Madelyn's Resolve

Madelyn tapped her foot nervously on the floor of the Radiology Centre, waiting for her name to be called. She checked the time again, as her heart beat kept time with the ticking of the watch that was sitting loosely on her pale wrist. The more nervous she got, the more she was struggling, “Just calm down” she told herself, as she tried to steady her breathing. She checked her watch again. If she took too long, Dad would start to get worried and then her sister, Harper, would start stressing out too. According to them, Madelyn was going to the shopping centre with her friends. This was a small, white lie, because the centre was just across the road from the Radiology Centre. Although she was now 19 years old, her father still expected to know where she was at all times, but that was most likely because Mum was no longer around to help keep tabs on the girls.
Lost in her day-dream, Madelyn barely heard the nurse call out her name, ‘Madelyn Barnes?’ She forced her thoughts to the back of her mind and followed the nurse into the small office where Doctor Woods sat, studying what seemed to be the ultra-sounds they took of her lungs. As she lowered herself into the hard, wooden chair in front of his desk, Dr Woods finally looked up. ‘I’m just going to get straight to the point Miss Barnes... You have fluids leaking into your lungs; which is the reason you are finding it so hard to breath.’
Madelyn nodded slowly, ‘I see… but judging by your face, that’s not the worst part, is it?’ She hoped she was just imagining the sad glint in his eyes as he gave her his diagnosis, but she knew she was right, that there was something more. Dr Woods nodded, ‘I’m afraid not. Unfortunately, there is no doctor skilled enough to remove this fluid permanently. No matter how many times we drain the fluid, it will keep coming back. I’m sorry there is nothing we can do, except help to ease the pain… I am so sorry.’
A cold hand wrapped itself around Madelyn’s heart as she left the Radiology Center. The tears that she had tried so hard to hold in came streaming down her face as she replayed Dr Woods words in her head when she asked him how long she had. ‘My estimate would be 1 to 2 years.’ The more she thought about this, the stronger her resolution not to tell her family became. It was Harper’s 18th Birthday soon, and there was no way she was going to ruin that for her. No, she would carry on as usual. She would be as strong and as brave as her mother.

Over the next few weeks, Madelyn resolved to make the most of the time she had left. She was going to use the remainder of her life meaningfully, for everyone around her. That’s how she would live.

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