Four was about to continue to read from the journal of Sarah Miller when his mom called him to come to dinner. They ate in silence for a while.
"I just read where Jeremiah found out he has cancer." Four remarked after swallowing a mouthful of food. "I can't imagine."
Most people that he knew tend to die unexpectedly. Yet, not surprising. That had been life in Dauntless. There were times where people died accidentally, were murdered, or committed suicide. He met never anyone where they knew they were going to die.
"Most of us can't these days." Evelyn remarked before putting a bite of carrot into her mouth.
"I wonder which is worse." Four mused. "Knowing someone is going to die or having it be unexpected. I mean...unexpected is bad too. If I knew Tris was going to die..." He trailed off. He couldn't finish it.
"That's death for you" Evelyn said dryly. "You don't always get a head's up that someone is about to go. On the other hand, is it better to know they are going to die verses than not knowing?"
Four thought for a moment. Was it really better to know in advance? "I don't know."
"Well, Sarah will tell you all about it." Evelyn said as she got up with her plate. "I'll clean up before I go."
"Okay, mother" Four said absently as he finished the rest of his dinner. He was interested in how the couple handled the news that Jeremiah was dying.
Evelyn left after she cleaned up the kitchen. Four went to bed with the diary and began to read where he had left off.
From the Journal of Sarah Miller
Oh, no
Not this again. The cycle was about to begin once more. It starts off with one not feeling well. Then you get the news that they are dying from cancer or radiation poisoning. Next, you will get an idea of how long you have to wait until they leave this earth. You will watch them slowly waste away and you know there is no way to stop it from coming. You finally watch them take their last breath.
It was Hell on earth doing this with my six kids. Now, I'm going to have to do with Jeremiah. He is the only person I had left. Then, I would be surrounded by strangers once he dies.
My hand squeezed Jeremiah's. He did the same with mine. I looked at my husband's reaction. His handsome face was stoic. Yet, a muscle worked in his jaw. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"
"You have stage 4 lung cancer." The male doctor repeated. "There's basically nothing we can do for you at this point. We can give you treatment to help with the pain and with your breathing. However, there's not much we can do to stop it from progressing."
"So, my husband is going to die?" I asked numbly. I don't know why I asked this. I already knew the answer to the question.
"Yes" The male doctor replied. Exactly as I thought
"How long are you giving me?" Jeremiah asked curiously.
The male doctor took a deep breath. Obviously, he wasn't happy about giving us this kind of news. "Three months"
My husband closed his eyes. Tears streak down his cheeks. My cheeks had tears running down them too.
"We are so sorry." The male doctor told us sympathetically.
There was a moment of silence as my husband's prognosis sank deep into our brains. Finally, Jeremiah asked "What happens now?"
"We give you med-"
"Not with my cancer" My husband cut him off. "What will happen to my wife once I go? I want to know that she would be look after once I'm gone."
The two doctors looked at each other before looking at us again. "We assume she will stay here in Chicago." The female doctor guessed. To me, she asked "You don't plan on going back to the Amish once he dies, right?"
"No, I'm staying here."
"Then whatever fraction she joins will look after her." The female doctor assured us.
"Which fraction would that be?" Jeremiah inquired.
"Whatever fraction she chooses" The male doctor answered.
"She would do that at the Choosing Ceremony." The female doctor added.
"The Choosing Ceremony is mostly for those that sixteen. That's the age where they can become full fledged members of society."
"I thought that happened when one became eighteen?" I remarked with confusion.
"That was before the end of the war." The male doctor agreed. "It's now sixteen."
"Ah, I see."
"These kids take a test the day before the Choosing Ceremony." The female doctor told them. "The test gives them a bunch of scenarios to see how they respond until there is a result. That result tells them what fraction they would be better in. Of course, the kid can decide to choose what fraction they should be in rather than go by the test's result."
"Free will" My husband remarked.
The female doctor smiled at him. "Exactly"
"Aren't we a little bit old for the test?"
"It is true that only sixteen-year-olds take the test these days." The male doctor agreed. "However, we have let stragglers take the test too so they can fit in here. The counsel rather give them the opportunity to try to fit into one of the fractions before letting them go fractionless. Or let them leave here. Though that rarely happens"
"The Choosing Ceremony is in a week from now." The female doctor said. "We'll take you both to the council."
We gathered our belongings in the room we stayed in this last week. Jeremiah had his Bible and Prayer Book. I took my Prayer book and my recipe book. Then, we were met up with the two doctors and the same two guards that stayed by our side during our examinations. We walked to where they held council, which was outside.
There were five people in dreary gray clothes that sat at a long table. There were files and papers on the table in front of them. The man sitting in the middle held a gavel. They had been discussing something quietly when we approached them.
"Council" The male doctor addressed them. "We have two outsiders that want amnesty in our city. We have examined them both. They don't have anything that's dangerous to our society. The woman does have a mild case of asthma while her husband has stage four lung cancer."
"They're Amish!" One of the male members said in surprise. "I didn't think they were left!"
He wasn't the only one surprised by seeing us. With the exception of the man sitting in the middle, they were all murmuring about us.
"How much time does the man have left?" Another male member asked. I noticed there weren't any women on the council. Typical
"Three months" The female doctor replied. There was more murmuring among the council.
"Are they married?"
"Yes" Jeremiah replied instead of the doctors. I could tell he was getting annoyed at being talked and asked about when he was right there. However, he got a taste of what I had to deal with being an Amish woman when I was among men.
"Order to grant amnesty?" The middle man asked the small group. I took it that he was the leader of the council. There was an unanimous "aye". The leader added, "Motion granted."
"Where will they stay until the Choosing Ceremony?" The male doctor asked curiously.
"With my family and I in Abnegation." The leader replied.