- Doc, how is it? She'll be good... right?
- Listen, Daniel... let's take a seat and talk about her situation.
- I'm desperate! You'd better give me some good news...
- … Her body is too weakened, Daniel... It won't be much longer until... you know... I'm so sorry to be the bearer of such news, but we couldn't do anything to help her. We've tried the most advanced treatments modern medicine has blessed us with, but whatever plagues her... it just doesn't give up.
- But… no... this is not real! It can't be, you're not telling me the truth! I've known this girl for so long, it can't be the end... A couple weeks ago we were having the time of our lives at the Blissworld Fair and now you tell me she’s dying?! You can't be right, doc... I have travelled across the country to get here, and I've heard so many good things about you! You helped people in worse conditions, I’m sure of it... don't tell me this, I know you can heal her! I'll pay anything... all of my money, just... don't let her go like that…
- Daniel, please listen to me…, gently placing his steady hand on Daniel's shoulder. We have tried everything... I can see why you say she's in good shape; she laughs, she walks, she speaks just fine... she's doing everything like a healthy person would do, but her vitals are not lying, Daniel. Remarkably unstable heart rate and lowering neural activity. When you brought her in last week, unconscious, we immediately applied the standard emergency protocol to quickly see what’s happening inside her body and treat her accordingly as fast as we could. Our first guess was a stroke, maybe caused by a tumour, but we did an MRI once she regained consciousness and no sign of cancer. Her brain seems to be slowly shutting down on its own, I don’t know how that’s possible, but… it’s our only diagnostic.
Daniel slowly shifted his eyes from Dr. Sterling’s, staring at the immaculate white floor tiles of his office, his mind drowning in thoughts and trying its best to understand the nightmare he was living, wishing he could slap himself so hard he would just wake up and the only diagnostic Leah had was palpitations caused by his wake-up scream. But deep inside he knew this mare wasn’t reserved to nights only, it’s like it found a portal from his mind’s ‘Deepest fears’ aisle and took it to the real world.
- I was blind, doc… as a bat. The signs were there, I just couldn't comprehend at the time. She had moments where she would babble, behave strangely, but she’d say it was her drinking habit. Other times she would lay in bed all day, saying she's tired. She’d tell me she just needed some time alone, a little rest, that life was taking a bit of a toll on her every now and then and it’s normal. I believe she knew, doc, she was feeling it! She lied to me, she told me with a smile that she is okay... to shield me from her worries… she made me believe her, but she clearly felt something was wrong and it wouldn’t go away. I don't know what I should be doing right now… Maybe if you can’t help her, you can help me…
- She told me she doesn't want to stay in the hospital. She wants to see the world, alongside you!
Daniel was struggling to contain the burst of tears, but he kept his composure and only let a few of them silently drip across his tightened cheeks, his weary eyes fixed on the floor.
- She’s such a sweetheart, always had been… We talked about this countless times; this was our dream for years now, but we both had our responsibilities, so we never got to see it come true even in the slightest. I'll... a voice crack giving off his inner struggle. I'll take her… for her last ride, I guess… She always wanted to see the tropics.
- Sounds like a plan to me! One more thing, Daniel… don't bring up her condition. We tried to tell her what’s happening, but she refused to be told. I too believe she knows. And don't let her see you're sad, try your best to act like you’re both alright, I’m sure that’s her plan as well. You’ll both know this is making a last wish come true, but there’s no need to emphasize on the ‘last’ part of it.
- I... another voice crack, his face and neck muscles suddenly tightening again. I will…
- Daniel, don’t hold back now, you’ll need to do this after you leave. Better leave a part of the burden here, in this room.
With a loud, short exhale, followed by two rivers of warm tears, Daniel gave up the struggle and found himself at the most vulnerable he had been in a very long time, crying uncontrollably next to a stranger.
...
Several more days passed, a dreadful silence giving way to mind-numbing noises inside Daniel’s and Leah’s heads, still parted one from the other by the cruel (but justified, although Daniel couldn’t care less) visiting policy of the Starhope Hospital. The day Leah was discharged from the hospital and jumped into Daniel’s wide-open arms, no tears were shed, although they both felt each other crying and screaming inside. Packed with only the most necessary material possessions, they rode in Daniel’s car across two states until they finally got to gaze at the land of palms opening up mesmerizingly in the distant horizon. The land of palms they are going to not let a single mile of untouched. The land of palms they are going to ride through, no other care in the world…