Where Blood Meant Nothing

Will hauled me off to the hospital; my head was in a fog.

It was not until I saw the needle for drawing blood that I snapped back to reality.

"I can't do it. I have cancer. I'm not allowed to donate blood..."

I tried to bolt, but Will yanked me back without mercy.

"Cancer? You're bouncing around like nothing's wrong. How can you have cancer?

"Cut the chatter and donate already. If Jasmine gets worse, I'll never let you off the hook."

The doctor looked unsure for a moment.

A nurse hurried over and said, "The patient's in critical condition. Do we have any blood left?"

Without further hesitation, the doctor started the disinfection process on my arm.

Will's grip was unyielding, and I could only watch helplessly as my strength slipped away.

"How much blood does the patient still need?"

The doctor, noticing my ghostly complexion, turned to the nurse.

She whispered, "We're 600cc short. I'll try to find more..."

Before she could finish, Will cut her off, saying, "She's tough; she can handle it. Whatever's missing, take it. We have a life to save."

The nurse looked shocked. "Taking more than 400cc can be harmful..."

"I'm her brother. I'm in charge here."

Too weak to protest, I could only let the doctor draw blood until I passed out.

In the haze, I heard familiar voices, crying tears of relief.

"Jasmine's awake, thank goodness."

"God bless! My child is safe."

"And it's all Helen's fault. Why does she have to be such a problem? We should've never brought her back."

As my parents' voices faded, I slipped into unconsciousness again.

When I came to, daylight had broken.

The doctor was there, his expression grave.

"You know you're a cancer patient, right?"

I knew, but nobody believed me. Not even my brother, who accused me of faking it for attention.

The doctor's words hit hard: I had maybe only a month left.

I wanted to laugh. Must I be gone for good before they would see me as the perfect daughter, the golden child they always wanted?