A/N: This is simply a short story I'm writing for a writing contest.

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IF LIFE WAS ABOUT IMPROVEMENT in all things, your life, look, personality, job, and etc, lessons had to be taught to demonstrate good things and bad things.

So, if life was about learning lessons to improve then Roxana Clery was due to learn one of the biggest ones of all. Only she didn't know it yet.

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As Roxana put a cup in the cabinet above the stove her phone vibrated her leg. Quickly accepting the call she held the phone between her head and shoulder as she picked up another glass cup from the dishwater.

"Hello, Miss Clery this is the Curtea de Argeș Municipal Hospital. I'm afraid we have some bad news. Would you happen to know a Ben Ignatov?"

Instantly the brunette froze in place as she felt her heart stop. She nodded forgetting that the man on the other end of the line couldn't hear her.

Only when the man said, "Ma'am, are you still there?"

Quickly she shook herself out of her daze and responded, "Yes, I know Ben."

"Well, then you might want to get here as soon as you can. He's in the hospital in critical condition. He's suspected to have attempted suicide and is consequently in very rough condition." The man said a tinge of guilt evident in his voice.

At his words Roxana dropped the glass she was holding as she felt her heart shatter as she let out a soft cry as the news repeated over and over again in her ears.

He's in the hospital in critical condition. He's suspected to have attempted suicide.

He's in the hospital in critical condition. He's suspected to have attempted suicide.

HE'S IN THE HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION. HE'S SUSPECTED TO HAVE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Even if the situation wasn't so dire the man on the end of the line was getting worried by her lack of response so he yelled through the line, "MA'AM!"

"I'll be there in 10 minutes," Roxana replied before hanging up and grabbing her car keys.

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But, if life was about improving then people need to realize what needs to be changed before they can improve and Roxana was about to realize something major.

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Roxana raced in the doors of the hospital and to the front desk before simply saying to the nurse standing next to the desk, "Ben Ignatov."

Ordinarily, this particular nurse would tell her to sit and wait her turn seeing as several other families had been waiting to see their loved ones, but upon seeing the severely angry glint in the woman's eye and her strange appearance persuaded her otherwise.

According to the severity in the woman's murderous glare the green-eyed nurse simply turned and walked down the hall quickly the angry brunette following her closely. The nurse jumped every other second due to the fact that the woman was stomping down the hall, but she only had a single shoe on so a loud crash sounded at uneven intervals.

Quickly the nurse stopped at the room marked B7 and held open the door for the one-shoe-wearing woman and as she stomped through the door.

Letting the door shut behind the woman the nurse let out a sigh of relief. That woman was scary.

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Her scary facade notwithstanding, as soon as the nurse closed the door Roxana dropped her act and let the tears that had been pricking at her eyes fall down her cheeks, "Why Ben?"

The brunette wasn't the brightest, but she knew he wouldn't respond. He was unconscious on the bed with a slow stream of blood running from his nose that contrasted starkly with his sickly pale skin after all, but she desperately wanted to know why he was so overwrought, so done with life, that he decided it wasn't worth living.

But, then she noticed something. Ben's left arm was clenched tightly with a small piece of crumpled paper poking out from his clenched fist.

Walking up to the side of the bed the woman gently grabbed his arm before carefully pulling the scrunched piece of paper out of his hand so it wouldn't tear.

Careful to not wake Ben she spread the piece of paper out on the side of the table.

Only for a blast from the past to stare back up at her.

Moreover the seemingly meaningless paper was a picture of a drawing of Ben that she had made many many years ago. Though his appearance in the photo was much different then his appearance now his eyes were the same.

Sad.

Ben's eyes were so sad. Maybe he had felt this way for a long time. Maybe she just hadn't realized it.

The tall woman felt another tear prick at her eye. Maybe she had realized it, and she just didn't want to deal with it.

The brunette pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling a sob and in that moment she thanked that photo for making her realize she needed to pay more attention to other people's happiness. She should have, could have, prevented this.

But, her boyfriend also had a lesson to learn. Commiting suicide doesn't stop the pain. It just passes it on. And the fallen tear now staining the picture was enough to prove the value of the few things it showed Roxana.

So, as Ben's hand tightened on hers and she looked up to meet his gaze, she shoved the picture to his chest before going to sit in the corner of the room.

However Ben was smart and he instantly figured out what she meant when she shoved the picture at him.

Conversely, even though she wasn't speaking her voice echoed in his ears. Why Ben? Why didn't you tell me, let me help you?

Nevertheless, the dark haired man moved to get out of the bed, stumbling slightly when he first stood up and padded over to sit beside her. While she sobbed Ben put his arm around her a knot forming in his throat at the guilt he felt deep in the pit of his stomach.

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Pictures could be worth a thousand words. Or they could be worth a few. But, no matter what they were worth in words they can teach invaluable lessons. Important lessons that teach you to improve yourself. To realize you aren't the center of the universe. To teach you that you need to think beyond yourself.

Word Count: 1064