Victor had been trying to reach Kate on her phone for a whole hour with no remote success. He had clearly informed her yesterday and every day prior then that tonight they were to collect her test reports of scarily various tests of blood; an MRI; some X-rays... and then they were going to meet her doctor immediately as commended. The most stressful thing was the doctor refusing to disclose what they were suspecting until they were sure about it, which made it seem like something perilous.

Victor grunted shoving the phone roughly inside his blazer's pocket and grabbing the car keys. His mind was suddenly filled with possibilities of her being unwell or in any kind of danger. She was picking up his calls, and even Ellie informed him a while ago about Kate's impromptu exit leaving her in the bathroom of Alex's office.

Victor was worried sick thinking maybe she was feeling unwell.

He had seen her in the worst scenarios and in health. And he didn't want to revisit such times again.

But fate hardly ever listens to anyone.

Worried out of his mind, Victor almost flew out of his apartment. His car pulled out, screeching into the night street. His place was not far from where Kate lived, but in situations like these, even the smallest of distances felt longer than ever.

He arrived in front of her apartment, and his eyes fell on a hunched-over figure on the sidewalk. He did a double take, his eyes widened, and his foot slammed onto the break at once. The next thing he knew, he was hurrying out of the car to get to the human form that looked almost one with the shadows of night.

"Kate! Damn it to hell," Victor croaked, kneeling down in front of her. "What happened to you? Are you hurt? God!"

His shaky hands went to move off the hair that covered almost her entire face. Gripping her cheeks gently, he lifted her bent-down face. And by the sight that greeted him - he gasped in shock.

"Holy hell! Your nose's bleeding, Kate?"

He fished out his hankie and patted the trail of blood that had trickled down her nose. Her breath was coming out in short, weak pants, and Victor noticed her eyes looked dazed and glossy, her entire form trembling. Even though she looked up at him upon his persistent coaxing, it was like she was actually looking beyond him.

Fear gripped Victor's heart.

In an instant, he scooped her up in his arms and got inside the car, strapping her to the passenger seat. He made a phone call to Ellie and then drove towards the hospital. He had an awful feeling about this, a really awful feeling. He recalled those tests she had gone through without informing him. He remembered the time when he found her in the street, drenching in rain, looking so ill. But then she wasn't bleeding through the nose this way. His logical side screamed that they were to deal with a catastrophe, while the emotional side hoped and prayed for nothing as such to take place.

--

A glare of light broke through and transformed into tiny and painful laser dots behind her closed eyelids. A dull pain buzzed inside her skull, and Kate groaned as the pain got more robust with the passing seconds. It was worse than any hangover she had experienced in the past.

Slowly she fluttered her eyes and opened them only to groan some more at the blinding pain.

Next came the feeling of pinpricking on her left arm. Something was being injected into her system. Her eyes snapped towards the left.

A female nurse, the same age as she, smiled kindly. "'Morning!" the nurse chirped.

Kate fought against the pain and lifted the corners of her lips similarly. "What... time it is?... What happened to me?"

"It's seven in the morning," The nurse replied, turning to face the bedside table and began checking some pills there. "You were out cold for a whole night after we put you to sleep. You were brought with complaints of bleeding through the nose and not responding to anyone or anything. I can tell you only this much, the doctor will come in an hour, and he can only give you the details."

Kate nodded absentmindedly. So she was bleeding through the nose again! It was strange that she could not even remember the crimson episode this time.

After checking her temperature and blood pressure as the nurse left, Kate's eyes fell on Victor, and Ellie huddled up and asleep, looking quite uncomfortable on the sofa. Even in sleep, their brows were furrowed, faces scrunched up in deep worry.

She was in a hospital!

Kate sighed. A feeling of being a stressful, pathetic burden to this awesome duo engulfed her. She was tired of suffering and making these two suffer because of her anymore. But it has seemed to become just her destiny.

Deciding to let them sleep, clearly imagining how they were both probably awake by her bedside the whole night, Kate turned her face weakly and stared at the spotless white ceiling above. The nurse had perhaps injected some kind of drug earlier, for the pain in her head was toning down impressively.

"You're awake."

She heard Victor's sleepy voice and then Ellie's terrified gasp as she comically snapped out of slumber from Victor's careless, accidental shove as he sprung out of the sofa.

Kate sighed—time to face the music.

However, the musical scolding and freak-out session of Victor and Ellie were to be halted as it had just begun. The doctor strolled into the room with the nurse from earlier and a junior doctor following in tow.

The doctor greeted her with a sunny smile and nice words, asked her how she was feeling, and then turned grave. Victor and Ellie—both copied the expression, everyone knowing it was time for revelation.

"You have got a malignant tumor in your brain, Kate," The doctor spoke up finally. "It's a high-grade Astrocytomas."

In the pin drop, silence gasps could only be heard.

The thing that worried Kate, however, was that the news of this impending doom did not bother her when it should. Heedless, she just moved her face and gazed out the open window. Losing herself in the smell of pines and the gush of cold wind that caressed her face.

~

Thanks a lot for your lovely response to the story. Despite my mistakes, all of you who've been supporting me and the story, hugs and loves and kisses to all you wonderful people. Thanks for your votes and comments. We've made it to #24 on the General Fiction hotlist. Love you all!!

Keep it up, everyone! Vote, Comment, Fan/Follow and Share the story!

Take care till later.
- Lara.

P.S. A malignant tumor has cancerous cells and is difficult to deal with. Astrocytomas brain tumors are one of the most common types of brain tumors among adults. 

P.S.2 In the first draft of Rain Again, I didn't let the female lead die, but here in the second draft, I'm tempted to do just that. Maybe..., I'll not give her a very long lifeline. Because a part of me feels like losing her like that after knowing the truth will be the best punishment and bring the most proper redemption for Alex. 

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