As much as I want to, I can't stay,
I've made up my mind, There is no turning back.
He's been good to me, and he deserve better than this.
It's the hardest thing I ever had to do...The Hardest Thing. 98 degree
Chapter 5-the hardest thing
Scarlet never went home to her father. Duke looks for her in the Interpol. No one will tell him where Scarlet is. After five hours, a girl feels bad and tells him, "Shana O'Hara rarely comes here. You will have better luck finding her at the White House." Falcon asks, "what is she doing at the White House?" The girl says, "She is special agent for national security. Agent Maxwell calls there every time he needs Shana."
Duke calls his friend at White House, "Hello. Can you find out Shana O'Hara whereabouts?" An hour later, Duke's friend calls back, "Special Agent O'Hara had received a call in French Rivera in person two days ago." Duke goes too far to stop. He takes a flight to France. The phone number belongs to a small apartment.
Duke picks the lock. The apartment is clean and airy. The only deco there is a picture on the shelf. A picture of Duke himself. Duke hears someone coming and hides in the kitchen and listen. The door opens and a guy says, "you forget to lock the door." Scarlet says, "I am hungry." Duke's heartbeat when he hears her voice. A rage of jealousy whelms him as he wonders who the guy is.
"Takes off you clothes." The guy says. Duke tires to hold down his anger. Ten million emotions hit him at once. He hears Scarlet low cries of pain and runs out to punch the guy. "Duke!" Scarlet exclaims. Duke knees down and says, "Scarlet, I love you. Please return to me. However I depraved you, I will make amend. I will do whatever you want. I cannot continue on without you."
Duke cannot believe those words come out of his mouth. He cannot believe what he sees either. After he cool down, he sees numerous medical equipment, bottles and needles on the coffee table. Scarlet wraps herself with a blanket and sobs, "why, why do you come here? Why can't you just let me go, after all the things I did to you?" Duke looks at the guy.
"I am her doctor." The guy greets. Fear hits Duke, "No, it is impossible!" Scarlet lowers her head and says, "I have three months to live." Duke looks at the doctor, "There is nothing you can do?" The doctor says, "The cancer is out of control. She might be able to live a year if she go through Chemotherapy." Scarlet shakes her head, "The treatment make me lose hair and retch four times a day. I can't sleep or eat. I am better off without it."
"What medication are you injecting into her?" Duke asks. The doctor answers, "it is just painkiller. Medicine for bone cancer has to inject right into the bone." Duke asks, "Bone cancer?" Scarlet is quiet. Duke holds his head as he remembers that day in desperation. The mission Scarlet and him went on half a year ago.
They were fighting Cobra. The Crimson Guard got him surrounded. They fired at him when Scarlet shot the Guards and pushed him away. Scarlet took two bullets for him and was sent to the hospital. The doctor said the bullet scratched the bone and Scarlet got a bone infection. Scarlet went back for more tests but she told Duke she was healed.
"You should have told me. You rip a whole month of the time we left. Did you even consider my feelings?" Duke asks Scarlet. "I can't tell you! You will blame yourself! I don't mind dying for you. I will do it again if given. I can't have you mourn me after I die! I rather you hate me than hurt forever." Duke smiles sadly, "apparently, you were over-considering my feelings."
"I thought I made you hate me enough to forget about me." Scarlet says. Duke smiles, "You thought wrong. I can never hate nor forget you." Duke tries to touch Scarlet's hair and she moves away. A string of hair falls. Scarlet's tears follow. Duke pulls her into his arms and says, "do not desperate. I am here now. I will not leave your side as of this moment." The doctor pushes a needle into Scarlet's spine.
Scarlet snivels as she pulls onto Duke's shirt. Duke's heart is broken to see her sufferance. The doctor stands up and says, "I will go now. You are lucky to have him, Agent O'Hara." Scarlet says, "Thank you. Goodbye." Duke walks the doctor to the door. Then he smiles to Scarlet and says, "I overheard that you were hungry. I will go prepare dinner." He heads toward the kitchen.
In about ten minutes, dinner is ready. Scarlet smiles and says, "macaroni and cheese." Duke goes into her room and picks things up while she is eating. He comes out and says, "I am taking you back to America." Scarlet nods. The next day, Duke, Scarlet and Falcon arrive at Duke's two floors apartment in New York. Falcon helps them with the luggage.
"I called housekeeping to change the sheet. Take a shower and go to bed." Duke smiles and says to Scarlet. Falcon goes into the kitchen and looks at all the can food. "Mac and cheese, spaghetti-O, chicken and star. I thought you don't eat canned food." Falcon says. Duke smiles and answers, "Scarlet lingua's preference differ form mine." Falcon asks Scarlet, "Who talks like that?" Scarlet laughs.
"Dinner will be ready in an hour." Duke says. Falcon asks Scarlet, "You want a game of pool?" Scarlet nods and accepts, "I slept all the way here anyway." They go up to the upper floor where Duke owns a pool table. Scarlet wins in five minutes. Falcon wines, "No fair! You never let me win." Duke shouts from down stairs, "Winning can only be procured, never conferred."
"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Falcon shouts as he changes the pool table into table tennis. They start playing Ping-Pong. In the middle of the game, Scarlet has a pain attack and collapses as the ball bounces off the ground. Falcon shouts, "Scarlet!"
Duke runs up stairs and carries her to bed. Scarlet looks at them and says, "I'm fine, just a little pain, that's all." Duke says, "I should not have let you invigorate yourself in such manner. You need your injection?" Scarlet shakes her head. Duke smiles and says, "I will bring dinner then." Falcon follows Duke out, then turns around and says, "you know, one nice thing about you getting sick is that I can beat you in games." Scarlet smiles.
Duke feeds Scarlet chicken and stars, then tugs her to bed. He then turns on the TV to watch the sport channel. He loves watching Super Bowl, but today he is just not in the mood. He goes into the kitchen and opens a can of beer. He sits back into the sofa, drifting into sleep while reminiscing the time he shared with Scarlet. All the sacrifices she made for him, all the support and courage she offered in his downcast, all the joy and love she brought him.
When he wakes up again, a letter from Scarlet is in front of him. It says, "Duke, thanks for coming for me. I hope you understand that I can't stay. I can't have you serve me like a patient, smile in front of me and then drink beer in the dark. I don't want you to see me die. It's a lot to ask but let the Joes know. Let them hate me. Love you always, Scarlet." For the first time in his life, Duke cries.