The ‘Get Well’ cards and balloons filled the dining room. Marta was well-liked by all.
But, her diagnosis was grim. It was a rare form of cancer. It had spread throughout her body. If it hadn’t been for COVID, she wouldn’t have known until she died.
We haven’t seen any family visitors. Has anyone called her family?
There is no family.
Nonsense, everyone has a family.
She does not. How long does she have to live?
Perhaps, a month.
Good Odds.
How so?
A neighbor found her during a well-check visit. She arrived here as an attempted suicide.
2022©Isadora DeLaVega
Genre: Flash Fiction
Word Count: 100
photo prompt©Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
To join Rochelle and her Friday Fictioneers Photo challenge
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What is Depression?
Depression is a real illness that impacts the brain. Anyone suffering from depression will tell you, it’s not imaginary or “all in your head.” Depression is more than just feeling down. It is a serious illness caused by changes in brain chemistry. Research tells us that other factors contribute to the onset of depression, including genetics, changes in hormone levels, certain medical conditions, stress, grief or difficult life circumstances. Any of these factors alone or in combination can precipitate changes in brain chemistry that lead to depression’s many symptoms.©info from the Univsersity of Michigan Mental Health
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For more information about depression:
World Mental Health – Dignity Mental Health Foundation
University of Michigan Depression Center – Mental Health
Inside the Mind of Isadora 