet?" He asked after a moment.
"I'm too nervous to draw."
"You've never been afraid of hights."
"I'm nervous that you're gonna get mad at me. I thought climbing up her would make me more nervous about falling and less nervous about that, but I forgot that I don't mind falling."
"Why's that?"
"Deaths inevitable."
"Ya, but if you died now you would be missing so much."
"It's not like I'll remember it."
"Right. Riley said you lost all faith."
"Doesn't matter. If someones doing this to me I can't understand. Am I a bad person Lucas?" Their eyes connected and he saw the pool of water making the sun glisten against her blue eyes, begging him for an explanation to why such a thing could happen to her though he hadn't learned of it yet.
"You're a great person. You give back everything you have to the world in every way you can even when you need help yourself. You'd give food to strangers and let yourself starve through the night. You have. I've seen you. You're a great person."
"I lie. I lied. To you."
"About what."
"I'm sick, Lucas."
"How sick?" He asked, timidly.
"Very. Stage four brain cancer." After a moment of shock her took her hand.
"Let's get you down."
"Lucas, I don't need to get down. I'll see you tomorrow. And sorry."
"Then I'll stay. And no. Don't be sorry."
"You're not mad?"
"I am. Not at you. You did it to protect me. You went as long as you could."
"I could have gone longer. I thought I was doing the wrong thing."
"You where. But for the right reasons. And Maya." She looked back at him. "Everything happens for a reason."
"Oh my god." She rolled her eyes.
"No ones punishing you. It sucks, but gods not mad at you."
"I'm mad at him."
"Well, you believe in him again."
-
Maya took a deep breath as much as she could.
"Ow." She let out in a whisper. She began to wimper, butting on her lip and tossing and turning on her cot. She squirmed, wet eyes and cheeks. It was far too painful and she couldn't take another moment. She wanted to go but this was too slow and painful.
"Ow! Ow, help, Riley." She cried. "Mrs.Matthews." She gasped for air, crying in pain. "Help." The lights swiched on next to Riley and Cory came running in as she sat up. "It hurts."
"Topanga! Get the keys."
"What hurts?" Asked Riley.
"I can't breath." Cory lifted her up in a cradle, following Topanga down to the car and sitting in the back seat. Riley jumped in and closed the door, Maya sitting in the middle.
"It's okay, Maya. You'll be okay." He said, punning his fingers through her hair to pull it out of her face. Riley'd never been as scared as she was watching her friend cry and struggle for breaths while Cory tried to help her and she held her hand.
-
"It was that bad?" Asked Lucas, sitting down. "I know it's bad but it never gets like this. At least not before you get here. You guys don't live far."
"Maybe she didn't yell at first." Said Farkle.
"I heard her struggling in my dream. You know like when voices or an alarm come into your dream?" They nodded. "She was trying to breath and mumbling. If I'd woken up she wouldn't have had to go through that pain."
"It's not your- wait. Maya's not dumb, she knew she had to go to the hospital."
"Then she would have."
"But she didn't."
"Are you implying she tried to torture herself to death?" Asked Topanga.
"What if she let her body take control and hurt her? Maya wanted to commit suicide, right?" Cory shook his head, pushing himself out of the chair and down the hallway.
"Dad!" Said Riley, running to catch up and meeting him at the window.
"What are you looking at?"
"I don't know. How are you doing with this Riley."
"I'm not. I'm scared. I can't stand seeing her like this but if she sees me like you, you think she's gonna believe she can get better in either way."
"You're putting on a face."
"Maybe."
"Riley, Maya's not here."
"Maybe so."
"Please. Never put on a face for me."
"How did this happen?" She said with wet eyes. "How could Maya hate life so much?" Cory wrapped his arms around her, tight.
"Never hate life."
"I do. It's hurting her. I hate it."
"Maya's blessed."
"She wants to be dead."
"But she's not, and maybe one day she will be thankful of that. Or maybe she won't."