10 Nine*

When we were standing in front of the hospital, I received a call from my uncle. "It's been an hour, Lucas. Where are you and Dawn?" He sounded a bit worried, and Dawn looked up to meet my eyes, wanting to ask me who was calling.

"We're right in front of the hospital's main gates, no need to freak out. She's standing with me, breathing fine. Did her parents come to sign the papers for everything?" I assured him and told him about Dawn's state, trying to keep him from freaking out more.

"They came and signed the papers for the hospice in advance. They told me they didn't want to come and see her again. Oh, and they heard about Dawn's wish to get cremated and thought she's crazy. I guess they already thought that after she did the you-know-what." My uncle kept his voice low, trying to prevent her from hearing and getting hurt.

"Yeah, I'll bring her back now. Shall we head to your office?" I asked, letting her know secondhandedly that it was my uncle I was talking to.

"No, when she enters the lobby, her PN will lead her to her room. We'll begin the tests tomorrow so that she'll have a bit of time to rest. You can stay with her — I've already told the PN you'll be her caretaker at the hospice. — and there's a separate bed in the room for you to sleep on." I kept hearing his voice until we entered the room.

"Ms Dawn Wood, right? I'm your PN, Christine Jones. You're Mr Lucas Johnson, correct?"

We gave the lady a quick nod, and she replied, "I'll lead you to your room. It's a single room, but I suppose it'll be big enough for the two of you."

By this point, I have finished the call with my uncle. He told me that Dawn will be at the Downy Cancer Hospice, one that was known for being the best hospice a cancer patient could wish for. I wasn't thinking of telling her about that, as I knew for certain that she would worry about the price.

I opened my mouth reluctantly, as my uncle had requested me to do it today instead of tomorrow. "The hospice we're going to is the Downy Cancer Hospice. Have you heard of this place, perhaps?"

"That's the best hospice for cancer patients! Gosh, I thought he would have gotten me into James since they're a bit cheaper... Who's paying for it? I doubt my parents are doing it." Dawn's reaction had been something I had expected since I was aware of the fact that she had been doing a bit of research on her own in the cab.

"I believe it'll be me. After I graduate from university and finish my studies on lung cancer, I'll be going there to work as a doctor. I've always been intending to go there, so I think this is a good way to fulfil my dream. Although I know it's more effective to get a job at a hospital like this, I don't think it would fit my taste." I said. "My work there for about three years max will be the price for the money. I told them that I could pay it differently, but they told me they wanted me to do it this way instead."

"Then... The three-month work will be the debt for my stay at the hospice? You know you don't have to do it like this. You could use the money I have to pay for the money." Dawn said, her voice rising in pitch as if worried that I've forced myself to work at the hospice.

"Dawn, it's alright. I wanted to work there anyway, and they guaranteed that I would get a spot as soon as I told them I'm ready for it. You're not forcing me to do this, and this has been my dream ever since I settled on majoring in lung cancer." I said, trying to stop her from panicking.

I held her face in my hands, looking into her eyes, trying to remove all of the worries and pain — present and future — in them. Her breathing gradually returned to the normal speed from a rapid one and she calmed down a bit more. I slowly removed her face from my hold and held only her right hand, carefully leading her to the hospital bed. Christine had already placed her hospital gown on the bed.

I sat her down on the mattress and asked her, "Do you need help with changing, or can you do it by yourself?"

"I can do it on my own." was her reply, so I closed the curtain around the bed. I told her, "You can change there, and I'll change into my clothes out here. Just tell me when you're done."

I heard a few shuffling sounds, so I assumed Dawn had started to change. I quickly removed my pants and shirt, placing them on the recliner position against the wall facing her bed, and placed on my more simple clothes; a pair of black slacks, a white t-shirt, and an ivory jacket Dawn had gotten me for my birthday two years prior.

I was folding my clothes when I heard Dawn's voice saying, "I finished changing, Luke..... But, uh, I'm having a bit of trouble with the button on top."

I opened the curtain and saw her fiddling with the topmost button on her gown, trying to get them closed. "You can leave them open if you'd like. Or I could close them for you." I offered her a bit of help I knew she would say no to: she doesn't really like being taken care of.

My assumptions had been correct, as she just shook her head and said, "I'll leave them open. I don't like having the topmost ones closed, anyway."

I heard a knock on the door and there was my uncle and Dawn's PN behind it.