Earth 69
Rivega Continent
Verian Country
Miles State
Riverfront City
Meria Central Hospital
20th Floor-East Wing Tower
7th Private Patient Room
…
"At most, you have 30 days left to live."
The doctor in-charge of my treatment, also my childhood best friend, Eva Grace, broke this news to me with the utmost seriousness.
Lying in the bed in this hospital room just a few moments ago, I believed I was going to be discharged today, at most, with a minor case of exhaustion. I mean, I worked a lot in the past few days, and even though I fell unconscious in the middle of work…
This is not how it was supposed to happen…
So how do you take this situation? Do you laugh in misery at what's left? Or do you cry about things that you planned to do but couldn't? Do you tell your poor parents that all the things they hoped for, from you, are gone, or do you hide from them until they find out, eventually?
"It's a joke, right?"
I reasoned with it.
Denied would be one word, questioned would be another.
I wanted answers. I needed reasons. Or perhaps I just wanted to hear that this was a prank, a horrible prank, but just a prank and nothing more. I wanted it to be a lie… I wished it to be a lie.
But I knew.
She wouldn't joke about something like this.
"Michael-" Eva moved forward, but I stopped her. I paused, observing her with a blank face.
"Eva," I said as my eyes became blurred.
"Why me?"
My family was poor. Mom had to work two shifts to make sure I completed my studies, and I… I worked hard. Wasting time wasn't allowed for me. A decade in school, another in medical college and post graduation. Now that I had succeeded in everything, now that it was time to collect all the rewards for the 20 years I had put into…
"WHY THE FUCK IS IT ME?!!!!! WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!!!" I shouted, throwing away the file that I had in my hand. It reached near the window, hit the wall, before falling down onto the ground.
The page at the front stated 'Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer' in bright red colors, visible even at a distance of 10 meters from here, reminding me just how fragile my life was right now. How worthless all those efforts were…
Eva looked at me, a single tear streaking down her cheek. It was rare for her to cry; for the brave girl who didn't shed a tear even when her parents passed away in a car crash, it felt odd to see her cry.
So, once again, I ask.
How do you take this situation?
In my misery, as I felt lost…
"Brother?"
A voice echoed from the right side. At a distance by the door stood a twin-tailed little girl, no more than 10. She was my sister, Livia, who currently should be at home with Mom.
"Livia?" I wiped my tears, hiding away the pain. The misery.
As her big brother, I don't want my little sister to see me in a weakened state.
"Mom… sent food," she added in a low tone, afraid that I might lash out at her. She moved slowly before hiding behind Eva, then she waited for me to calm down, assessing if it was safe to get close to me.
Did she come here with Mom? I questioned, worried about how she would react to this news. It ached my heart more when I thought about her.
"Aunty dropped Livia here this morning. I was going to take her home with me before returning for the night duty," Eva added, answering my thoughts, easing my worry, delaying it a little.
"Brother," Livia bravely moved forward, one step at a time. She reached for my hand, holding it, before kissing it lightly. Slowly, she put the pink tiffin in my arms before putting a bright smile on her face.
"Get well soon, brother," she added.
"I…"
I wanted to answer her, but I couldn't. I wanted to tell her I would return home and everything would be fine, but I couldn't. I wanted to smile, but I couldn't.
Just… why…
Putting up an invincible brave front, forcing a smile on my face, I mustered the words from the deepest part of my heart. And then I lied,
"I will."
Please, somebody… take my sister away from here… I don't want to break down in front of her. I prayed deep in my heart, over and over, as the burden of that smile increased with each passing moment.
"Livia. Come with me. Your brother is tired right now, so let him rest," Eva said, slowly taking Livia away from there, while I held the tiffin in my hands tightly.
A few moments later, when Livia was gone, I put that tiffin closer to my heart, crouched in a baby position, crying, shivering.
"This… isn't fair… damn it…" I mumbled, recalling everything that I had gone through. Recalling the smiles of my family three days ago when I received my neurosurgery degree, the hope that lit up, and the future towards which we were inching.
The more I thought, the more I cried, wishing it all to be a dream. A dream from which I would wake up, and perhaps continue the life that I once worked hard for. Before I knew it, exhaustion took over my body, and I ended up sleeping…
Hours passed as I shivered in my sleep, withering in pain, tossing around in nightmares before I finally woke up in the middle of the night.
Did I fall asleep? I thought as I looked at the night sky from the window. The beautiful starry sky was lit up, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Looking at the time…
2:00 AM
…I sighed.
I slept for more than 10 hours.
"So, it's all over, huh?" I was a lot calmer than when I received the news. I was still sad, or perhaps I was still distraught. But now, I feel more rational than before.
I looked at the sky, a shooting star falling down slowly.
Should I make a wish? I wondered, amused a little at my own thoughts. Perhaps I just wanted to avoid thinking about what I had to face.
"I wish for my family to be happy. Eva too… she and her family had done a lot for us," I wished the first thing that came into my mind.
It was an odd thing to wish for. But I guess this is what I have been living for most of my life.
The shooting star slowly descended, leaving a trail and some smoke….
"Smoke?"
Wait a second… that's not a shooting star!!!!
-BOOOOOM!!!!!!!
And at a distance of about a few dozen kilometers, a missile landed on the city, destroying a huge portion of what was visible in front of me.
But the next thing was even more ridiculous than that…
[The World Apocalypse has Started!]
[Urgently Binding the Infinite Time System to the Host!]
[System Initiating!]
[Progress 0.5%]
.
.
.
.
Those were the last words I saw before I finally lost consciousness once again.