Doctors handed over to the husband his wife, who was dying of cancer! And he didn’t think long – he took her to the woods and just left her there…

Michael and Emily got married during their junior year of college, living in the dorm. For a long time, and as it seemed to them, happily.

Together they received their diplomas and together they moved for their first jobs. All doors were open ahead of them.

Life was just beginning, and it was supposed to be cloudless and happy. Trouble came from where they least expected it.

They had already been married for three years, but there were still no children. And it’s not like they were using any protection.

Doctors handed over to the husband his wife, who was dying of cancer! And he didn’t think long – he took her to the woods and just left her there…

Why did he need her like that – no use in the kitchen or in bed anymore! On the contrary, back in the dorm, Emily thought she was pregnant.

But it turned out to be a false alarm. She and Michael were even glad about it then.

Well, where would they put a child in a dorm? And the young couple had no money to rent an apartment.

They were glad, and it was like they jinxed it. When they settled in their new place, Emily went to see a doctor for a check-up.

She came back all in tears, suspicion of cancer. That’s how happiness ends and a heavy streak of fear, waiting, hope, and the destruction of castles in the air begins.

Soon the test results came. The worst fears were confirmed.

Emily literally felt the ground slipping from under her feet. Michael caught his wife and brought her back to her senses.

Maybe it’s a mistake, Emmy? Let’s go to another doctor?..

What do they know in a local clinic? Michael comforted his wife.

Emily pulled herself together, and it began. A trip to the state capital, then to New York City, then to one specialist, to another, to a third.

An endless series of arrangements, bribes, and appointments, until they were told. Why are you torturing yourselves?

You’ve already had the diagnosis confirmed five times. Emily has sarcoma.

You’re just wasting time. Do you think the next doctor will say all the others were wrong?

And among them, by the way, are professors and PhDs. You shouldn’t have been running to doctors, but getting treatment.

You’re just wasting time. You could have been in treatment for a year already.

Sarcoma, by the way, is the fastest-progressing form of cancer. And you’re wasting time.

It was like they doused Emily with cold water. And then the chemotherapies began, radiation therapies, and again tests, tests, and tests.

She didn’t leave the clinics. She started looking 10 years older.

Her skin became an earthy color, blue circles under her eyes, and all her hair fell out from the numerous chemotherapies and drugs. What children now.

Michael stoically endured all the changes happening to his wife. But Emily saw how he turned away from her, barely hiding his disgust, trying not to look.

He had long since moved to sleep in the living room on the couch. He motivated it by saying that Emmy needed rest.

What rest? She wanted to love her fill before death.

She was still alive. Emily saw how Michael sometimes disappeared until late.

And when he returned, he didn’t come to her, said it was work, so as not to wake her. Emily heard him cooing with someone on the phone.

Somewhere deep in her soul, she was glad that Michael had someone. It meant that after she was gone, he wouldn’t be alone, he wouldn’t suffer…

But she was glad only deep in her soul. In fact, jealousy, pain, and injustice tore her apart.

But why did all this happen to her? For what?

Why couldn’t she enjoy life and be happy? Why was it someone else, not her, giving joy to her husband?

After all, she was still here, she was still alive. Such experiences didn’t make her feel better.

The disease didn’t go away, but captured more and more new frontiers in her body. Again the hospital, she could no longer get out of bed on her own.

The doctors threw up their hands. Too late, way too late.

And they lowered their eyes and didn’t say how much time she had left. The nurses whispered, looking at her.

Well, in the end, what do you think, does that make me feel better? I want to know how much time I have left?

Emily couldn’t take it and yelled at the whole department. None, will that do?

The chief doctor said dryly. What do you mean, Emily didn’t understand.

We can’t help you anymore and we’re discharging you home. The doctor said calmly.

What do you mean home? To die or what?

Emily asked in a quiet, weak voice. She just felt her strength leaving her.

Think what you want, almost all your organs have failed. I don’t understand why you’re still with us?

The doctor cut off. Michael carried her out of the clinic in his arms…

Emily had lost so much weight she weighed almost like a child. He put her in the back seat of the car.

Interesting, Emily thought, where did he get a car? And a license.

Michael didn’t know how to drive before. And they didn’t have a car.

The key word is they. They didn’t have one, but he did.

He had long been living his own life. About which Emily knew nothing.

They were driving along some unfamiliar road. She didn’t care anymore where, how, or why.

She silently looked at her husband. Most likely for the last time.

He said nothing. It was only visible how his jaw muscles were twitching.

«Where are you taking me?» – Emily asked quietly. Finally gathering courage.

– I don’t know, Michael hissed through his teeth. – Take me home, – Emily begged.

– I can’t, don’t you understand? Your place has long been taken!

Michael yelled. He turned onto a dirt road.

He stopped deep in the woods. He sat behind the wheel for a minute.

Then he jumped out hastily. He literally pulled Emily out of the car.

He threw her on the grass in the middle of the woods. He tossed her hospital bag and drove away…

Emily was in shock. She thought he was taking her to a countryside hospice or something.

Such a place where terminally ill people wait for their time. If relatives don’t want or can’t care for them.

But he just dumped her in the woods. Like throwing away an unnecessary thing in the trash.

Like an old useless dog. No, not even a dog, decent owners don’t throw them away.

Apparently, Michael wasn’t decent. Interesting, when did he stop being one?

When Emily got sick? Or when his mistress gave him the car?

Emily’s head was spinning. She just passed out.

Her weakened body couldn’t handle such emotional overloads. «Gray, what did you drag in there?»

«Picked up some dead thing again,» a male voice sounded from afar. Emily felt herself being dragged along the ground.

She didn’t even want to open her eyes. Well, they’re dragging, so be it.

She hadn’t felt pain for a long time. There were so many medicines and drugs in her.

It seemed they had long replaced the blood in her veins. It was only interesting, who is Gray?

«Oh, lord, what a thing!» – the same male voice shouted. Only closer now.

Emily felt herself being lifted into arms. In general, in recent months she had lost so much weight.

That everyone who felt like it carried her around like a doll in their arms. «I’m not the lord, I’m Emily.»

«But I’m pleased that you confused us.» – Emily uttered…

«Soon I’ll see him and pass on your regards,» she added. And she herself was surprised that she could say such a long speech.

She’s even joking, – the same voice replied. Emily opened her eyes.

She saw a bearded man. Who was looking at her with surprise.

He had beautiful eyes, sky-blue color. With dark blue specks.

They seemed so soft and gentle. In principle, Emily liked bearded men.

But Michael never agreed to grow a beard. Even on vacation.

For fun. She reached out her hand.

Tried to stroke the man’s face. But she had no strength left, and her hand hung limp.

The stranger carried her to his house. Laid her on a large oak bed.

The house smelled pleasantly of various herbs. Wood and fresh milk.

Emily almost didn’t care where, what, or how. She was dying anyway.

And she didn’t care about propriety. The man took care of her.

And she kept waiting for when the doctors’ sentence would be carried out. He gave her herbs to drink.

Sometimes cloyingly sweet. And sometimes bitter to the point of horror.

That she couldn’t swallow right away. The man patiently poured the potions into her…

With a small silver spoon. In the mornings, he gave her milk.

Adding something aromatic to it. The man’s name was Samuel.

He was a local ranger. And Gray was a three-legged wolf.

Whom he had picked up as a cub in the woods. With a trap on his hind leg.

Since then, Gray had only one hind leg. He couldn’t live in the woods on his own anymore.

And Samuel kept him. Raised him like a dog.

Trained him so the leg wouldn’t tire from loads. Gray had one bad habit.

To realize his hunting instinct. He constantly dragged all sorts of carrion from the woods.

Either a dead fox. Or a deer.

If not for the leg, Gray wouldn’t just be a huge wolf. He would be almost a giant.

At the withers, ninety centimeters for sure. And so, when he dragged the found Emily from the woods.

To the cabin, Samuel thought. That Gray was dragging another dead thing.

But Emily wasn’t offended. She really was like a dead thing.

However, maybe the fresh air. Or maybe Samuel’s herbs started to put her in order.

Now she could sit up. And now stand up…

Appetite appeared. And meat started to grow on her bones.

Samuel insisted on a visit to the doctor. They just threw up their hands.

And said it was a miracle. They couldn’t call it anything else.

Emily filed for divorce from Michael remotely. She didn’t need anything from this person.

Who had betrayed her. However, she was very grateful to him.

That he brought her to that particular woods. And not some other.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have met that reliable friend. In the face of Gray.

And her one and only beloved person. In the face of Samuel.

A year after recovery, they had a son. With the same beautiful eyes as his father.

That’s the story.