Pain, suffering, and a bit of hope. (Ironstrange)

The Beginning of One and Ending of Another Friendship

Stephen
I was sitting in the sanctum reading as always when Wong came in humming. My guess is that the song is one by Beyoncé considering that's the only music he listens to. I glance up at him and see that the Ancient One is behind him.

"Wong I recommend you stop humming."

Wong looks at me confused before turning around as the Ancient One clears her throat "Thank you Stephen." The Ancient One says and I nod before returning to my book. I listen to the conversation they are having and look up ever so slightly when they mention my name. After a while I decide to let it go when something red appears in my peripheral vision.

It comes over to me and starts stroking my face. I turn to see what it actually is and I fall out of my chair. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!" Wong and the Ancient One look over at me and this THING! The Ancient One stays silent as Wong laughs at me.

"BEYONCÉ I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT THIS THING IS!"

With that Wong shuts up and the Ancient One calmly says "Stephen this is your artifact. It's the Cloak of Levitation." I calm down and look that the cloak as it attaches itself to my shoulders. I look at the Ancient One and she nods.

A two years later

I was sitting in a coffee shop with Christine and she seems a lot paler then I remember. We had been talking for a while and then she drops a bombshell.

"Stephen I hate that I have to tell you this but I cancer. Lung cancer to be exact. I know that you lost your mother to cancer and that you became a doctor to save people from the same fate as your mother had but you can't stop this Stephen."

I look at her with tears threatening to fall from my eyes. Christine had been my friend since high school and now I have to loose her too.

"How long do you have left?"

She is quite for a while before responding with "I only have till the end of the month if I'm lucky." With that the tears in my eyes fall and I pull her into a hug.

I fear that this is the last time I might see her walking around normally or at all for that matter. I spend the rest of the day with her and skip my training for the day. I had never told Wong where I was and why I didn't return that afternoon, so when I got back to the sanctum he was extremely worried.

To be honest I could care less about what he was saying to me because my mind kept going back to what Christine had told me.

I guess I had started crying because the next thing I recall is that Wong has his hands on my shoulders while calling my name. "Stephen. Stephen come on look at me. What happened to you today?"

I look at him and I can only muster up a whisper and hope he hears me. "Christine......she has cancer." Wong must have heard me because he steps away from me with a look of horror on his face.

The Ancient One had walked in at some point and seemed to understand that something was wrong at that's why I didn't show up for training. "Stephen, Wong would one of you like to explain why you're both standing there instead of training?"

I stand there quietly and notice Wong walk over to the Ancient One and explain the situation. I walk away from them both and head up to my room and stay there without eating, drinking, or sleeping for the rest of the month until I get a text from Christine the day before the end of the month.

C
I'm sorry Stephen. I wish I didn't have to leave you like this. I want you to promise me something though. I want you to move on from this after I die. I want you to go out and find love instead of training and reading the rest of your life. Promise me that you will do these things for me Stephen.