Chapter 11
After spending a few hours in the office, and attending several meetings like never before, Alex finally drives out of the company.
Arriving at the front of the magnificent hospital about twenty minutes later, he hops out of the car and strides to the entrance door. Arriving at the doctor's office a few minutes later, he places a soft knock on it and waits for the doctor's voice to usher him in.
"Come in," Following the doctor's voice, he pushes the door open and walks in to see him sitting behind his desk as usual, while having all his attention on the file on his table as he checks them out.
The doctor raises his gaze from the book, and a smile plasters on his face as soon as he sees Alex.
"Hey, Alex," The young doctor smiles at him.
"Joe... It has been a while," He says, pulling out a chair to sit on. Joe and Alex have been best friends since high school. Just ten years ago, Joe went to Texas to study medicine, and he came back to New York five years ago as a certified medical doctor, and so far, he has been the best among the rest of the doctors in town, with many awards, and still counting.
After Alex was diagnosed with a brain tumor years ago, he has been taking good care of his best friend and trying to keep the cells in check.
"I wasn't expecting to see you. I hope I'm safe?" Joe teases him as he watches him sit on the chair.
"You're not safe. I'm here to torment you as always," he smirks at Joe, earning a scoff from him.
"You're now married and you feel like I'm not serious with my life, yeah? That's sad. I miss when you were still a bachelor like myself. We could party and go clubbing together, but not anymore. I wouldn't want your wife to skin me alive for misleading her precious and loyal husband," Joe says and chuckles softly.
"I told you to get married. You're not getting any younger..."
"Coming from someone who always talked bad about marriage. What the hell changed about you, Alex? I must commend your wife for doing a good job to your brain because it was never making sense," Joe teases him, and they both laugh.
"Honestly on a serious note, Joe, you need to get married, OK? You're thirty-three for fuck sake. Can you settle down already and stop dedicating all your life to your work and career? At least let me carry my friend's child before I die," He says, emphasizing the last part while trying to hide his pain with a smile, but it's still obvious anyway.
"I told you to stop talking about death, Alex. Nothing is going to happen to you, OK?" Joe tries to assure him, even if he knows that it's going to eventually happen.
"I'll be fine. I just have to stop thinking about it, OK?" He chuckles dryly with pain resounding in his voice.
"Did you hear from Leo? I heard he's coming back to New York soon. I have missed him so much," Joe says, trying to change the topic and brighten the atmosphere. The three of them have been friends for many years before each of them had to choose a path at a point in their lives.
"Yeah, he told me that already. I don't know when he's going to be back anyway," He shrugs.
"I'm jealous of you two. I'm the only bachelor amongst us now. I feel like getting married soon," Joe whines, and he rolls his eyes.
"You should tell me if you can't find a wife since you're too busy. I can link you up with someone. Or what do you think?" He smirks at Joe.
"No, thank you. I will find a wife by myself. I don't trust you to that extent, man," Joes says, and they both chuckle.
"Whatever!" He rolls his eyes, and an awkward silence sets in afterward.
"You're here for your chemotherapy treatment, yeah?" Joe finally breaks the awkward silence, and he slowly nods his head. He remembers when he used to force Alex to take the treatment, but he chose death. It hurts him to see him trying so hard to live, it hurts to see his friend struggling so much to live now, but what hurts more is knowing that life may not give him the chance to.
"I don't want to die, Joe..." He begins and smiles painfully as a drop of tears slid down the corner of his cheek.
"Even if I wanted to, not anymore. I don't want to leave Lilian... I want to stay with her. I didn't have any reason to keep on fighting, but not anymore. Lilian... I don't want to leave her," More tears stream down his cheeks as he turns his face away. The pain he has to take in him, the smile he has to put on to hide his pain and pretend to be fine.
"You'll be fine, OK? Don't think about it," Even if Joe knows that this is just an empty assurance, he knows that he still has to give it to him to give him hope.
"Hmm," He nods his head regardless of him not having any hope.
After spending another hour in the hospital, he finally left for his house in the same condition. There has not been any improvement in his health, but only getting worsens, which means that his death is also drawing near him.
Driving down the road, the sound of his ringing phone pulls his attention, and he parks at the side of the road for safety before he reaches out to his phone that's on the car's safe. Seeing the strange number that called him earlier the previous day displayed on the screen, he sighs briefly before he swipes the answer button and put the call on speaker.
"What do you want, Zora?" He snaps angrily as soon as he answers the call...