<i>"You are made to do more than you think in this world, my precious girl. You must not ever forget, you are important. You are meant to be here. And you can do great things if you make the right choices. But you are also a child with a pure spirit, and you must protect that above all else. Don't let foolish pride guide your decisions, sweetheart. Don't be swayed by any pretty face, or the lure of wealth. There's plenty of darkness in this world as it is. You'll do much more good for everyone including yourself by remaining a part of the light." </i><br/><br/>These words seemed to echo distantly in the memories of the patient who was laying quietly in the hospital bed, reminiscing her mother's last words before the woman had disappeared. It wasn't really a surprise when she'd left, after all, everyone had thought her crazy, and even said patient herself had tried to prove that she'd needed immediate professional help. But every attempt had failed, and if anything, all her efforts only made the entire situation all the more confusing. Now, as she lay in the sterile room with the sunset's celestial golden glow, it seemed a bittersweet comfort to hear those fateful words again right before the woman had disappeared out of her life - a life she'd recently learned had rapidly dwindling time.<br/><br/>Kimberly- or Kimber, as she was affectionately called - sighed softly to herself, the memory of her mother's lilting voice making her draw her knees up as she leaned further into the thin foam pillows behind her. She'd never expected to have such a dire problem affect her, much less one that was related to medical issues. This was the kind of thing that happened in soap operas, or cheesy tragedies to spice up the drama. But to have it happen specifically to<i>her</i>? Kimberly Clara Evans, practically laying on her death bed before her prime? It was unbelievable, she'd always been very healthy! Consistently making sure she wasn't eating the wrong foods and trying her best to do at least one thing to get moving every week. She had impressive vitals, perfect blood pressure, and a heart that beat as strong as an ox with a sharp mind to boot. Frankly, she should have been set to live a long, beautiful life full of success and adventure. So when the doctor had told her he was amazed she was still breathing, it had come as a hard, painful shock to say the least.<br/><br/><i>"Miss Evans,"</i>he'd said,<i>"I'm very sorry to say this, but you probably don't have much time left here with us." </i><br/><br/><i>"What do you mean?" </i>she'd asked,<i>"it's only a little cold. I should be fine within a week! Do I really need to go to a specialist for such a small thing?"</i><br/><br/>'Only a little cold.' That's exactly what it<i>should</i>have been. It should have been something that would pass and leave her completely back to normal within 6-7 days time, as it always had before. So what had she done wrong? What on earth could have changed that would make her develop something that was attacking the very core of her being?!<br/><br/><i>"A year?! I only have a year to live?!"</i><br/><br/><i>"I don't want to scare you, but I won't give you false hope either,"</i>the good doctor had said, giving her that irksome expression full of pity,<i>"worst case scenario, you'll probably survive this for a few more months. Best case scenario, you'll be able to see Christmas one last time."</i><br/><br/><i>"I don't understand, how could I have gotten this?! I feel fine! Are you sure you read the results correctly?!"<br/>
<br/>
"I hate to have to say this, but yes. We ran everything twice, and the results were exactly the same. Sometimes people are just born with the wrong genetics, much like hereditary allergies. Unfortunately, your body is going to start fighting against you, because it senses that something is wrong. No one could have seen this coming, as far as we can tell the most likely cause is that you were just born unlucky. Do you have anyone in your family with health issues, Miss Evans?" <br/>
</i><br/>That question had left her thinking of her mother, and the crazy things she'd been doing before she vanished. 'I'm talking to God's Voice!' she'd say, exclaiming from the top of the roof as if she were looking for aliens. It had been the same with her - perfect vitals, perfect heart, never any health issues before. She should have been living well into her 90s, if not early 100s. But no one expects cancer to hit them, much less in their brain.<br/><br/><i>"Then why now? Why show up now when it's been invisible all this time?"<br/>
<br/>
"There's still much we don't understand, I'm afraid. Best guess is this has been developing for awhile, and a hormonal imbalance caused this to drastically speed up."<br/>
<br/>
"Is chemo an option? Or some other treatment? isn't there anything that can be done?!"</i><br/><br/>In response, the doctor had looked impossibly more grim, and she felt as if the floor gave out from underneath her.<br/><br/><i>"Some cancers develop very slowly," </i>he explained,<i>"so slowly that the afflicted won't ever have to worry about it being an issue. On the other side of the spectrum are cancers that develop very quickly, so fast in fact that no matter what treatments are done, it will already be two steps ahead. Unfortunately Miss Evans, this is the type that is developing in you. If you still want to try I won't stop you and we'll set up your first appointment, but I think you'd be far better off enjoying your last months, and finding some peace while you still have time."</i><br/><br/>She decided to take his advice.<br/><br/>So there she sat, allowing one more night for observation at the doctor's insistence, trying to figure out how she was going to spend her last year. She was only 27....she hadn't even reached her 30s, and she was already looking at a severely shortened lifespan! No smoking, no drinking (aside from special occasions), no drugs, no activities that were particularly dangerous, and what had it gotten her? Nothing, that's what! A whole lot of absolutely nothing! If fate was indeed in charge of this matter, then she'd have liked to meet it, and give the damn sadist a piece of her mind!<br/><br/>Caught up so strongly in her thoughts, she almost missed the tray that was set on her table. She jumped lightly before looking up, the clang seeming to ring around her head for a minute, before suddenly her mind went completely and utterly blank. Absently she felt her heart skip a beat or two, and her breathing seemed to stop, because she was having trouble believing what was right in front of her eyes. Smiling directly at her was a man - at least, she was pretty sure he was a man - who was dressed in a nurse uniform, taking a seat by her bed, and on top of that, seeming to be calling her attractive. But that wasn't possible. Was it? Was she already hallucinating? Because there was no way he could be real. He was far too beautiful to be real!<br/><br/>"M-me?" she stuttered a little awkwardly.<br/><br/>After staring at him for a moment, she shifting about self consciously, straightening up and trying her best to appear less like a depressed hospital patient. This couldn't be happening...first told she was on medical death row, now meeting a man who was probably a model part time, and all within mere days. Where had someone like him been when she seemed to be apparently healthy?!<br/><br/><i>"I think you'd be far better off enjoying your last months..."<br/>
</i><br/>That was what the doctor had said. Which meant that she should take up rare opportunities while she could, right? There was no use trying to lie to this guy, she was in a hospital. That meant something was wrong with her. But even if she was going to die, she didn't have to be ugly or rude to him. She certainly didn't need to dish on the details. But there was no harm in a little flirtation. Sure, she normally avoided men, wanting to build a solid foundation before even considering dating or messing around...but that was before she was told her brain was going to deteriorate. Besides, maybe even just a normal conversation with a cute - strike that, drop dead gorgeous - nurse would help her feel less hopeless for a minute. He had come into her room, which did mean open invitation...<br/><br/>Her plush pink lips pulled into a delicate smile, and reaching up with one hand she moved a silky strand of long deep burgundy hair behind her ear, her striking blue eyes gazing at him sweetly while she tried not to sound like an idiot.<br/><br/>"Well, besides the fact that I'm here for one more night of observation? I happen to be admiring the sunset. Though I'm pretty sure you're far more interesting than just watching a big burning ball of light disappear on the horizon. What brings you to my room?"<br/><br/><i>"Not great, but there are worse things to say as a first impression," </i>she thought to herself.