Episode 45: Scene Seven

Kate gently rocked Sharon back and forth, quietly shushing her sniffles. The two had taken to the couch where Sharon had practically collapsed on Kate. "It'll be okay, hon. I know it well."

"How can you say that, Kate?" Sharon sobbed. "People die of this, you know!"

"Look, I did a little researching of my own," Kate let Sharon sit up. "It's seems that the cancer has a pretty high cure rate."

"How much is 'pretty high'?" Sharon couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice, though she tried. Wiping her eyes, she waited for an answer.

Kate looked at the ceiling in thought. "Um...it was somewhere around eighty-five to ninety percent. At least that's what I think it said. It doesn't matter anyways. Will is going to be fine, and you're going to laugh at yourself for overreacting when he does get better."

"He may get better, Kate, but he's still going to wonder why I wasn't there," Sharon rose from the couch and grabbed her backpack from a nearby chair. Taking a tissue to her eye, she said, "I'm gonna head down to the gym now. There's no use harping on it any longer. I really appreciate your help, but this is a decision I have to make on my own. I'll see you in a little while."

Kate watched helplessly as a tormented Sharon exited the room. Folding her legs on the couch indian-style, she thought hard about what she should do. Kate was so deep in thought that she barely noticed the ringing of the phone. She jumped up to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kate, it's Zach. I just wanted to call to tell you I love you," Zach's voice came across the line, choked and hoarse.

Kate's eyes filled with worry. "Zach, are you okay?"

"I just want you to know I love you, Kate. I always will."

"Zach you're scaring me."

"Always, Kate. Always."

"Zach..."

"I love you."

"Stop it!"

Click.

The dial tone was the only response Kate received. The receiver slipped from her hand and crashed on the floor. Something in Zach's tone told Kate something was terribly wrong. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that she had to find out soon or she'd regret it. Grabbing her gym bag and her backpack, she rushed out of the room and down the stairs, chasing the words that Zach had said to her.

I love you.