Sarah White, 20 years old, a promising biology major, was dying. "I am sorry to break the news to you, but I think you need to know this. Sarah," Dr. Park finally declared, "you have less than a week to live." Sarah's frail heart sank to her diaphragm upon hearing Dr. Park's execution order. Sarah was expecting to hear it since a month ago. She had thought she was prepared for it, but she was wrong. "Doc... can you say that again?" Sarah's voice weakly trembled through the plastic barrier of her life-sustaining oxygen mask. Her tumour had spread to her brain stem and affected her respiration control. She would have died long time ago without assistance from a ventilator. Dr. Park leaned closer as a courtesy for Sarah, whose vision became a blur from rushing tears. "Sarah, I …show more content…
Park left after consoling Sarah on what she could do to prepare for her death. Her mother and father stayed beside the white linen deathbed. The words they wished to share with their daughter stuck below their larynx. Sarah didn't have any strength to speak at all. She decided to save her energy for later, when she had grasped what she wanted to say. Her mind, however, was on a hazy fire as the fact of her imminent death and her desire for life conflicted. I’m going to die in a week. …But I’ve accomplished nothing in my life. My body is dying. I can feel it. …Twenty is too young to die. Dr. Park said I could leave a will… Sarah gritted. Her jaws closed slowly until her molars grazed each other’s edges, but even that was too difficult for her. She relaxed her jaws right away. I don’t want to die! The air in the mask became humid and salty, but on her tongue, the air felt dry and tasteless. “M, mom... Dad…” Unable to overcome the growing sorrow, Sarah called to her parents, who firmed their grip on Sarah’s hands. “I don’t w…ant to die,” she said. Her parents remained wordless. She heard their silent cries become audible to her weakening audition. “Sarah…”