Chapter One – "Turn Away"
At the age of 3, he was diagnosed with cancer.
At the age of 2, she was diagnosed with cancer.
They were lonely. What could they do? They were forbidden to leave the hospital room. They had nobody.
Every so often they would get a visit from a family member. At one point in their lives, they would get daily visits. But people gave up hope that they would even survive, and visits eventually became weekly. Then monthly.
Lonelier and lonelier the pair became. Until a doctor noticed. These two were the same age, two months apart. Maybe, just maybe, they could share a room. They had the same disease.
"Nurse, please arrange for patient 411 and patient 561 to share a room. I'd like them to become friends. Keep each other company." The nurse nodded solemnly. She was aware that the two were close to death.
The nurse contacted the families of both patients to get permission. Both families believed it was a great idea. They could be friends.
The nurse entered the room of patient 411. He would be moved into 561's room since it was bigger. He stood by the window and stared out the window dismally. He was extremely social in middle school, when he could attend school. When high school approached, his condition worsened, and he was confined to a hospital room.
"Patient 411, you've been assigned a new room." The boy tilted his head and raised an eyebrow but obeyed. The nurse packed up and brought all his stuff to the room of patient 561. Another bed had been brought in. Patient 561 looked up from her book, "La Princesse et le Dragon." She stood up to greet the new stranger.
"Who are you?" They said simultaneously. The girl looked him up and down then tilted her head. She looked at the nurse for help.
"The doctor and your families thought it would be a good idea for the two of you to share a room. You have the same disease and they thought having a friend would help." The duo nodded. The boy went to his bed and sat down. He stared at the girl, studying all her features. She had beautiful blonde -no, golden- hair. It was a shame it would be cut off on Saturday. Her face was pale, she clearly hadn't been outside in years. He looked at his own hands and realised he was the same. He ran a hand through his hair. It was a bright pink. He was born with pink hair.
"Turn away. I'm awful to look at. My skin is pale, my hair is falling out. Please, don't look at me." The girl said. She sounded like she was close to crying.
"I'm the same as you," The boy said. "Abandoned. Hurting. Don't be afraid to face me. You're not alone." She stared at him for a good two minutes before clearing her throat, blinking, and looking down at her book.
The words were on the page but she couldn't read them. One question, three words kept repeating in her head. Distracting her from reality.
I'm not alone?