It was a cold autumn night, a light rain had begun to fall making a slight metallic sound as it connected with the few cars that lined the small parking lot, it could be heard running down the gutters from the one room on this side of the large building. Inside a man lay looking out the window from the sterile room on his raised bed, behind him a man in a white coat was talking to him but he couldn't hear him on account of the dull tone ringing in his ear.
"Is there anything to be done?" a concerned woman asked the man, "We might have had a chance if we caught it sooner" the man replied.
This was only one hospital of many, for the last two months he had been subjected to constant tests, when they finally came to find the problem it was already to late, he wasn't angry, he knew the doctors had done all they were able. Over the last few days he had been awake little, the meds they had been giving him had a side effect of drowsiness, he had given up fighting through the pain a while ago and welcomed sleep. He rolled over to face his mother who was putting on a brave face for him, he knew how she really felt how she had just wanted to cry on his behalf.
"Its alright," he comforted, "I've made it this long, I'll make it through you have nothing to worry about," this was of course a lie, he knew his body as well as the doctors did by this point, he knew it was just a matter of time now.
His mother seemed to calm at this, taking it he hadn't yet given up so she couldn't give up either, the doctor walked her from the room and escorted her to her car.
"Don't drive till you're ready" he counselled, she sat in her car listening to the patter of rain on the roof, her son hadn't given up so she couldn't give up on him she told herself, she knew though and began to cry softly.
The nurse set his dinner next to his bed, he took a look at it, dry pork, unsalted potatoes and bland flavorless vegetables, it didn't matter, even if it had flavor he knew it wouldn't stay down anyway, it had been a long time since he could hold down a meal. His nurse nodded knowingly and set down a vitamin drink next to the plate, He nibbled a bit at his meal then drank the nutritional supplement as was his custom before he turned away again.
The pain had begun again, he couldn't take his meds for another hour, they would usually give him over the counter drugs during that period but it wouldn't do much. The pain would spread quickly through all his bones to the point it felt like they were ripping him apart from the inside, he could always manage to avoid screaming out but he couldn't stifle the groans. Every time he tried to roll over when it was like this it felt like every one of his ribs had broken and he needed to use his arms to force himself onto his other side, the nurse came in with some water and acetaminophen. He took it knowing it wouldn't do much, it wasn't like it didn't help at all it was more that he barely noticed the change, he clicked on the small old fashioned television hanging on his wall.
There wasn't much on usually, mostly home and gardening shows, a few renovation shows and one that he had been hooked on in the last month a show about wilderness survival. He watched the tv trying not to move for the next hour, there was nothing more boring then being stuck to a bed, when he was working he craved the time off to just do nothing. Ten to twelve hour work days, usually six days a week, busier then the sky train during rush hour from start to finish, holidays off? not happening, he had spent more time with his family being hospitalized then he had been able to in the past three years.
His nurse finally came in with his meds, finally, he could take these and sleep for the next eight to twelve hours, she put down the pills and turned to leave, it was lights out now so he picked up the cup and took his medication quickly knowing the light would be shutting off soon. It hadn't, he looked up and the nurse seemed transfixed her hand on the light switch unmoving, he looked towards the door, the nurse station was the same frozen as if time had stopped.
An elderly man approached from around the corner, he was wearing an old time cloak that appeared as if he had gathered the darkest of shadows around himself. Stark white hair cascaded from a pulled up hood which showed no sign of a face, he could see two points of light which seemed to him to grow brightly like starlight in the night sky.
The man hobbled towards his bed bent over an old gnarled cane that both appeared to be refined but also as if it was hacked off an ancient oak tree at the same time. The old man looked at what appeared to be a photo in his hand then looked back up "This you?" he asked in a crackled and high pitched elderly voice.
the man looked at the photo, it was of him, he was bright in the picture all dressed up in his fine work clothes, clean shaven. He understood the old man's confusion, since he had come to the hospital he had deteriorated severely he was thin, his hair had grown scraggly and begun to gray prematurely.
"It is" the man replied, the old man leaned his walking stick against the wall and sat on the bed, "Shame" he said, "Young un jes beginnin ta make is dreams come true" he shook his head sadly. "Yer jes a whelp, barely begun ta live" the old man continued somberly.
The man was becoming angry, who was this old man to barge into his room and remind him of what he already knew, he knew it was a shame, he had just gotten a big promotion and then this! It had come on suddenly to, one day he just collapsed at work and was rushed to the hospital.
"Ye know, heard them doctors talkin, their takin ye to ospice tomorrer" the old man said, "Cancer, no more perfect killer there be" he continued. "An I be knowin" he said waving a finger at the man, "I've seen em all in me time."
The bedridden man was beginning to get annoyed, "I'm sorry old timer, if there is a point to this can you please get to it? I've taken my medication and I'm beginning to get quite drowsy" he said.
"What if I be tellin ya when ye go ta sleep tonight ye could wake up wit a whole new life" the old man said in all seriousness, before the young man's eyes the old fellow shifted, his back straightened his hair blackened and the bright glow from his eyes became more intense.
"I can't promise you your life will end any differently then this one has" the metamorphosed man announced "Even the gods cannot see all paths, such is the nature of life," he pulled back his hood and the man seemed to glow with an unnatural radiance.
"I am offering you a second chance, I'm doing this because you have lived an admirable life of selflessness, one that I wish more would follow." "As outlandish as this seems what do you have to lose by agreeing? maybe this is a dream? if you agree what harm does it do? your current life can hardly get worse" the voice seemed to radiate power and wisdom.
The cancer patient was overcome, transfixed, he nodded his head unable to speak in the presence of this otherworldly being, his thoughts reached the revealed deity anyhow.
"I don't care if it ends up the same, you never know if you don't try, maybe it will be different this time, I may be crazy, I may be dreaming, but I'll be dead in a few days anyway so what will it hurt.
The unmasked god nodded knowingly and seemed to melt into the shadows of the room as time began to move once again, the light flicked off and the nurse closed the door, he could hear the bustle of the night staff going about their duties outside the room. He was confused, beginning to think the cancer must have entered his brain he lay back down and slowly drifted off to sleep.
He looked down at his sleeping body, he seemed to be floating, rising higher towards the ceiling, as he turned to look above him the roof was glowing a shimmering blue hue, he could see through the building itself and the night sky above. His pale translucent form was drawn towards this strange anomaly, he felt both afraid and at peace at the same time, the door below him burst open and nurses and doctors rushed in. The last thing he saw was someone he didn't recognize drawing a blanket over the face of his sleeping form.