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The Last Song - chapter 4
Chapter 4: The Journalist
Anna was sitting in the doctor's office, trying to process the news that he had just told her. She had laryngeal cancer, stage IV. She had only a few months left to live. She had no hope of recovery, no chance of survival. She had no voice, no music, no dream.
She felt numb and hollow, as if someone had ripped out her heart and soul. She felt like she was in a daze, and that nothing was real. She felt like she was in a nightmare, and that she would never wake up.
She looked at the doctor, who was looking at her with pity and sympathy. He was trying to explain to her the options and treatments that were available, but she couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't speak. She couldn't sing. She couldn't breathe.
She wanted to scream, to cry, to run away. She wanted to deny, to forget, to pretend. She wanted to live, to love, to dream. She wanted to be Anna, the singer, the musician, the star. She didn't want to be Anna, the victim, the dying.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and a voice in her ear.
"Hey, are you okay?"
She turned and saw a man standing next to her. He was tall and handsome, with brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, and he had a camera hanging around his neck. He looked like a journalist, or a photographer, or both. He looked like a stranger, but he also looked like a friend.
He introduced himself as Leo, and said that he was a freelance journalist who was working on a story about the Global Music Tour. He said that he had seen her perform at Madison Square Garden, and that he was impressed by her talent and charisma. He said that he wanted to interview her, and to write a feature article about her. He said that he thought she was amazing, and that he wanted to share her story with the world.
He said all that with sincerity and enthusiasm, and Anna felt a flicker of curiosity and interest in her chest. She wondered why he was interested in her, and what he wanted to write about her. She wondered if he knew about her condition, and if he would still care. She wondered if he could help her, or if he would hurt her.
She shook her head and tried to lie. She said,
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks."
But Leo saw through her lie. He saw the tears in her eyes, the pain in her voice, the fear in her face. He sensed that something was wrong, and that she needed someone to talk to. He cared, and he wanted to help.
He said, "No, you're not okay. I can tell. You don't have to hide it from me. You can trust me. I'm here to listen, to understand, to support. What's going on? What did the doctor say?"
Anna felt a surge of emotion, and a spark of hope. She felt like Leo was different, and that he was genuine. She felt like he was a stranger, but he also felt like a friend.
She decided to open up to him, and to tell him the
truth. She said, "I have cancer. Laryngeal cancer,
stage IV. I have only a few months left to live. I have no hope, no chance, no voice. I'm dying." She said all that with honesty and courage, and Leo felt a shock and a sadness. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She had cancer. She had cancer in her throat, the source of her voice, her gift, her passion. She had cancer that was advanced and aggressive, that had spread to other parts of her body. She had cancer that was
incurable and terminal.
He felt tears sting his eyes and a lump form in his throat. He felt a surge of sympathy and anger, and a pang of admiration and affection. He felt a loss of words and meaning, and a sense of connection and purpose. He felt like he was in a dream, and that he would never forget.
To Be Continued....
© @Neongenesis
Anna was sitting in the doctor's office, trying to process the news that he had just told her. She had laryngeal cancer, stage IV. She had only a few months left to live. She had no hope of recovery, no chance of survival. She had no voice, no music, no dream.
She felt numb and hollow, as if someone had ripped out her heart and soul. She felt like she was in a daze, and that nothing was real. She felt like she was in a nightmare, and that she would never wake up.
She looked at the doctor, who was looking at her with pity and sympathy. He was trying to explain to her the options and treatments that were available, but she couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't speak. She couldn't sing. She couldn't breathe.
She wanted to scream, to cry, to run away. She wanted to deny, to forget, to pretend. She wanted to live, to love, to dream. She wanted to be Anna, the singer, the musician, the star. She didn't want to be Anna, the victim, the dying.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and a voice in her ear.
"Hey, are you okay?"
She turned and saw a man standing next to her. He was tall and handsome, with brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, and he had a camera hanging around his neck. He looked like a journalist, or a photographer, or both. He looked like a stranger, but he also looked like a friend.
He introduced himself as Leo, and said that he was a freelance journalist who was working on a story about the Global Music Tour. He said that he had seen her perform at Madison Square Garden, and that he was impressed by her talent and charisma. He said that he wanted to interview her, and to write a feature article about her. He said that he thought she was amazing, and that he wanted to share her story with the world.
He said all that with sincerity and enthusiasm, and Anna felt a flicker of curiosity and interest in her chest. She wondered why he was interested in her, and what he wanted to write about her. She wondered if he knew about her condition, and if he would still care. She wondered if he could help her, or if he would hurt her.
She shook her head and tried to lie. She said,
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks."
But Leo saw through her lie. He saw the tears in her eyes, the pain in her voice, the fear in her face. He sensed that something was wrong, and that she needed someone to talk to. He cared, and he wanted to help.
He said, "No, you're not okay. I can tell. You don't have to hide it from me. You can trust me. I'm here to listen, to understand, to support. What's going on? What did the doctor say?"
Anna felt a surge of emotion, and a spark of hope. She felt like Leo was different, and that he was genuine. She felt like he was a stranger, but he also felt like a friend.
She decided to open up to him, and to tell him the
truth. She said, "I have cancer. Laryngeal cancer,
stage IV. I have only a few months left to live. I have no hope, no chance, no voice. I'm dying." She said all that with honesty and courage, and Leo felt a shock and a sadness. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She had cancer. She had cancer in her throat, the source of her voice, her gift, her passion. She had cancer that was advanced and aggressive, that had spread to other parts of her body. She had cancer that was
incurable and terminal.
He felt tears sting his eyes and a lump form in his throat. He felt a surge of sympathy and anger, and a pang of admiration and affection. He felt a loss of words and meaning, and a sense of connection and purpose. He felt like he was in a dream, and that he would never forget.
To Be Continued....
© @Neongenesis
