"Sorry, Amber.'
___"Why? Am I really going to die this time?"
In his classy, professionally decorated chamber, Dr. Benjamin suddenly felt stuffy in his chest seeing that bright smile in her face.
"Terminal cancer stage IV "
He said this unfortunate phrase not once or twice. Pain and sorrow that come along to kill patients' hope with this phrase is immeasurable. But Amber.....
"Ah, I see. Thanks for the hard work, Doc. How much time do I have left?"
"Three months, maximum."
___"I see, keep it a secret between us."
When Amber left, neither she looked desperate nor too much in sorrow, as calm as a sweet breeze of afternoon she walked away bidding him good bye.
And with that, an emptiness covered his heart, Amber is a nurse in this nursing home. Unlike others, she is calm to the point that she is called "a saint".
________________
It was almost time when the staffs change their shifts. Amber came out of the nursing home stretching her tired limbs and suddenly her eyes lit up.
"Hubby!...Why did you come down from your ward?"
She rushed over like a silly child and hugged the man standing there.
"There there....(cough). Look, I ordered your favourite fried chicken."
The man named Leo raised his hand to show her the packed food.
"Leo, you should take more rest now, what am I supposed to do if you fall sick again?"
Leo smiled and sighed helplessly, the prominent dark shade under his eyes and pale skin made him now less attractive. His days are getting into an end soon.
"Should I be worried...(cough) when my wife is a nurse here taking care of me day and night?"
___"Leo...."
"These last remaining days of me, let me do what I want, baby."
___"Alright." Tears threatened to trickle down from her eyes while her voice trembled but she smiled and forced it back again.
She can't cry, not when he wants to smile and be happy.
Supporting her husband she led him back to his ward, for almost two years this shabby room of hospital became their sweet home.
But only a few days left, this sweet home won't be sweet anymore.
"I'm afraid, I'll be in so much pain to leave you alone here. Amber, I'm so reluctant to die."
___"Scarier than death is loneliness, I won't let you be lonely, Leo."
___________
After putting Leo to sleep when Amber came out, a senior nurse was there too.
"Amber, are you alright?"
Amber only smiled.
"Your husband's condition...."
____"I know, it's getting worse, right?"
She was still smiling and that smile makes people feel uncomfortable all over.
"How can you still smile! only if we could get a suitable heart donor...."
____"You know too, even if we get a donor now, it's too late. His body couldn't stand it."
The woman sighed helplessly, walked away leaving Amber alone.
In that dark corridor, Amber lit up a cigarette humming a sweet song.
'Since when did I start smoking! ahh! it was injurious to health they said.' A playful smile curved her lips upwards......
____________
It's been a year, Leo died after a month from that day and surprisingly Amber followed her husband shortly after.
"What an ill-fated love!"
"They loved each other so much."
"I feel pity for them, life was too cruel."
Dr. Benjamin heard all kind of words and his heart felt that pain for Leo and Amber until he found Amber's diary. When Benjamin was on the last page he felt his world stopped there....
Amber wrote it down with her beautiful handwriting....
"My husband couldn't get better, his life is withering away.
He is suffering from an unbearable pain, I can see it but can't feel how much he is enduring....
What should I do?
____
Today Mr. Benjamin scolded a patient, he had cancer but was addicted to smoking. I think I know what I should do now....
____
Finally, I'm terminally ill, I can feel this pain of my body rotting away slowly. It must be tough for Leo too.
My husband... I won't let you be lonely.
Leo died, I'll die soon, will he wait for me?
Leo, in next life, I will find you with my heart. If you find a girl that looks at you and tears up for no reason.... and have a heart that aches for you... then please recognise her as me."
Dr. Benjamin closed the diary, he wondered, in the nether world did Amber finally reunite with her Leo?
