Those Who Surround Us Change Us

Chapter 3

   Fayre's coffee spewed onto the back of the head of one of the other passengers on the very crowded bus. She burst out into a very loud laughter, ignoring the glare of the bald man she'd drenched in spit and coffee. Iowa, covered her mouth, trying not to laugh at the man and her friend. Their stop was the next one and Iowa was quick to drag her laughing friend off the bus.

Fayre didn't stop laughing until they were in front of the factory. She calmed down, clutching her ribs in pain.

"My ribs hurt," she groaned, following Iowa into the building.

"Serves you right for laughing at me and spitting your coffee at that poor man," Iowa spoke, trying not to laugh.

Fayre pouted, glaring halfheartedly at her older friend. She knew her friend was only messing around.

"So," Iowa changed the subject back to something they'd been discussing before, "what times your doctor's appointment?"

"Noon," Fayre responded, suddenly feeling anxious. Fayre was used to the doctor's visits, she'd been attending them since she was a child. Being born with a bad heart came with spending a lot of time in hospitals and with doctors. She never liked it, but it was go or you might die and she wasn't willing to die like that.

Iowa looked at her friend, "Do you want me to go with you? I can take my break then."

Fayre looked up surprised, "Would you really come with me?"

Iowa smiled, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, mumbling a yes.

Fayre smiled happily, "Please do, I really don't want to go alone."

Before they knew it, noon had rolled around and the two of them sat in uncomfortable, plastic, bright orange seats waiting for the nurse to call her name. A half an hour passed before her name was called, both stood, following the nurse down the hall into a small, bright white room. Fayre took a seat on the table in the middle of the room, fiddling with the crinkly, white paper sat on it.

"Miss Bennett," the doctor walked in, smiling at his familiar, young patient, "how are you doing today?"

"Fine," she anxiously mumbled out.

"I see you've brought a friend with you," he spoke happily, looking towards Iowa, who stood to shake his hand.

After acknowledging everything he thought necessary, he turned to Fayre.

"We're going to do a stress test today," he spoke, motioning for her to stand up and follow him. She knew the drill, she'd having to be hooked up to a bunch of machines and then walk on a treadmill. She just hoped that maybe she was a little bit better, even if that was impossible.

After she was hooked up to the machines, the treadmill was started. The doctor took note of what the machines said, a worried expression fliting across his face for a brief second. When the stress test was done, he leads them back to the room. He told her with a heavy heart what he'd concluded from the test.

"Miss Bennett," he spoke solemnly, "your heart is weaker. It's too weak for me to do heart surgery. Miss Bennett, if you were to have a heart attack, I'm afraid that it's quite possible that you could die. All I can tell you is to stay away from stress and strenuous activities."

Fayre looked down, tears welling up in her eyes. She knew this was coming, she knew that she'd only get worse. Iowa stood from her chair, pulling Fayre into a hug as she cried. Leaving the doctors office, Iowa decided that they were both taking the rest of the day off. She called the boss, explaining the situation and without much debate, he agreed to give them the rest of the day off.

Iowa took them back to her apartment where they sat in silence until Fayre decided she wanted to talk about it. She explained to Iowa about her childhood and how she had always had a weak heart. She cried and Iowa comforted her to the best of her ability. Iowa didn't know what to say or do, she wanted to help her friend, but she didn't know how.

When Fayre fell asleep, Iowa started researching on possibilities of helping her. She called Fayre's doctor, having gotten his card earlier that day. He answers surprisingly quick and was willing to answer all her questions.

"Miss Bennett has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy," he explained, "it is believed to be genetic. It occurs when your heart walls thicken and prevent blood from flowing through your heart. It's a fairly common type of cardiomyopathy."

"Is there something that can treat it?" she questions. The doctor is silent for a few moments before he responds.

"There are medications that may be able to help her, but they're expensive. I highly doubt she'd be able to afford it.

"But, if she was to get the money, you'd prescribe her the medication and it could save her?"

The doctors answer was clear, "Yes, it could."

That's all Iowa needed and next thing she knew she was on the phone with her mother. Her mother wasn't so kind. She wasn't willing to help her daughter, even as Iowa begged her to please show some mercy and help her friend. Her mother was stubborn and greedy, nothing was going to change that.

She hung up the phone and called the oldest of her two brothers, Wyoming. Wyoming wasn't willing to help either, telling her to never call him about money again. The second oldest of her brothers, Oregon, was willing to hear her beg him before laughing in her face. He'd never help her he'd said, hanging up soon after.

Iowa didn't give up, calling her sister, Virginia. Virginia was greedy just like her parents and brothers, she wanted no part in her sisters quest to help her friend. Her last sibling, her last sister, Arizona, was her last hope, but she, just like the rest, refused. She hung up, leaving Iowa in a sat of utter hopelessness and fear for her fragile friend.

Her bad luck was starting to spread to herfriend, even if she had thought her life was turning around. It seemed like itwasn't. Her friend was in need and she couldn't do anything. She had no oneelse to turn to for help. For the first time in years she broke down in tears,crying for her friend, for herself, and for what was lying in their future,Fayre's possible heart attack