Dying and Everything in between

22| Heart to heart

─── ･｡•̩̩͙˚｡✧: *. .*:✧•̩̩͙･ﾟ｡───

Kissing your friend wasn't as monumental as stories and movies made it out to be.

There weren't fireworks, slow-mo, or a dramatic cut scene with Joy and Lucas professing their love to each other. Not that it was love, because it wasn't.

It was nothing like that but it was still something. And that— that was the issue.

But even so, the only fact was that his chest was in knots and he felt like throwing up his organs. Was it because of nerves or the fact that he was sick? Who knew?

Anyway, that was about it. Not a lot happened after the party, or well, there was nothing left to happen.

"If you're feeling light-headed, here," Laura sat down across from Lucas, handing him a box of mango juice and a granola bar after giving the bag of his blood to a nurse.

"Thanks," He murmured. "Can you remind me again why you're drawing my blood? Don't you have other things to do, like for example surgeries?" Lucas raised an eyebrow at her as he poked his straw into the juice box.

"Well, first, I think I'm pretty qualified to," She teased, lightly tossing her head back in laughter when he glared at her. "And second, I wanted to spend time with you before my lab work. It's my fifth one today, so can you blame me for wanting to see my kid instead of some stranger's gallbladder?"

He made a disgusted face, "You have a point."

She chuckled softly and patted his knee. "I'd pick you over anyone's gallbladder, Luc."

"Well, duh. You should. I'm a person. A gallbladder is an organ," His brows furrowed. "If not, then you have a problem."

"Right," She nodded along, unable to hide the smile playing on her lips. Eventually, she turned her chair towards the laptop that sat idle on the small table beside Lucas's bed. The room was bright, as bright as a hospital room could be with a small window on one side of the wall.

He watched her while she worked, teeth gnawing absentmindedly on his straw. Laura always insisted on doing her work with him around. Even though they would rarely talk, she wouldn't let him go until she decided she had spent sufficient time with him.

It was a little ridiculous at the beginning of his diagnosis, but the further they approached his due date, he could understand why she did what she did. And of course, he appreciated it— how couldn't he? Time was crucial. Plus it was Laura. He was grateful for everything about her.

So grateful, that as he sat there, counting the days, the months he had left, he realized he would miss her. A lot.

Lucas didn't like thinking about leaving, but after the events that happened over the days, the idea trampled over the majority of his thoughts and for some reason, he couldn't escape it. There was so much to do before he left. So much to say, to show. Part of him was worried about doing the wrong thing because dying people didn't have the time to sort out grudges.

It wasn't like Laura would hold one against him anyway. When he messed up, he would make her mad of course, but that was about it. She was forgiving and loving so it was easy to love her. Therefore, it made it equally harder to leave and easier to miss her.

But what caught him off guard was how his mind drifted to Joy. Grudges. Would she hold one? Judging a few aspects, she seemed forgiving. But after what happened last night, would she forgive him?