"How's Dad?"
"Not too good."
"How is he, Genie?"
"The doc says he won't live through the night."
Aladdin's face drained of all color.
"No."
The young prince raced inside. He darted up the stairs, down the hall, and stopped at the door of his father's room. He slowly opened the door.
Jasmine was sitting in one of the chairs next to the bed, Iago and Abu were on the bed by Cassim's head, and Rajah lay at the foot of the bed.
They looked over at the sound of the door slowly opening.
"Aladdin."
Jasmine quietly ran to him and buried her face in his shoulder.
"Jasmine, are you all right?"
"Yeah."
"How's Dad doing?"
Jasmine lifted her head and looked at him. Aladdin saw tears trickling down her face.
"He's dying."
Aladdin gasped quietly. Rajah went over to Aladdin, but he accidentally stepped on his foot.
"Ouch! Rajah!"
Aladdin slapped his hands over him mouth. They all looked at Cassim. The man stirred and opened his eyes.
"Aladdin?"
"Oops. Sorry, Dad."
"I take it Rajah stepped on your foot."
"Yeah."
Just then the royal physician came in.
"I think it's best that you go now."
The gang quietly left.
Late that night Aladdin and Jasmine were awaken by a soft knock on their door. Aladdin opened it and was surprised to see the royal physician.
"What is it?"
"It's your father."
Instantly Aladdin and Jasmine were filled with fear.
"Is he all right?"
"He's asking for you, Prince Aladdin."
Aladdin grabbed his shirt and headed to his father's room. He pulled his shirt on while he walked. The young prince opened the door and shut it behind him. He heard Cassim saying his name again.
He walked over to the bed quickly and knelt down beside it.
"Easy, Dad. I'm here."
At the sound of his son's voice Cassim's eyes fluttered open.
"Aladdin."
Oh! His once handsome, deep, rich voice was now hoarse and weak.
"I'm here, Dad."
"Aladdin, listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"There is a jewel that is said to grant someone's great wish, whatever it may be. It lays hundreds of miles south of here in the Cave of Doom."
Aladdin gulped quietly.
"It's impossible to survive the Cave of Doom."
"I'm not finished. Don't interrupt."
"Sorry."
Aladdin felt like a little kid. Yet in a way he was happy to be scolded by his father! He missed out on that as a child.
"It is also said that one who enters the cave in vain will not survive, but one who enters the cave for others willl not meet any obtacles."
"So what you're saying is..."
"If you go to the Cave of Doom for others, not yourself, you will get the jewel and live, but if you go in vain you will join your mother and I in death."
"Dad, you're not going to die! Stop talking like that!"
"Why do you think I waited until now to tell you about the jewel if I wasn't going to die?"
"Uh..."
"That's why I'm telling you about. If you do go to the Cave of Doom, go for your mother and I. I want her to meet the gang, esspecially Jasmine. She deverves to meet her daughter-in-law some other place besides Heaven. And there is so much I want to share with her."
"Why didn't you ever go to get her back?"
"I would have gone in vain, for myself."
"Oh."
Suddenly Cassim started to breathe akwardly!
"Dad? Dad, are you okay? Dad?"
Cassim reached his right hand out towards his son. He placed in on Aladdin's cheek. A weak smile formed on his lips.
"Good-bye, my son." he wheezed.
With that Cassim passed on into paradise!
Even thought he planned to do just as his father had said to do if he went to the Cave of Doom, Aladdin could not stop the tears from flowing down his face. His father was dead,... for now.