1. Bad news

In memory of Cameron Boyce 💔

Carlos' P.O.V.

"I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything better." I stared at the doctor with my mouth open and my eyes wide. The information came through to me slowly and yet I couldn't get it into my head.

"How long?", I asked in a shaky voice.

"How long do I have time?" The doctor took the glasses off his nose and put them on the table in front of him.

"It's difficult to say. But at most six months." Everything in me contracted. Half a year? A damn half a year now?! That was nothing! Nothing at all! I just kept staring at the doctor. How was that possible? I had never assumed that this was behind my continued tiredness, the strong headache and the pain and small cramps in the muscles!

"I'm really, really sorry." But I didn't hear that anymore, because I jumped up and ran out of the room. It was all impossible! I couldn't die! And how should I explain this to my friends, please? My heart contracted at the thought of Mal, Evie, and Jay. We were like a family. We had been through so much together. We had grown up in a cruel place and only survived together. Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back. I didn't want to cry! But I didn't know what to do next. I only had half a year to live! If any! And I would have to take a lot of pain medication to somehow endure. I hadn't remembered the name of the disease, but I knew what would happen to me. I just ran until I got to my room and slammed the door behind me. Fortunately, I hadn't met any of my friends. Luckily my room was also empty because I and Jay had one together. Usually, I always thought it was perfect, but right now I just wanted to be alone.

"Carlos?" I sighed softly as my other roommate remembered me and turned to the little dog on my bed.

"Where have you been?" He jumped off the bed, shook himself and came running towards me. Sometimes I really hated that Mal accidentally got him to talk.

"Only outside." I hadn't told anyone about my appointment and problems because I didn't think it was important and didn't want to worry anyone.

"And why didn't you take me with you?" My nerves were no longer there after this news and I really didn't feel like talking to Dude now. It could be really exhausting and I really couldn't use that now.

"Don't be angry with me, Dude, but could you leave me alone?" Dude cocked his head and looked at me questioningly.

"Are you all right, Carlos?" I nodded quickly and before he could continue I raised him, opened the door and, despite his protest, put him in front of it.

"I'm sorry. I really have to be alone now." And then I closed the door. I usually loved my best friend's company, but now I really didn't want to see anyone. I went over to my bed and let myself fall on it. How should I teach it the others? I would die, damn it! And very soon! My hands clenched into fists and I just wanted to scream. None of this could be true! Just where I thought everything would be fine, something came! The last time hadn't been easy. At first, we had huge problems settling in and didn't know what we wanted and then Mal escaped from her duties as a queen and we had to go back to our island and face Uma and her pirates. To make matters worse, Ben had been kidnapped and enchanted. When that was all resolved, I was hoping to finally get some rest, but now that was coming. I had been pretty sick for a while but had never noticed it because there weren't really good doctors on our island. I sighed and turned around in my bed. What should I do?