Prolouge
Arts provided by Fandy Gunawan.
the holy forest hospital is well famed among people for being the most prestigious hospital in the world,but it’s well known for its decent treatment to cancer patients.
the doors of the holy forest are now wide open. walking through its long corridor, a mother,a father,and their precious daughter. From here on,that daughter life will never be the same.
As her parents hold her both hands tightly,the little girl Rose steps into the hospital, picturing a beautiful scenery about this place. unbeknownst to Rose, this scenery will soon be torn down.
her mother takes her to the waiting seat while her father goes to talk to the receptionist.″Hi, we have an appointment regarding my daughter treatment.″
the receptionist who a has bored look on her face,responds,″Hi,can i have your name, Mister?″
″Call me Mr. Cal.″
″OK, Mr. Carl, i checked your appointment. i guess you already knew that your daughter will be a resident in our hospital for a while.″
the sadness and despair hit Carl as a truck upon hearing those words, but he knows that there is no other ways around this harsh fate, which has befallen her Rosey. with sad look, he says,″ Yeah, i knew that. Would you tell me the procedures.″
″Well,i believe the treatment has been set to begin soon.The doctors and nurses are waiting for her. let me tell you where to go. Mr. Carl.″
After obtaining the information he needs, he approaches his daughter and the mother while they chat.
″So my little sun you remember what we said,″ Mom asks.
Rosey swinging her legs. ″Yes,mommy. ″ This place is like school where i will stay here among other kids for a while and get my treatment.″
Hearing these words, the mother chuckles , but knowing the painful trail awaits for her daughter, she was quick to return to her melancholic state,yet she tries to maintain her smile in front of her daughter.She shuts her emotion and puts the fake smile for her daughter’s sake. ″You know, your responses always amaze me. you are as just a genius as your mother.″
Rosey asks,“And what about my father?″
″Well,he comes the third after me and you.″
The giggling sounds fill the gloomy atmosphere with delight,while the father walks toward them and doesn’t want to intercept their joyful moment. He knows one thing which their need to hurry so they don’t exhaust the doctor and the nurses who are already waiting for them. Carl interrupts,″ I saw you both laughing with your sight fixated on me. I hope this is not one of your belittling jokes about this diligent father, Alicia.″
through her giggling,Alicia answers,″Well, i don’t think you would me mind if i sacrifice you for our daughter smile.″
″What a sinister way to say it.″
The hospital comprises of three floors. The first floor is divided into three sections. On the left side, there is the emergency department, while on the right side, you will find the cardiology department. the receptionist directs Carl to go straight to the back of the hospital, where the cancer patients receive their treatment. Conveniently, each section has its own dedicated door to facilitate the visitation of patients’ relatives.
As they arrived to their destination.″You sure take your time,″ A nurse says in a loud voice,who works in the cancer department. ″Get into room F1 quickly″- she uses her hands to direct them- ″sorry if I am being rude,but you are pretty late.″
Startled yet understanding ,Carl answered her call.″Sorry for the nuisance. it won’t happen again.″
After they entered the room,the nurse spots the chance and raises her phone.″Hello Jane, are you in this time?″
″so you’re at it again, huh?.″who are the victims of your bad habit Alisa?″
With an devilish smile,Alisa says,″two lovely dovey parents.″ ″They hold their daughter hands like she is going to fly away anytime″.
″quit mocking people you are heartless witch.″Jane is used to Alisa harsh comments, especially when there is competition in action.″you wanna me ask the cardio nurses to join again?″
″yeepy,it will make this contest more exciting.″
″OK,oh, and this time,i won’t forgive like the last time.″If you get crushed,i will claim my reward.″last time,I gave up the bet for the sake of our friendship since school days, bu you don’t learn girl;therefore;i will be merciless this time.″
swallowing her saliva in reaction to Jean’s harsh words. she produces nervous laughter and responds.″hahaha...OK, i guess.″During their heated conversation,Alisa spotted one of famed nurses in their department.In a low voice,she mutters,″Jeaaane,i just see creepy smile.′
″So?″ jean said in wonder.
Alisa raises her hand and waves in an attempt to draw the the so-called creepy smile attention , and she succeeds.
″Hi Alisa,do you wanna something from me?″
″Actually,i was thinking if you wanna join our bet contest″
″Oh,i’m sorry, i am going to pass.″
Jean heard what was unfolded through the phone and erupted into laughter.″To think you chose to invite the creepy smile in our bet among all of the people.″i did’t think you’ll get any stupider.″
″Shut up! at least i tried to bring more people to increase the prize.″
″Yeh Yeh,anyway she seemed in a hurry.″
″yeh now you mentioned it.″ ″i think she is going to welcome our new patient.″
Inside the room F1,the sound of the door closing after the creepy smile entrance.″Hi,Doctor Joseph.″ ″I see you welcome our guests.″
″Hi,yeah i just finished telling them the process in which their daughter is going to take in.″ Dr.Joseph turns his swivel chair to face the parents and extends his arm in introducing the creepy smile nurse.″This is Clare.″ ″she is going to take care of Rose.″
Both parents stand up out of respect and greet Clare. ″You don’t know how much we appreciate your assistance, Ms. Clare.″ Alicia,said.
″Please, sit.″ ″It’s my duty.″
The doctor stands up from his seat and says,“why don’t we give our earnest nurse and Rose some time to be acquainted while we discuss other topics outside the room.”
The parents understand the gesture of the doctor and go along with him.Claire took the chance and introduces herself to Rose with her signature smile. “Hi there little girl”.
“Hi” with shyness, Rose responds.
Claire gets close to her and pats her head in an attempt to familiarize Rose with her new hospital life. “I guess we gotta a new cutie guest in our lovely hospital.”
Rose averts her eyes out of shyness since Rose doesn’t get enough courage with adults, especially if her parents are away.
Claire bends her knees and gets closer to the ground. “I know that it’s difficult for you to talk with a stranger like me.” “So, what about considering me as your big sister.”
Rose finally musters some courage and looks to Claire’s face and bursts into a short laughter. “But you way older to call you my sister.”
The smiley eyes of Claire turn into frowning.
“I would prefer to call you my auntie because you have the same beautiful smile she got.” Rose continues
Claire retrieved her smiley eyes upon hearing that.“You are really lovely girl″. ″this is the first time that a kid commends my smile.″ ″They think it’s kinda creepy.″
″Why?″ Rose wonders.″My family always encourage smiling.″ ″actually, mama said that smiling is a cure for everything bad and if you help people smile,their day will be filled with happiness and their sadness will fade away.″
Claire gets a strong urge to cuddle Rose after hearing that, but she restrains herself for thinking that may be weird ,for they just have met.Instead,she pets Rose’s head.″Your parents raised a little angel.″
Rose blushes and looks down in embarrassment as she usually does when someone praises her.
″By the way, my name is Claire.″ ″don’t hesitate calling me if you wanna any help, Rose.″
Rose with a faint smile nods.
″One last thing Rose,whenever you have a pain,remember that pain comes to make you sad ,so if you keep your smile against it,the pain will give up and go.″
″Ok auntie, actually momy did the same thing.″
″You have a good mama.” “Now have some rest because your treatment is going to begin soon.″
Meanwhile,outside the room ,Carl’s worry is visible while he asks the doctor about rose status, saying with a trembling voice,″so DOC how is our daughter’s health″. squeezing his wife hand while holding it.″Is she gonna survive?.″
The doctor notices the worrisome look on the couples’ faces.″I want to be honest with you.″The tests showed us that her cancer is in an advanced stage, meaning that it has already seeped into her blood″.″The only way to counter this is chemotherapy.″
Alicia eyes filled with tears″Is she gonna survive.″ The sad expression has begun spreading all over her face.″You know she has small body.″
The doctor gives a stern look.″I know how difficult the situation is, but listen to me and listen carefully.
Whatever happens to her,as long as you are there by here side and keep giving her hope,she will stand strong against this awful disease, which has befall her. This is the most crucial time of her life. If you are going to be depressed around her, then it’s better that you don’t come at all.″
Shocked by what she hears. Alicia gets urged to slap the doctor if not for her husband interference,holding her hand. Carl says in anger,″i know you are being sturdy,for this difficult time doesn’t require our complacency nor our sadness to keep us from supporting our daughter.″ ″Doc,you underestimated us.″ ″you don’t know how much worse we have been through in our life,yet we kept going.″ ″I’m sure our daughter inherited our resolve if words prove nothing to you,then our actions will.″
Alicia wants supporting her husband.″He is right.″ ″It goes without saying that we will stand by her side,we will deliver her hope,we will″-cleaning the tears off her face-″show how strong we are in the face of this goddamn disease.″
Carl holds her wife’s head close to his chest.″You heard that doc!″ ″We are going to beat this goddamn disease together.″
The doctor smiles and bows his head in an apologetic way. ″I am sorry for my rudeness.″ ″This was just test to see you determination″.
Carl wondered,″what do you mean doc?″
″Well,in other words, your daughter is lucky for having you as her parents.″
The couples were in awe by doctor words after what it seemed his doubts on their seriousness in supporting their daughter.
″With your support helping us,I am sure that things are looking optimistic.″ ″Now the treatment is going to start in an hour,so get some rest before we begin.″
while the parents go to get some rest,Claire passes by the doctor and whispers,“was that necessary?”
“i’m fed up by what to happen to those kids by their parents and i seem vented my anger on the wrong parents.” “I would have preferred her slap over the way they ended up embarrassing me.”
Claire smiles and looks at the parents. “Maybe,this time we got ourselves angelic parents.”
The time passed and 10 minutes left before the beginning of the treatment. Alisa looked down on of the hospital bed and directed her eyes at Claire.″Claire,why in the hell this lady is lying on our bed.
Claire shows her faint smile and answers,″her husband asked us because she has been watching over her daughter since yesterday, and that’s why she fell on her husband shoulder and started snoring.″
″Wow won’t she be with her daughter during the treatment?″
″Her husband implored us to not wake her up″. ″To be honest, she looked miserable.″
″Huh,lets see how long they can bear this charade.″
Claire’s eyes narrowed, and the smile dissipated. She ignored what Alica said and continued finalizing the preparation.
Before the commencement of the treatment,and after shaving Rose’s hair,she looks at the mirror,which she is holding on her bed, laughing at her face shape. ″I’ve never known being without hair is funny″.
Carl wants to encourage her daughter by saying,″and you look even more cuter.″
With a worrisome but delightful look,Rose says,″Dad,i’m glad you let mama rest″. ″I could sense her looking at me the whole night yesterday,so i am glad she is getting some rest.″
Carl reaches his hand and pats Rose’s head.″You got a big heart to worry over other people in this time.″ ″Just like your mother heart″.″Look the doctor here.″
The doctor shows, and in an attempt to relax them both,he exchanges some joke until Alicia appears. She drags the pole where the chemotherapy hangs atop it.
″Ready Rose,″ says Alicia with an expressionless face.
″Yeah,″ Rose replies.
″Extend your arm, please.″
While she lies on the cold hospital bed,Rose extends her arm to receive her first injection of chemotherapy. She looks at her father and smiles. a smile that she hopes will relieve her father’s worrisome face. As the chemotherapy spreads slowly throughout her body, her smile gradually fades.Her father grasps her little hands and whisper,″I’m with you Rose.″ ″don’t worry this pain is temporary so you need to think of something else.″ ″Think of our your grandmother sweets that you love,think of funny moments like when you mother fell off the boat and thought she was drowning, only to discover that the water was actually shallow.″
The burning sensation,which grows inside her body, make her Father’s words fell on deaf ears. The father felt helpless as he sees her daughter writhing in pain. The only thing he can do is to make her daughter feel his presence by holding her hand, hoping that it may give her some comfort.
