She was twenty one and watched her husband die.
Twenty one and newly wed. Twenty one and delighting in the strong arms of her husband. Twenty one and relishing in the way he holds her close. Twenty one and pushing down the nagging reminder that it won't last long. Twenty one and living in the moment, savoring the laughter. Twenty one and stealing kisses in the hallway. Twenty one and being taken care of by someone she's finally found to love. Twenty one and finally knowing what it is to feel loved.
Twenty one and trying to ignore the persistent hacking cough that reminds her every day that their time is limited. Twenty one and lying in bed as the first seizure hits, undeniable metastasizing of the cancer to his brain. Twenty one and holding his hand, holding the emesis basin as he loses the little bit of food he's managed to swallow. Twenty one and sitting awake, listening to her best friend's labored raspy breathing, to the beeps and whirs of the machines trying to make him as comfortable. Twenty one and becoming a surrogate to sign the papers to let her husband die peacefully after his muscles have deteriorated beyond his ability to sign. Twenty one and holding her husband as she becomes a widow. Twenty one and planning a funeral. Twenty one and doing this all on her own, after her family told her it was her own fault for marrying a dying man. Twenty one and living on coffee, barely sleeping as every time she shuts her eyes she sees him, held close in her arms as the slow beeps of the machine flatlined, just as she wished her heart had. Twenty one and opening the freezer to find the piece of cake they saved for their one year anniversary, hoping they might share it. Twenty one and throwing herself into med school applications, studying until the wee hours of the morning to put off trying to sleep. Twenty one and shutting off emotions to not break down in tears in the middle of class. Twenty two and the joyful, loved, unbrokenness of turning twenty one a distant memory in her past.
A/N: This has been rolling around my head for a while but I'm not sure I quite got my ideas on paper like I wanted them. Reviews are always welcome ;) Allison Cameron is one of my favorite characters and I loved getting to interact with her in my first time writing a House fanfic. Per usual I own nothing. I hope you guys enjoyed it!