Babel Novel
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
"Miss Sunny, your family didn't come with you?"
Abby Sunny was confused by the question. She came here to pick up her medical report, why would
she need her family here for that?
Besides…she had no family.
Her mother died giving birth to her; her father used her as a cash cow; and her brother hated her for
getting their mother killed.
And her husband…he wasn't even rightfully hers.
She had forced him into the relationship.
She had long forgotten what "family" meant…if the doctor didn't bring the word up.
Snapping herself out of the memories, Abby shook her head: "It's just me."
The doctor frowned at the answer. He sighed with pity before adjusting his eyeglasses, and handing
Abby her medical report.
"Ms Sunny, I regret to inform you, the situation at hand is a grave one. I want you to be prepared before
you read that report."
The doctor spoke with a soft voice, as if afraid that she couldn't handle it.
Abby gasped in alarm. She flipped through the medical report, her eyes taking in all the indexes and
pictures…and there it was, at the bottom of the last page…
ADVANCED GASTRIC CANCER.
It didn't take an expert to figure out how bad it was. Everyone knew. Cancer was just a crony of death.
She knew there was something wrong, but she didn't expect it would be so terribly wrong.
The doctor began to explain the indexes, but Abby already zoned out. She only heard his last
sentence, that she needed chemotherapy immediately.
How much longer could you live with advanced cancer?
Abby knew it better than anyone else. Her grandfather died after struggling with it for two years.
The doctor proposed: "Ms Sunny, I suggest you check in today…"
"Will everything be okay if I let you treat me?" Abby muttered under her breath, as if talking to herself.
The doctor was caught off guard, he took a moment before shaking his head.
No need to undergo the treatment then.
Abby moistened her lips, and carelessly stuffed the report into her bag. Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
She said thank you to the doctor before leaving the doctor's office.
It was still raining outside.
The wind whipped against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.
She took out an umbrella from her handbag, but it was no use against the cold.
The temperature in March wasn't exactly low; it was from the inside that she felt chill to the bone. Even
her blood felt cold.
She put her free hand inside her coat, but it just wouldn't warm up. So stubborn.
Abby wandered along the street, not knowing where she sould go.
Unconsciously, she fidgeted with the wedding ring on her finger, and looked up at the sky, heavy with
dark clouds.
It was already spring, the season where everything was blessed with a new life.
But ironically, she was sentenced to death in this supposed season of life.
How did all of this happen?
Abby waved at a cab.
The cab pulled over, and she took her time to put the umbrella away before hopping in.
The driver asked: "Where to?"
"C street." Abby replied without looking up.
It was a dull trip.
Abby couldn't help taking out the medical report and having another look at it.
There was an image of her stomach on it.
It looked so abnormal, almost hideous, that she couldn't believe it was hers.
Deep down, she knew how she caught the cancer.
It was from years of constant starvation.
Not that anyone starved her.
No. Their abuse was so much worse.
But the cancer…she had done that to herself.
Because she wanted Jason Lewis to love her, even if it was just for one day!
During their four years of marriage, she had done everything. She cooked his favorite dishes, hoping
he would soften just a little bit towards her.
But it all turned out in vain.
She waited and waited for him, but he never showed up.
Jason just didn't want to have dinner with her.
And now, before she could see that day, she had cancer.
Abby sniffed a little. She had been around for a long time, hadn't she? She was strong, she was
prepared, she always knew what she was doing…or was she?
No, she wasn't.
For the first time in her life, she felt lost.
So LOST.
Tears streamed down out of control, and the crippling pain in her stomach was just beyond what she
could bear.
She curled up into a ball, and a yelp of pain escaped through her clenched teeth.
The driver thought he heard something. He looked up in the rearview mirror, and saw Abby's thin form
shaking all over. It was the first time he saw a woman crying so helplessly.
"Is everything okay, miss? Broke up with your boyfriend? Or is it something at work?"
The questions didn't elicit any reply from Abby.
The driver continued: "Cheer up, miss. Life doesn't always go your way, but things have a way of
working themselves out. Give it time, and it gets better. Go home, and have some sleep. Tomorrow will
be a new day."
Abby looked up and gave him a sad smile: "Thank you." She never expected it'd be a stranger who
comforted her in a time like this.
The driver returned the smile.
Half an hour later, the car pulled over on C street.
It was $28. Abby handed driver the money before getting out of the car. She tore up the medical report
and threw it into the trash can.
A gust of cold wind came. Abby wiped away the tears on her face, and became the strong woman she
had always been. But her eyes were a little red, and her face drained of blood.