The next day, Claire woke up because someone was knocking on her door. She looked at the grandfather clock across her room and noticed the time. "Six in the morning... such an early visitor. " She stood up from her bed, still dressed in her blue striped pajamas and whistled for her dog to come. She patted its head and went to the door.

Tim stood outside her door looking very sad. Claire braced herself for another medical lynching, but none came.

"Could you let me in?" he asked. His voice sounded as if the world collapsed around him. She flinched again. This is what she dreaded all along; that she got too close to somebody and that they'd worry about her and they'd confront her about it. She moved to Mineral Town because nobody knows her there, nobody would get attached and nobody would mourn her passing.

"Claire?" she figured that with the way he looks, he probably figured out her secret. And why not? He is a doctor after all.

"Please come in, doctor. I'm sorry I didn't have the time to clean up, I wasn't expecting you, so... just please wait in the living room." She ushered him to sit on her sofa and she prepared a cup of warm milk for him. Her dog bounded happily to her but she ignored it. "Here doc, I don't have coffee, so I hope this would do." He smiled and accepted the warm milk, she took it as a good sign. Little did she know that he is a sucker for milk recipes...

"Doc, if you don't mind, can I put on some decent clothes?"

"Go ahead"

She returned a few minutes later wearing her usual overalls, and the usual checkered blouse. "What brings you here?"

"Claire, how long have you had leukemia?"

"almost a year, I think."

"Why didn't you take chemotherapy procedures? "

"I... I didn't have the money then."

"Well, now that you have the money. Why did you still not take the procedures?"

"I didn't have the time. I still have to take care of my animals."

The doctor widened his eyes as if to say "that's a load of bull crap!" but he kept quiet anyway. "It seems like you're slowly killing yourself. " he said sadly. "Claire, some leukemia patients survive you know, if they undergo the proper therapies and all..."

"Doctor, what's the probability of my surviving this thing?"

Tim couldn't bring himself to answer, "you wouldn't like it," was all that he said.

"I didn't like it when my city doctor told me I have only three more years to live."

Tim clenched his fists on his pants, Claire saw it and thought that the doctor is in an inner turmoil. "Just tell me doctor, what is my survival rate?"

"40, but Claire-"

"I was given this sickness for a reason, I believe. You see, I think my time is drawing near and I have to make the best out of everything. I am doing what I've always wanted to do, I am quite happy too… but I do know that I have to leave this world soon because that's what's supposed to happen. It's my fate."

"But I cannot sit idly knowing that you are dying and knowing that I can help prevent it. You have a 40 chance of survival and it's bigger than the 10 other patients have. Please Claire, get a chemotherapy while it's not too late. We can still save your life! "

"Tim, I am prepared to meet the goddess, " she said it calmly and with a smile on her face that all of that frustration in him broke his spirit that he just cried. It was the first time that Claire saw a crying man, and one so dear to her too. She put a hand on his shoulder and told him "there, there…"

"Do you think that your situation is hopeless? Why are you giving up on life Claire? You're still too young to die, you still have more dreams to attain. You can still have children, grandchildren…"

"Do you pity me because I'm dying?"

"No, I don't pity you at all, I want you to live! why would you give that blessing up?"

"Tim, I'm not giving that blessing up. I'm just prepared to meet my maker."

"Claire… what about the future?" he wiped his eyes and a blush appeared on his face.

"To be honest, I really don't care. " Tim clenched his fists harder this time.

"You don't? you don't care at all that, that you'll leave behind your loved ones and those who love you?"

She hid her eyes from him with her bangs so that he can't see the tears forming in her eyes. "All those who love me are dead."

"I'm not dead yet! " He shouted. Realizing what he just said, he suddenly stood from the sofa and bolted right out of the door.

"Tim…" she whispered to thin air as tears rolled down her face.