"Keagan Lim Li Jun?" A nurse called out.
"I'm here!" A man replied instantly.
Messy hair, black hoodie, swollen eye bags, dirty converse.
The man was the opposite definition of youth, even if he is one. Actually, he looked like a lost man.
"The doctor wants to see you," the nurse said, as a warm smile crept on her face.
"Okay," Keagan answered curtly. He sauntered into the room, with his hands in his baggy sweatpants. With every step he took, his heart drummed wildly against his chest.
"Hello, Keagan. Have a seat." The doctor had wrinkles and folds of skin that were so pronounced it was hard to tell what he must have looked like as a young man. Keagan took a seat on the squeaky swivel chair that was set exactly in front of the doctor. He refused to make eye contact, afraid of the news the doctor's about to deliver.
"So, you've been complaining about abdominal discomfort, nauseousness and heartburn, am I right?" the doctor carefully asked.
"Yes."
"After analysing your CBC test and the fecal occult blood test, I believe you have cancer," the doctor professed.
Keagan widened his eyes. A sudden coldness arose out of nowhere; feeling as if his heart had been struck by a freezing arrow that caused nothing but silence to follow up.
Cancer?
There was a three minutes silence. Keagan twiddled with his thumbs underneath the table as he stared into the doctor's eyes.
"The big C?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes. And it's a stage three cancer."
Keagan felt his heart skip a beat.
"But not to worry, if you diligently follow the treatments I've prescribed, you will get better in no time," the doctor tried enlightening the dense mood.
"Treatments?" Keagan mumbled.
"Yes, all you need is to sign this form-" the doctor proposed as he handed out a black clipboard with a piece of paper on it. "And we will immediately get into the treatment process."
Keagan stared blankly at the paper.
"Can I get back to you about this?" Keagan whispered softly, but loud enough for the doctor to hear.
"Yes, of course you can. However, I would prefer for you to take action immediately. We wouldn't want to be dilly-dallying your recovery process, right?" the doctor smiled sympathetically.
Keagan didn't answer the doctor. He stood up and ran out of the room.
The tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down his face. The muscles of his chin tremble like a small child as he looked back at the room. There was static in his head once more, the side effect of this constant fear. He hears his own sounds, like a distressed child, raw from the inside. The passersby all looked at him with sympathy. He looked like a mess with tears and snot trickling down his red face.
"Why? Of all days, why must it be on my birthday?"
~~~~
"Happy birthday!"
Keagan arrived home to witness a surprise planned by his older brother, Albert.
Albert pulled the confetti cannon and soon enough, the entire apartment was filled with colorful streams of confetti.
The way his lips lifted upward. The way his one dimple crinkles. The way his teeth are perfectly aligned. The warm glow his happiness gives. Keagan envied the way Albert could easily smile at the moment. Indeed, life has a strange way of surprising people. But, currently, Keagan's wishing that life hasn't done so.
"What's wrong? Do you not like my surprise?" Albert questioned. Keagan's face was as cold as ice as he plucked out a pink stream out of his hair.
"Albert, I have something to tell you."
"Yes, little buddy?"
"I-I have-" Keagan stuttered. Reluctant to continue, he took a deep breath and exhaled through his mouth. "You can do this, Keagan," he muttered.
"I have cancer," Keagan blurted out with his eyes closed.
He felt his heart skip a beat.
Not willing to see Albert's reaction, Keagan bolted into his room and locked the door.
A great tremor overtook him. Tears raced down his cheeks. He could hold the heartbreak no longer and he fell to the floor in a disheveled heap as his grief poured out in a flood of uncontrollable tears. Tears escaped his eyes followed by his fist meeting the wall.
Why must life be so excruciatingly cruel?
The next day, Albert woke up to make breakfast. He was still stunned after the abrupt confession made by his brother. Nevertheless, he still had to make breakfast for the both of them. Albert had planned to take Keagan to the hospital after that to discuss what treatment plan the doctor has prepared. Although he is not exactly wealthy, he was willing to exhaust his bank account for his beloved brother. After all, his dad has entrusted his little brother to him.
"Keagan?" Albert knocked on Keagan's room door. "Keagan, come on, let's eat breakfast! I made your favorite bacon and egg!" Albert pleaded.
After five minutes of no response, Albert opened the door slowly, only to find out that Keagan was nowhere to be found!
"Keagan?" Albert called out. He rushed to the closet and opened it, hoping that Keagan was just playing a round of hide and seek. To his dismay, there was no one in the closet. He panicked. Where is Keagan? Why isn't he in his room?
Albert took out his phone to call Keagan when a piece of paper flew to his foot.
Albert picked it up and squinted his eyes. The small and messy handwriting could belong to none other than his younger brother, Keagan.
'Hey Albert, By the time you see this, I would probably be somewhere out in the world, living the best time of my life. I've got only 5 years to live, and I would make sure it would be the best 5 years of my life. Don't be surprised if I steal the limelight of the news channel once in a while. Peace out!'
Albert's eyes turned blood red. Keagan just left like that? Leaving a piece of paper that wasn't even sincere enough for a good bye?
"KEAGANNN!!!"