Mark walked into the house spotting Jack sitting on the sofa watching TV, Mark figured that he could slip by and up the stairs unnoticed for after his experience that day he didn't really want to talk to Jack or anyone for that matter. "Hey Markimoo how'd it go at the doctors?" Jack called "dam it" Mark cursed under his breath "oh, you know." Mark then started to walk up the stairs. "What did he say, it was just migraines right?" Mark nodded.
"I told you so." Jack patted Mark on the back and then went back into the living room. Mark walked upstairs to their bedroom, where he plopped down on the bed face first. "God, please make me better soon please don't let Jack find out." Mark turned over onto his back looking up at the ceiling as his tears began to fall.
Jack walked into the bedroom where he found Mark reading a book "Hey Mark" he sat on the bed Mark looked up surprised and threw the book to the other side of the bed onto the floor. "Hey Jack" he forced a smile. "What are you ready?" Jack asked leaning over and picking up the book from the floor. Mark snatched it from him and put it behind his back "nothing just some book, you know."
Jack reached behind Mark and took the book, he looked at the cover of the small book and read the title. "Mark, why exactly are you reading a book on cerebral cancer?" The room fell silent and Mark turned his gaze away from Jack. "Mark, Mark answer me." Jack said to Mark. Mark looked at Jack with tears in his brown eyes. "Because Jack, I have cerebral cancer." Jack's mouth dropped in shock before he sat the book down, stood up from the bed and backed away from it.
"Jack, where are you going say something, Sean?" Mark looked at Jack and Jack saw tears in his eyes. "I have to go" and with that Jack ran from the room. Mark's tears increased and he picked up the book and flung it across the room before falling back onto his pillow to do what he did every night since his diagnoses cry himself to sleep.
The next morning Jack was sitting on the steps in the foyer when Mark walked through the front door, he looked at the one person he knew and loved for six years and turned away immediately. Jack why are you treating me like I'm contagious?" "Because Mark you lied to me, you said that it was migraines. You were going to keep it from me, weren't you?" Mark looked at Jack "no Jack I was going to tell you when I got ready and I figured out how exactly to go about telling you" Mark said.
Things were quiet for a few moments before Jack broke the silence "how bad is it, I mean, the doctors they can cure it right?" Mark lowered his head before shaking it "what do you mean no?" Jack questioned. "No they caught it too late and there's nothing that they can do about it." Jack looked up at Mark as his tears began to cloud up his blue eyes again. Mark sat down on the step next to Jack before hugging him close as he too began to cry.
Later that evening. "Okay Jack, why'd you decide to have a meeting tonight? "I happen to have a date with my wife Wade said to Jack as Mark and Jack's closest friends sat in Jack and Mark's living room for the emergency meeting Jack had called. "It won't take long, Wade you won't miss your date I'm sure" Jack said. "Well, can we hurry it up?" Bob and Matthias said. The movie is about in thirty-five minutes."Bob said looking at his watch.
"Okay, then I'm sorry that I've messed up your evening and I figured you could spare two minutes to tell you that I'm dying there you go that's my news, now you go to your movie and on you stupid date!" Mark said in an agitated tone. "You're what?!" Wade said, for Mark now had the full attention of the other guys. Mark sighed "I'm dying, I have cerebral cancer and it can't be cured. Mark repeated in a calmer tone. "But, that won't be for a while right? I mean, you'll still be alive for a couple of more years or so?" Bob asked.
"Bob, I don't know the doctors say I have some time, but I don't know exactly how long it will be" Mark said. The other guys went quiet as they sat back on the sofa in alarm and anguish. "That's all, you guys can go now" Jack said. "I don't feel like going to the movies anymore" Bob said. "Me either." Matt agreed. "I don't feel like going out "Wade said. "Guys, go out enjoy life" Mark said.
"I can't enjoy it knowing that you're about to die" Bob said before his tears fell causing the other two guys to start crying to. "Bob don't cry, I'll be here for a long while you'll see. Mark hugged his friend before they all shared one big embrace.
One month later
"SEAN!" Jack hurriedly ran from the kitchen of he and Mark's home to their bedroom where he heard the scream come from, he rushed into the room to spot Mark lying on the floor crying and holding his head in his hands. "Mark, Mark what's the matter?!" Jack knelt down on the floor next to Mark and pulled him close to him. "My head, Jack it hurts so badly." Mark whimpered "okay, Mark I'll call Dr. Anderson right now, okay?" "Did you take something for it?"
"Nothing works Jack, please make it better" Mark cried. "Okay, Mark its going to be okay just stay there." Jack said then grabbing his phone and called Mark's oncologist.
At the hospital
"Sean, let me talk to you out here for a moment" Mark's doctor said to Jack and Jack followed the doctor out of the clinic office. "Yes, Dr. Anderson?" "Sean, I'm afraid that my news about Mark isn't happy news" Dr. Anderson said. "What? He's okay, right?" Jack said. "Sean, Mark's tumor has grown in size massively over the past few months and what was once the size of a small tomato is now bigger then a tennis ball."
"What?" Jack exclaimed. "How could you people let this happened, why won't you do anything?!" Jack screamed, eliciting some stares from other people around him. "Sean, listen please you have to understand that doing surgery would have most likely killed him and neither radiation therapy nor chemo would do any good. There is nothing that we can do to help him" Dr. Anderson tried to explain to Jack.
"Well, can you give him something for the pain?" "I can increase his milligrams in the medicine he's taking and we'll see if that works." "So, he, how long left?" Jack tried to hold in his tears. "I don't know, but I predict it will not be much longer I, personally, will give him three months at the most but Sean, until that time, I suggest that you all continue with your plans. I've spoken with Mark and he says he wants to continue his life as it is. "Does he know about how long he has left?" "I have explained it thoroughly to him and he seems to understand but Sean, he needs you now, try to make his last few days alive worth it" Dr. Anderson said.
"No need to worry, Dr. Anderson I will make sure that Mark has the best few months of his life."
Five weeks later.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday Mark! Happy birthday to you! Bob, Wade, Matthias and a few other friends sang at Mark's 27th small birthday celebration at their house. "Thanks guys this is so cool!" Jack laughed at Mark and began to cut his cake. "I know, you rock Mark" Jack said. "It was no biggie we figured you could use the surprise" Bob said. "Aww, thanks guys." Jack passed Mark a slice of cake.
"Hey, you needed some cheering up" Wade said. Mark forced a smile before he sat down his own plate of cake and left the kitchen. Jack followed him, sensing something was wrong. "Mark, what's wrong, Mark?" Jack found Mark laying in their bed "my head hurts, I'm going to lie down for a little while." "Oh, okay I understand I'll be back with the other guys, if you need any of us holler for us, okay?"
Jack said and Mark nodded before taking off his glasses and turning over closing his eyes. Jack went back to the kitchen "what's with Mark?" Bob asked. "Headaches" Jack said. "He's okay, though right?" Wade said. "Yeah he's probably just a little tired too." Jack said joining the other guys in eating cake. "Oh" Wade said "goodnight Mark, sweet dreams, we love you!" he yelled loudly, Goodnight Mark! the other guys screamed.
The next morning
"Mark, Mark wake up its two in the afternoon we need to start making our skit with team edge in an hour!" Jack yelled at Mark from the kitchen of their house. Jack walked to the bedroom and opened the door and walked over to Mark and proceeded to shake Mark in an attempted to wake him.
"Mark?" Jack said, when he realized his shaking was doing nothing, Jack pressed his head to Mark's chest, no heartbeat, no signs of breathing. Jack fought the urge to faint and got enough energy in his legs to run out of the room and to the backyard to find Matt, Joey and Bryan.
One week later
Jack stared down at the closed casket, which held Mark. Most of the guest had left the cemetery and were on their way to the get together after the funeral. Jack wasn't ready to leave yet, he felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped before turning to spot Bob, Wade, Matt, Joey, Bryan and even chicka was there she had the saddest look in her eyes she knew her master was gone.
"How you holding up, Jack?" Wade asked. "Guys, why him, why did it have to be Mark, why couldn't it have been someone else. Why couldn't it have been me, why him?" Jack cried, falling to the ground tears beginning to fall from his eyes for the first time that day. The other guys looked at each other before sitting down on the ground next to their weeping friend all of them knowing that nothing would ever be the same again.
The end.