Love on the Ice

Preview: Chapter 1

Intense agony surged through his body, feeling like a blazing inferno as the needle penetrated his skin. He clenched his teeth, determined to hold back any cries of pain. Despite tears forming in his eyes, he fought with all his might to keep them at bay.

In an attempt to distract himself, he focused on the sounds surrounding him, hoping for even a moment of relief. He listened to the continuous beeping of machines, the steady whooshing of air, and the slight rustling of medical garments.

But even amidst these noises, the pain persisted with ruthless persistence. It was an unwelcome visitor that he never wanted to see again.

The cruel twist of fate was that, despite enduring this suffering for what seemed like an eternity, he had never grown accustomed to it. And he never wanted to. All he longed for was a reality where this nightmare had never begun.

When he was alone in contemplation, his mind would drift on divergent paths. As he lay there on his bed of suffering, he pondered the what-ifs. What if, on that ordinary day when he was 11, his mother had chosen to skip the routine checkup? What if the cancer had remained undiscovered?

Could that have spared him from his daily torment? The answer echoed with haunting certainty.

'Yes,' he thought bitterly, suppressing a groan as another needle found its mark. 'It would have been so much better.' In that agonizing moment, he couldn't help but believe that such a turn of events would have been kinder. Not only for him but also for his anguished parents.

His eyes couldn't help but drift towards them. His eyes glowed with sadness as he recalled the past. He couldn't help but think about how much has changed.

Gone were the days of playing catch in the backyard or his father lifting him onto sturdy shoulders, carrying him high above the world. Those memories felt like a distant dream. They were replaced by the sterile confines of hospital rooms and the lingering scent of antiseptic that clung to his skin.

His once proud mother, now reduced to tears, pleaded desperately with the doctor to find a way to save him. His father, a pillar of strength in his eyes, struggled to hold back the emotions that threatened to consume him.

The hospital had transformed his parents. Once they were beacons of resilience, now they have become ghosts of their former selves.

He watched how they whispered in hushed tones, oblivious to his presence. He longed for the days when their lives were not defined by the sterile walls of medical facilities. Rather, he missed the warmth of being together without worries.

Still, he clung to a fragile thread of hope. Youth fueled his belief in the all-encompassing power of doctors to cure anything. Through the early years of hospitalization, each treatment carried the weight of expectation—hope that it would be the remedy restoring him to health.

Yet, like a dying ember, that initial optimism slowly faded away. By the third year in the hospital, when clumps of hair fell out, and moving became a Herculean effort, the harsh reality began to settle in. His once robust dreams, buoyed by youth, crumbled under the relentless pressure of his deteriorating condition.

The painful truth reached its zenith during a conversation one gloomy afternoon with his parents. Dim light cast long shadows, shrouding the faces of those he cherished. Summoning all the strength he could muster, he confronted them, asking the questions that had tormented his mind.

Flashback

"Mom, Dad, can you just level with me?" His voice trembled, carrying the weight of a question long-held within. "Am I... am I going to be okay?"

His mother's eyes filled with tears, and she shared a solemn look with his father. Both recognized the inevitability of this conversation. They realized they could no longer shield him from the harsh reality they had sought to protect him from.

"Sweetie, we love you more than anything," his mother began, her voice tinged with sorrow. "We've tried everything, every treatment, every specialist. But... the doctors, they say..."

Her voice faltered, struggling to find words that could convey the painful truth.

His father, his face revealing a mix of emotions, stepped in to continue. "They say it's terminal, son. There is no cure. We're so sorry."

At that moment, Kai's world crumbled. The walls of hope he had built up collapsed, leaving him exposed to an onslaught of despair. The truth could no longer be denied—the cancer was winning, and his days were numbered. The tears, held back for so long, now flowed freely as he confronted the painful reality of his mortality.

Crushed, his dreams and aspirations lay in ruins. From a young age, he nurtured a singular dream—to become a figure skater. That dream took root when his father took him to watch a figure skating competition at the Olympics when he was just five years old.

Flashback

Kai sat in the crowded arena, eyes wide with wonder as the ice rink sparkled under bright lights. The hushed anticipation of the audience filled the air as the figure skaters took their positions. The music began, and the skaters glided onto the ice, their movements as fluid as poetry in motion.

He watched in awe as they twirled, jumped, and spun with grace and precision. The skaters defied gravity, soaring through the air before landing with finesse. Each routine told a story, and Kai was captivated by the artistry and beauty.

As the performance reached its climax, and a skater executed a breathtaking jump, the audience erupted in applause. Kai's heart swelled with admiration and a burning desire. At that moment, he knew he wanted to be one of them, gliding across the ice with the same elegance and skill.

But now, confined to a hospital bed, that once cherished dream felt like a distant echo. The terminal diagnosis had shattered any hope of gliding onto the ice as a figure skater. Pain and exhaustion stole the strength and vitality needed to pursue his passion.

Closing his eyes, tears welled up, accepting the cruel reality that his dream was over before it had truly begun.

Yet, even as he relinquished hope, his parents stood firm. Determined to explore every avenue to save their son, they never succumbed to despair. Their wealth granted them access to renowned specialists and groundbreaking treatments worldwide. Clinging to the faintest glimmer of hope in the darkness of their son's condition, they summoned doctors from prestigious medical institutions.

Specialists from clinics in Europe, Asia, and America examined Kai's frail form with precision. They administered experimental medications, subjected him to cutting-edge therapies, and put faith in the latest medical breakthroughs.

Trials and treatments followed like a desperate gambler betting on an elusive win. The relentless pursuit of a cure became Kai's existence, a ceaseless cycle of hospitals, procedures, and medications. His parents' dedication knew no bounds; they were willing to do whatever it took to see their son healthy again.

Despite the constant influx of doctors and medications, Kai's condition worsened. Well-intentioned treatments proved powerless against the relentless advance of his illness. Every attempt to quell his suffering seemed to intensify it, subjecting him to excruciating pain day in and day out.

Yet, he pressed on, not for himself but for the love he held for his parents. Their unwavering belief in his recovery anchored him to life. The thought of disappointing them was unbearable, so he clung to a fragile hope, even as it dimmed with each passing day.