Ethan had always been healthy. They both took very good care of themselves. First, because their sport required it, second, because falling sick was too expensive for people like them, and Third, their immunity had always been strong.
Ryan's throat tightened. For it to get to this stage, Ethan must have known earlier. When did he find out? He must have been in so much pain, yet he hid it and kept practicing like nothing was wrong.
"What exactly is the problem?" Coach Daniel's voice pulled Ryan out of his daze, and he turned his attention back to the doctor.
"Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). It's a hereditary disease that doesn't usually manifest until late teens to adulthood. By then, the only way to fully cure it is a kidney transplant."
"How soon do we need to do the surgery?"
"As soon as possible, but he still has a year window," the doctor explained. "Now he needs to get a kidney match, and you have to secure money for the surgery. Until then, he'll have to undergo dialysis. The frequency will increase the longer he goes without the transplant."
"Alright, thank you." Coach Daniel turned to Ryan. "I'll go settle the bill."
After he left, Ryan faced the doctor again. "How is he now?"
The surgeon looked at the young man in front of him with pity. As he was scrubbing in, he had heard the nurses whispering. The boy was the patient's roommate and the one who had found him and called the cops. "He's currently asleep and should wake up before the end of today."
"Thank you," Ryan said, feeling a weight lift. Ethan was safe for now. But he couldn't let himself relax for long. They had just managed to save Ethan's life for now. He still needed dialysis and transplant surgery. But they didn't have the money. While both of them had some savings from past competitions, it wasn't going to be enough.
He couldn't let Ethan die. Ethan was his brother. Ryan had known Ethan almost all his life. Since they had first met at the orphanage when they were five, they had been best friends, teammates, roommates, and each other's only family.
The coach came back a few minutes later holding a bunch of papers. "You don't have to worry about the bills for now. The school has covered everything."
"Thank you," Ryan said, truly grateful."
The door to the operating room opened again, and Ethan was wheeled out. Ryan followed, afraid to get too close but unable to stay too far.
The room wasn't a VVIP single room, but it was better than most, quiet, spacious, and warm from the afternoon sunlight. Only two other beds occupied the space, and it was surprisingly comfortable.
The pale yellow walls looked soft, compared to sterile white corridors outside, and the curtains were a pretty floral pattern, blue with small pink flowers that fluttered lightly when the breeze blew.
The bed closest to the door was occupied by a young man, awake and tapping away on his phone.
He looked up curiously at the newcomers for a few moments but didn't say anything before returning to his screen. Ethan's bed was placed at the far end of the room, near the window.
From that spot, if he sat up, he would be able to see the hospital's small garden. A patch of Rose and lavender bushes stretching up to the sunlight.
Ryan sat on the metal chair beside the bed, his eyes tracing Ethan's face. It looked better than it had that morning, but the paleness was still there. This wasn't the Ethan he was used to seeing.
Coach Daniel walked back into the room after having a few words with the Doctor and Nurses. "I need to get back to the school to give a report."
Ryan stood to see him off. "Thank you for Ethan."
Coach Daniel smiled, even though it didn't quite meet his eyes. "Both of you are my responsibility. It's what I should do."
He had been the one who scouted them from high school and made it possible for them to attend university with a sports scholarship. Without him, they would have stopped their education to work at a country club playing doubles for wealthy members. The man had changed their life. He started out as their coach and had now become their most respected elder.
"You don't have to follow me all the way," Coach Daniel said as he started down the hallway, then paused. "Make sure you get something to eat. Ethan won't be happy when he wakes up and sees that you're also sick."
"Yes, sir." Ryan nodded. He had to stay strong and take care of himself so he could be there for Ethan.
***********************************************************************
It was just Ryan, the unconscious Ethan, and the other man in the room.
The soft hum of the machines and the music from the young man's phone filled the silence. Ryan kept his eyes on the heart monitor, watching every small change.
"Hi," a voice suddenly said, startling Ryan. He turned toward it and saw that the young man was still on his phone.
"I'm Cole," the voice continued. "Nice to meet you."
Ryan didn't want to engage in casual conversation. But this was Ethan's new roommate, the person who would be with him when Ryan couldn't be there during school and outside visiting hours. It was better to be on good terms with him.
The nurses had already broken protocol by letting him stay around even though it wasn't yet visiting hours, and he knew that wouldn't happen every time.
"I'm Ryan. Ryan Taylor," Ryan finally said.
Cole set aside his phone and got down from his bed, walking barefoot across the floor before leaning against the middle bed. "What about him?"
"Ethan."
Cole nodded and sat on the bed, swinging his legs. "What does he have?"
"Kidney disease."
"Sounds painful. Is it serious?"
"No," Ryan said more forcefully than intended. He wouldn't let it get serious. Ethan would recover and go back to playing with him soon.
"That's good," Cole said. "I have congenital heart disease, and I've been going in and out of the hospital for as long as I can remember. But I'll get a heart transplant soon and be permanently discharged.
"I wonder if I'll be able to go to college too. I've been homeschooled all my life, but I aced my SATs. How's college like? I've only seen it in movies. You're a college student, aren't you? Can I come and visit?"
Ryan didn't know what to say to all the information Cole was giving him or how to answer his questions.
"The college is free to enter," he finally said.
Cole nodded. "But I don't know anyone there, I'll probably get lost. Would you like to be my tour guide? I could pay you."
"It can't be now," Cole continued. "I need to get a little better before I can go out. But by next year, I'll be able to go outside. How much would you charge?"
"You don't have to pay me," Ryan said. Though he needed money, Cole was quite pitiful. He could take him around the college and earn a little good karma for Ethan.
"Really? Thank you," Cole said, his gaze traveling over Ryan. "You look really fit. Are you an athlete or something?"
Ryan nodded.
"Wow, that's so cool. I wanted to be a footballer when I was younger, but my health wouldn't let me, so I could only watch TV. What sports do you do?"
"Tennis."
"Just when I thought you couldn't get cooler," Cole said with a grin. He kept talking, his voice filling the quiet room, but Ryan's mind drifted off. His thoughts were on how he was going to get the money they needed.