For Life?
It was a warm bright sunny day outside."Ron are you sure its ok for you to be outside like this when you're so sick?"
"Kim being outside on a beautiful day like this, with you, is the best thing for me right now." Ron sat down on a bench and motioned for Kim to sit next to him. "Its ok Kim, you won't get sick off me or anything." When she sat down he pulled her in close to him. "I have a confession to make. I…I wrote that letter to tell you that I love you. I was so scared at the time that I couldn't think of a better way of telling you. I hope that you understand why. Why I couldn't tell you to your face how I felt. I have been wanting to tell you for a long time now. But now what with your being with Josh, I didn't want to make you think you had to choose between us. I always wished that it could have been me instead of him; but I want you to know that I think that Josh is really a great guy. No matter what I have said about him in the past. I only want you to be happy…"
Her concern for him reached a new high. "Ron why are you telling me all this? What's wrong?"
Ron pulled her in closer to him, holding her head against him when he told her. "Kim I…I have cancer."
"What?" Kim pulled her head away to look at him, she was scared now. She began to cry. "Can't they treat you, do chemo or something, anything?"
"No. Its too late for any of that. It was too late to do anything by the time I found out about it."
"How is that possible?" She choked out the words between her tears.
"Sunday, after dinner, I coughed up some blood. Mom and Dad took me to the Emergency Room. The Doctors took a chest X-ray. That's when they told me that I had cancer. They did an MRI to see how widespread it was. It was everywhere bone, muscle, lungs, liver, even my brain. They think it was a side effect from using the 'Molecular Muscle Enhancer Ring'. It must have forced the cancer through my entire system and augmented its growth." Ron remained very calm through his explanation.
"How can you be so laid back about this Ron? Having cancer. I'd be scared senseless."
"Kim I am scared right now. But I can deal with it, because I know what it is, being scared. It's what I don't know that scares me. Like not knowing how long…" His voice broke slightly. "…I have left."
"…no…" She buried her head in his chest, sobbing.
He held her close, rocking her gently in his arms. "Kim please don't cry. You'll be alright. You'll get through this. You're the strong one, always remember that." He began to shiver slightly, like he was cold. Kim said nothing, she just kept crying.
"Kim I want you to know that all these years of being your friend. They meant a lot to me. You are the only true friend I ever had. Even when I didn't deserve to have you as one. All the times I screwed up. All the times I used my friendship with you as leverage against you. I'm sorry." Ron kissed her forehead.
"I haven't exactly always been the best friend to you either Ron…Whenever Josh was around I…I always treated you so badly. I took you for granted…I lied to you…I wasn't a good friend…I never deserved someone as nice as you…I'm sorry."
"Kim. All those things, all the times I thought you were doing things a friend wouldn't do…" He coughed, "I never stopped…loving you." He stopped shivering and Kim felt his grip on her loosen.
"Ron? Ron? Oh god…Don't do this to me…This isn't happening." She shook him gently, then not so gently. "Ron wake up. I love you. Please wake up. God no…no…no." She cried. Holding him in her arms.
THE END?
