The Days Before I Died - A Short Story

7 Days Before I Died

"I smell flowers. What kind of flowers are here?" Keegan asked as we walked arm-in-arm through the garden that was outside of the hospital. My legs were starting to ache already, but I didn't have the heart to tell him and cut our trip so short. The moment the words left my mouth, Keegan would have been high-tailing it back to my hospital room, no matter how many times he would have tripped over things and crashed into walls.

The garden was constructed only two years ago as a dedication to the founder of the hospital who passed away prior. She was a woman who was passionate about keeping people healthy - and the same went for her plants. It was beautiful and filled with nearly every type of flower you could think of. In the center of the garden was a large fountain taller than even Keegan and filled with coins from hopeful wishers. Many of which were young patients – a bit heartbreaking.

"A lot." Grinning, I picked up a rose and held it under his nose. "Which kind do you think this is?"

He inhaled and smiled confidently. "A rose. My mother's favorite."

"Mine too." I sang, twirling the stem in my fingers, avoiding the thorns.

"Ah, yes. Yours too." He chuckled, his perfect smile making an appearance.

He paused in his steps and swiped the rose from my hand, holding it behind his back for a moment before pulling it back in front of him with a huge grin on his face.

"For you." He said, presenting the rose to me and bowing, a charming smile on his lips.

"Very funny." I grinned sarcastically, taking the rose back from him. "But very cute. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, love." He hummed.

Having Keegan around was truly a blessing in disguise. While being probably the most good-looking guy I've ever seen in my life - I would never tell him that out loud - he was also the sweetest. As someone with virtually no close friends, it was nice to have someone besides my family to hang out with and have fun with. I needed him. Fun wasn't something you got a lot of when staying in a busy hospital and if there was one person who could get my mind off my cancer, even if just for a moment, it was Keegan Rivera.

"I don't think I've ever asked," Keegan began, tilting his head to the left. "What kind of cancer did you originally have?"

Squeezing his arm, I answered, "Stomach cancer. It's a type you don't really notice at first, but then will suddenly hit you all at once. It started with me not being able to eat as much as usual, then I started dropping weight at an alarming speed." I chose not to mention how hard I tried to ignore my symptoms for so long. Dressing in baggy clothes and claiming I was trying a new diet when I wouldn't finish my meals. I didn't tell my parents until a couple months in when my mom caught me vomiting my guts out one morning and questioned me. "It was pretty progressed by the time my parents got me to the hospital."

"Were you scared?"

"Terrified, but somehow now that I know for sure I'm dying, I don't feel as scared. Sure I'm sad. I don't want to imagine how my family will cope once I'm gone - but I'm not as scared as I once was."

Keegan didn't respond, silently digesting my words as he faced ahead of us. The only indication I had that he heard me was when he subtly pulled me closer by our locked arms. Really, that was the only response I needed. I didn't want to think about how he would feel when I'm gone either.

"So when do you have to go back to meet with Doctor Adams?" I asked, changing the subject while kicking around a few stones from the gravel path.

When he still didn't answer, I looked at him expectantly. Keegan was attempting to hide a guilty smile and I shook my head. "How late are you?"