In a plain white room with one window a single boy lay on a thin bed. He was surrounded by many different medical devices and beeping equipment. He looked underweight, sickly so and even had an IV drip in his arm.
Despite this, the boy let out a calm sigh, as if he was in no pain at all, and turned his head to face the window. The view outside wasn't much to cheer about, just a parking lot with a few cars placed here and there. Even so, the boy still took his time to admire the view.
Suddenly, the door to the room was pushed open causing the boy to turn his head in that direction.
"Atlas! I have bad news." The voice came from a man who seemed to be in his mid twenties, he had jet black hair and hazel eyes. The clothes he wore seemed akin to something like a doctor's uniform.
The boy laying on the bed, Atlas, couldn't help but give up a weak smile, "Dr Zane." He answered, "How was your shift today?" He asked curiously.
The doctor seemed confused by his question but still he mustered up a smile, "It was good we weren't too busy today." He answered the boy honestly.
"That's good to hear." Atlas responded with a smile and a nod, "So what news do you have Doctor Zane?" He questioned with a slight tilt to his head.
Before Zane spoke he seemed to hesitate, holding onto his clipboard tightly, "Well... The higher-ups have decided there is no way for us to help you anymore..." He responded weakly but still keeping eye contact.
"They want me to pull the plug at exactly midnight..." He added on with a crestfallen expression.
Atlas went silent. The entire room would've been if it wasn't from the accursed machinery he had to listen to every single day.
"I see.." He realized quietly, this would be the end of his life of suffering. He should be happy, but yet, tears swelled his eyes.
"I'm so sorry Atlas... I wish I could do more!" Zane shouted, he was angry. It was clear to Atlas that Zane was blaming himself.
"I don't want you blaming yourself, Zane.." Atlas spoke up weakly as he attempted to stop the tears pouring from his eyes using the hospital bedsheet.
"Despite it being short... I've enjoyed my life! And that's all thanks to you!" Atlas announced proudly ignoring the tears that he couldn't prevent escaping his eyes. His words were simple but they did wonders, Zane nodded and wipped the tears from his eyes.
"We cant having your last memories being all sad now can we!" He announced loudly, his voice still somewhat hitched as he spoke.
Atlas' agreeingly nodded and then the two of them began to recall all the time they had spent together.
Soon after Atlas was born the hospital realized that he had been born with an incurable disease that made it impossible for him to leave the hospital. The burden was just too much and the same day his parents ran away abandoning him at the hospital.
Lucky for Atlas the hospital staff decided to take him in, specfically Doctor Zane. From then on the Hospital staff treated Atlas as much as they could. They hosted charity funds to get him games and entertainment which they couldn't afford, they kept him company after they finished their shifts, and overall they treated him as if he was a normal boy.
There would always be things Atlas would never be able to do but yet he never complained about anything to the staff, he had a heart of gold.
Atlas would often talk to the staff about the things he would do if he ever got cured one day. An often subject would be to attend school. To most kids school was hell but Atlas, he just wanted the opportunities to make friends.
As the night passed on Zane and Atlas continued to play video games and eat snacks, careless of the amount of time passing around them.
Because Atlas was unable to leave the hospital room he had became very capable when it came to video games and Zane always found it incredibly challenging to defeat him no matter what game they played.
Atlas would of course use this to heavily brag everytime he won, though Zane wasn't bothered by the bragging because he knew the moment he won he would return it tenfold. Atlas knew it too which is why neither of them held back or let the other win.
Sadly for Zane, Atlas was just too good.
Eventually, hours had passed and a small alarm went off on Zane's phone. The simple ringing tone had his heart fall to the depths of his chest.
He dropped his controller and picked up his phone with frightening haste, the clock on his phone struck midnight. The colours drained from his face.
"Zane? Watcha doing? Everything alright." Finishing his sentence Atlas took a peek at the Doctor's phone.
His body sunk as he got a depressing slap from reality, it was midnight already. That meant it was time for him to pass on. The hospital managers really were cruel... They didn't care for him they only saw him as a waste of space. He had known this for years now but knowing they truly will have him killed stings.
"Zane... Please just do it quickly... This is my final request." Atlas spoke quietly, just enough for the doctor to hear.
Zane weakly stood up and tumbled over to Atlas, leaning down he wrapped his arms tightly around him.
"I'm sorry Atlas, I wish I could've done more for you..." He mumbled as he moved away from the hug and towards the shut-off button of the machinery.
Atlas shakily shut his eyes, "May God guide you into a wonderful new life of proesperity...." Was the last thing he heard before the buzzing and beeping of machinery disappeared.