Dying Love Story

Chapter 1

If you know that love stories live forever, that makes two of us. Living without Augustus, like I said, is a pain scale from 1-10 a 10. The big and torturous 10. Ever since Augustus's funeral, my daily course is I wake up, I eat breakfast, read 5 chapters of 'An Imperial Affliction', go outside and talk to the sky, because somehow I believe that Augustus is with me. You are going to think I am a sociopath, but I feel a presence. And when I'm done, I go to sleep and then start all over again. And I've decided that I want to go to Support Group. My mom looked like she saw a unicorn with 2 heads.

It was about 2:46 p.m. on a Wednesday, and my mom was changing my tank for more oxygen from my cannula.

"Ready to go, Hazel?" My mom said with a bright smile.

I smiled, and there she smiles, too.

She drove me to the Support Group. And believe it or not, Isaac arrived the same time I did.

I got out of the car, said goodbye to my mom as she kissed my cheek, which left a bronze lipstick stain on my cheek. I rubbed it off.

"No offense, Mom." I said as she laughed.

I met up with Isaac and guided him inside.

"Thanks, Hazel." Isaac said with a half smile, kind of like Augustus's half smile.

I sat down. And of course, Patrick was sitting there with his Guitar, waiting for everyone to arrive and sit down so he could sing one of the songs he sings every other meeting.

Once everyone arrived and sat down, Patrick played his song. And soon enough, he called people's names for them to stand up, say their name, and what kind of cancer they have.

Soon enough, he called my name. I stood up.

"I'm Hazel. I have Stage 4 Thyroid Cancer, and a Metastasis is currently forming in my lungs."

Patrick had this surprised look on his face, like I haven't said that 30 times before.

"We're here for you, Hazel." Patrick said as the rest of the group as well.

After everyone said their stories, as always, Patrick talked about his ball-lessness.

After the support group was over, I saw moms silver minivan parked in the right side of the church. I walked over, lugging my oxygen tank to the car.

We arrived home, and for some reason I smelled a familiar supper. I walked into the kitchen, and I saw dad was cooling Enchiladas. The food I ate with Gus the first time I met him.

"Hungry?" My dad asked my mom and I.

I nodded, as well as mom.

Once dinner was ready, I sat down at the table with a glass of milk in front of me. I zoned out, until dad put my dinner in front of me and moved my glass of milk.

I ate, more than I usually eat. After dinner, I put my plate up to the counter, and my mom noticed that I ate everything off my plate. She looked proud of me. Her proud face was so funny looking, I laughed until I cried.

I got my pajamas on, and laid in my bed, as well as reading 5 more chapters of 'An Imperial Affliction'.

Later on in the night, I felt really nauseous.

"MOM!" I shouted. She ran upstairs in total fright, and ran right over to me.

"What, sweetie, what?" She said as she exhaled nervously.

"Need. Trash can." I said. I was breathing really heavily, and I felt really sweaty. That's how my body lets me know that I'm going to puke.

Mom ran over to the trash can and ran back, and put the trash can on my bed.

It took my a couple minutes to let my body know it's okay to let it out. I puked nonstop for about a minute.

"Feel better, honey?" My mom said.

I took a deep breathe, and said, "Yeah."

"Let's take you to the emergency room." Mom said as she helped me up.

"MIKE." Mom shouted. I heard dad's footsteps rush upstairs.

"Hazel is feeling nauseous. We're going to take her to the emergency room." My dad nodded.

When we got there, Dr. Mera placed me in a portable hospital bed, and rushed me to a room.

I fell asleep once I got to my hospital room.

My mom and dad were beside me when I woke up, gazing at my face. I looked at my body, there was a tube placed on the right side of my uterus, and IV hooked to a vain on my left arm, a oxygen mask that covered my mouth and my nose.

"Feeling better?" My dad asked as he he hugged me and kissed my cheek.

I nodded.

"When you fell asleep they did a PET scan." Mom said as dad took my PET scan results out of the frame.

Dad showed the results to me.

My lungs were halfway covered with the Metastasis.