As she wiped the last tear off her pale sullen face, she glared coldly out at the real world feeling completely betrayed and lost. A strong wind blew her slick black hair off her face. She swore under her breath as two passer-bys stared at her strangely, wondering what she was doing sitting by the coke machine. The vibration from the old machine provided her warmth as she rubbed her two bare arms that were covered with blood marks. It almost seemed comforting. Feeling tired, she let down her guard and decided to take a risk and fall into a dreary slumber.
Someone shook her. Confused, she glanced up to find two middle aged policemen staring down at her. Their eyes showed no sympathy, but only accusation. One of them pulled her up and questioned her. She tried to find her strength that with lay somewhere within her. Taking short difficult breaths, she collapsed into the arms of the policeman.
Where am I? she wondered. The bare white walls were cold and unwelcoming. The white sheets that she was covered in were scratchy and rough. Her mind spun in confusion and dizziness and she fell asleep again.
“Wake up kid,” a raspy unkind voice disturbed her from her dream. Slowly, she attempted to open one eye. The white light was shining through the curtains making it difficult to see the man’s features. She opened her mouth to say something but was only capable of managing a small squeak. Her mouth felt dried and parched. Her face was numb. Her whole body was numb and cold. “You’ve been asleep for 2 days now. Get up,” the voice continued.
When she finally managed to find her own voice, she whispered tiredly, “Where am I?”
“You’re in a hospital. And I’m sorry to say that you’ve got bone cancer.”