If I live forever, I can live now

Prologue

I was at the beach in Brighton. I could hear seagulls and waves breaking on the shore. Although it was cloudy, there was a lot of white light in the sky. I looked around and found Nora throwing pebbles at the sea. I floated over to her.

"Nora, what are you doing here? Everyone told me you're dead."

"I'm not dead. I'm living forever, just like I wanted, but in another world."

That answer satisfied me, apparently, because I didn't ask any more questions. But after joining Nora in throwing pebbles, I inquired:

"And how did you manage to live eternally?"

Nora looked surprised.

"You taught me how to do it, remember?"

"Me? When?"

"In the hospital room, I asked you why I was dying, because the doctor's explanations weren't enough. And you gave me... just another scientific explanation."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I wasn't looking for that, but it turned out to be very helpful."

"How?" I asked, confused.

"You insisted my cancer cells were immortal. So when they ended killing all my healthy finite ones, I became strong and eternal like them."

She smiled and her smile worried me. She was living a lie, or, even worse, dead in a lie.

"No, Nora, that's not how it goes. You don't understand. You would be immortal if the ones that lived forever were the healthy ones. But that's not the way it works, because cancer is unfair and cruel. Our healthy cells are finite, like you just said. That's why you're dead. I know it should be the other way around."

She looked disappointed, and I couldn't bear to think I was the one that had given her false hope.

"Well, make it the other way around, before you die as well." she shouted, angry.

"And how do I do that?"

"You should know, you're the one studying Medicine, remember?" she said, and she started to run along the shore, wetting the long white dress she was wearing.

"Nora! Wait! I know how to do it! Wait!"

Did I really know?

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