“No, no way. It was just us at home, and even the pets don’t stress him out anymore,” Lindey said,


    then suddenly went quiet.


    I raised an eyebrow, sensing something was off. Before I could ask, Lindey grabbed my hand like


    she was hanging onto a lifeboat. “Wait… after I massaged him and he said he’d lie down on the


    couch, my phone rang. I picked it up, and… I think I heard him on a call too.”


    My stomach dropped. Could that phone call have set him off?


    “Where’s his phone?” I asked, trying to keep calm.


    Lindey patted her pockets and frowned. “Ugh, I didn’t bring it. It’s probably at the house.”


    Perfect. No way to grab it now, but something about that call wasn’t sitting right. Like, what if that


    triggered all this?


    Before I could spiral further, Wayne and Jace came back, looking super serious. Whatever Wayne


    told Jace while I was with Lindey must’ve been bad. They both looked like they knew more than


    they were saying, and it made my chest tighten.


    I wanted to ask them what they’d learned, but Lindey was practically glued to my side, her grip on


    me tighter than ever.


    After what felt like forever, the emergency room doors finally opened, and a doctor came out,


    looking totally exhausted.


    “Doctor, how’s my dad?” Wayne and Jace blurted out at the same time.


    The doctor sighed. “The bleeding’s stopped, but the cancer has spread to his liver. His condition is


    very serious.”


    It was like someone dropped a giant weight on us. The room went so quiet, I could hear my own


    pulse.


    The doctor tried to throw in some weak optimism, “Just keep his spirits up. A positive mindset can


    help extend his time.”


    Uh, that was supposed to beforting? It wasn’t.


    Matthew’s life was on a ticking clock now.


    “Thanks, Doctor,” Jace said, managing to be polite even though we were all falling apart inside..


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew


    got transferred to the ICU, and only one person was allowed in.


    I figured it wouldn’t be me, but Jace and Lindey were insistent. Like, really insistent.


    *Rea, when they brought Matthew in, he was calling your name,” Lindey said, her voice cracking.


    That pretty much shattered me. So, I slipped on the istion gown and headed into the ICU.


    Matthew was lying there, hooked up to all these machines, an oxygen mask on his face. Seeing


    him like that, so fragile… I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down my cheeks.


    “His anesthetic’s still wearing off, but keep him awake, okay? Talk to him. Don’t let him fall asleep,”


    a


    nurse instructed, her voice soft.


    I sat down by his bed and gently took his hand. “Matthew, it’s me–Rea.”


    His eyelids twitched before he slowly managed to open them, his gaze turning toward me.


    “Re… Rea…” he whispered, his voice barely there, but he still smiled.


    It broke


    here.”


    my


    heart to see him struggling so much. I squeezed his hand. “Don’t talk, okay? Just rest. I’m right


    But he shook his head weakly and tried to lift his other hand toward the oxygen mask, like he was


    trying to pull it off.


    I stopped him. “No, you can’t do that. Don’t move.”


    Suddenly, the monitor started beeping like crazy, sending me into panic mode. “Nurse! Nurse!”


    The nurse rushed over, gently scolding Matthew. “You just stopped the bleeding! You can’t get


    worked up, or it’ll start again.”


    Then she turned to me with this serious look. “Please, don’t upset him.”


    I hadn’t said anything to upset him! Matthew just wanted to talk.


    “He wants to take off the mask to talk to me,” I exined. “Is that okay?”


    Matthew gave a tiny nod, backing me up.


    The nurse sighed, then relented. “Fine, two minutes. Make it quick.”


    She carefully removed the mask, and Matthew gasped for breath, his voice raspy as he struggled to


    speak. “Rea… I… I might not… make it. There’s something… I need to tell