His last thought

23| small parties

It's been a while since Caleb got home. He's usually sleeping or in his room. We haven't talked a lot; things have been awkward lately but time has been moving and I need to talk to him.

I grabbed the pizza box I ordered and walked over to his house. I walked right upstairs before Kate could ask any questions.

"I got some food." I tell him. He was in sweats and and a hoodie with the hood over his head, and had a oxygen tube on.

He looked like shit.

He puts his phone down before crossing his legs so I can sit. I put the pizza between us as I sit at the foot of the bed again. "Look-"

"You don't have to say anything. I know what I said was really shitty. I just don't know what to do about all this." Caleb says and grabs a piece of pizza.

"I can take it." I tell him.

"What?"

"I can take it." I say again. "Watching this-, you leaving, I don't want to waste time. I need to know that this time wasn't wasted and I need to know that you know that I can take it."

"I know that you can take it, Morgan. And I think that we didn't waste any time. I love that I met you, and that we had this time together. I hate that it's ending like this."

"There's nothing either of us could have done." I say.

"Even with the surgery, I'd still have cancer. It wasn't worth the risk."

"I know." I tell him and look down at the food. "Too bad, Bree really thought you were cute." I joke.

"If only she could see me now."

I point to the door way as about five people walk in. Corey, Ashley, Bree, Ava and Matt.

"Your lunch friends." I say and smile.

"Why?" Caleb asks.

"Because your loved and need to get out of bed." I say and grab his hands. We all walk downstairs to the den and start a movie. Caleb leans on my shoulder and I wrap my arm around him.

"Thank you for this." Caleb says and smiles at me.

"Wait- where's your tube?" I ask him.

"I left it upstairs. Just for tonight."

"Are you sure-"

"Just tonight, M." He says and I nod. After the movie we all go back to the living room and sit down.

"When did you find out?" Corey asks.

"About..?" Caleb says confused.

"Terminal."

"Last week it was confirmed. But I've known since I moved here."

"So two months ago?" Bree asks.

"About."

"How do you feel about that, Morgan?" Bree asks.

"Are you my therapist or something?" I ask confused.

"I was just wondering."

It goes quiet for a while. I don't want to respond, but everyone's looking at me.

"What about shots?" Ashley says and stands up. She goes over to the bar and grabs a bottle of hard liquor and starts pouring it into cups. We all take a cup besides Caleb.

"Nothing for you?" Corey asks him.

"I'd be puking in the bathroom for a good hour."

"How come?" Ava asks.

"Chemo is still going through my system." Caleb says and takes a sip from his water bottle.

"What now?" I ask aloud.

We all start talking about whatever came up, and I look around for Caleb but I can't find him. I run up to his room and see him swallow a handful of pills.

"What where those?"

"Don't do anything, it was my prescription."

"Ah." I say and sit down. "Everyone's about to leave, you can go to bed now if you need."

"Yeah I will." Caleb says and sits next to me. "Today was exhausting, but thanks."

I smile and put my hand on his shoulder. "I'll show everyone out."

I end up staying on the couch for the night. When I wake up the next morning I make us eggs and go upstairs to wake Caleb up. As I walk in I see him still asleep.

"Come on, Caleb. I made you breakfast and it's going to get cold." I tell him. He doesn't respond so I say it again, and again he's motionless. My heart rate starts to pick up and I run over to him and check his pulse. I feel a heartbeat but he still doesn't wake up so I call 911.

I call Kate too, but everything after that's a blur. I ride with him to the hospital and stay with him until I can't. I'm sitting in the waiting room with both my mom and Kate at both of my sides. A nurse walks up to us with a sad look on her face.

"He had a seizure before he passed out. He's stable and awake, but the tumor has grown faster than we thought. He's going to stay here for a while." The nurse says.

"Can we see him?" Kate asks. The nurse nods and the three of us walk over. Caleb had a hospital gown on and a beanie. He had another oxygen tube on and something checking his pulse. It was going off slowly, and Caleb was watching the tv.

"Did you see me?" Caleb asks me.

"I saw you passed out and called 911." I tell him. "You didn't drink anything, right?"

"No, I didnt." he says.

The three of us try talking to him but he responds in one-word responses the whole day. At the end of the day, me and my mom go home but Kate stays there.

The whole night moved in slow motion, and I didn't know how to take it.