Success should no longer be based on what you win, but rather on how much you've lost. Supposedly, all things happen for a reason, that being the only form of consolation one can find in the death of a friend. Mercy was the least deserving person for death. Spending her whole life immersed in her study of medicine, she spent every moment of her life dedicated to helping cure sickness and disease. But she kept a secret from everyone. A secret as to why she was still alive.
By conventional terms, the mission was a success. The bad guys lost, and the heroes saved the day once more. Everyone was celebrating, save for one person. Mercy. Immediately after the mission, she left for her room. She claimed to be ill, and that was the truth. However, Commander Morrison was quite concerned about the well-being of the medic. It was unheard of for her to get sick. The nanites within her always kept her healthy. So for Mercy to be exhibiting signs of illness, there was something wrong, very wrong.
Upon arriving at Mercy's room, Commander Morrison knocked on the door.
"Mercy, are you feeling alright? Can I come in?"
No response. From within, he could hear lots of coughing.
"Mercy I'm coming in."
Opening the door, Commander Morrison was met with a sight he'd never forget. In front of him knelt Mercy who was doubled over in pain. Hardly able to breathe, she was coughing up blood. Tears cascaded from her eyes, and she sobbed through each painful cough.
"Oh my god, Mercy!"
Rushing over to her, the commander knelt beside her and tried to help her. All Mercy did was turn away.
"Please! Let me help you!"
"*Cough cough cough* you *cough cough* c-*cough cough* can't *cough cough cough*"
"There must be something I can do! Please!"
All she could do was shake her head.
In truth, Commander Morrison cared deeply for Mercy. She was strong, smart, witty, and above all, beautiful. Seeing her like this crushed him. He decided to sit with her, as it was all he could do. It only lasted a minute more, but to him, it felt like a lifetime. Each cough of hers brought a tightness to his own chest.
Finally, she was through.
"Mercy, please let me help. Tell me what that was."
"I-it was nothing. Please, it's nothing to worry about."
"I don't believe that for one moment." Lifting up one of Mercy's hands that were covered in blood, "This is nothing to worry about? No. As your Commander, I demand that you tell me."
There was a pregnant pause between them. Finally, Mercy broke it.
"Okay, but let me first clean up."
Nodding, Commander Morrison watched her get up and head to her restroom. In the meantime, he cleaned up the blood that spattered the floor where she knelt. It killed him to use such a hard tone on her. But he meant well, all he could hope for was that she saw it that way too.
Coming back, Mercy sat on the edge of her bed until the Commander was finished.
"What can I say to ease your mind?"
"To start, how about you tell me what's wrong?"
"As I said before, it's nothing to worry yourself about."
"Bullshit. All of it. Now's not the time to be modest. I want answers."
She was stunned. It was rarely that anyone ever saw the Commander so crossed. So angry. And Mercy of all people never thought that she'd ever be the person it was directed at. It took her a few moments to collect her thoughts.
"Promise me one thing: if I tell you, you'll leave it be."
At this point, he was desperate for answers. Anything that would help him save his angel.
"I promise. Yes. Anything. Now please, please tell me what's wrong."
The pleading was apparent in his voice. It only added more gravity to the mood in the room.
"I… I am dying, Commander. I have late stage lung cancer. There is nothing that can be done."
Commander Morrison sat in shocked silence. Tears welled in his eyes. He thought that whatever ailed Mercy was curable.
"N-no! There must be something that can be done! Some form of treatment o-or a drug…"
"I've already said there is nothing that can be done. Why do you continue?"
"BECAUSE I CARE, DAMMIT!"
Now it was Mercy's turn to be shocked. She never expected this type of reaction, especially from the commander.
"Because I care about you, Angela! Why didn't you tell me sooner? We could have looked for a cure. We could have found a way.
Tears spilled from his eyes.
Sighing, Mercy began. "By the time it was diagnosed, it was already too late. It wasn't any normal form of lung cancer. The cancer within me is a mutated version, never before seen by any medical persons. There was no 'if' in terms of a cure. All I could do was wait it out until the day comes. I had actually developed the nanotechnology in the hopes of finding a cure. Alas, there was none to be found. In the end, the nanites inside me are the reason that I've been alive this long. They've helped slow the progression of the cancer, but as you just witnessed, they haven't stopped it."
All color had drained from the Commander's face. When he spoke, it was a hoarse whisper.
"How much longer? How long do you have to live?"
"Well, judging from my latest symptoms: mere hours."
This was the final thing that broke him. He broke down in front of her. He was supposed to be the one comforting her in the final hours of her life. Instead, he found himself unable to speak as his words were choked by sobs.
"Please Angela. Y-you can't…"
More tears. Seeing him like this brought Mercy to tears as well. Were they out of confusion? Sadness? Condolence? She'd never know, but she cried right along side him.
"Please Angela. Don't leave me. I-I-I love you."
Those three words. Three simple words. They were enough to flip Mercy's world upside down. For a while, they sat there letting their tears fall. It took a while, but they finally regained their composure.
"C-Commander..."
"Jack. Call me… Jack"
"Jack, I do have one wish before I go."
"I'll do anything."
"I'm tired. Will you lay with me so that I won't be alone when I go?"
"...Yes."
Getting into bed with her, Jack lay beside Angela. He held her in his arms.
"Thank you, Jack. This means a lot to me."
"You're welcome. I'd do anything for you."
They laid there is silence for a while, sleep beginning to pull their eyelids closed. That was until Angela broke the silence with a whisper.
"Jack, I've loved you from the first day I met you. And now that I know that you've loved me too, I only wish we had more time to spend together. Just you and me."
Tears crawled their way back to Jack's eyes.
"I know angel, I know. I feel the same way."
"Just know, I'll always be looking over you. Watching for you. I'll be waiting for you on my path to the sun."
"I love you Angela."
"I love you too Jack. Goodnight, and goodbye."
With that, they closed their eyes, and parted ways. Life taking Jack one way, and death taking Angela another. But true to her word, she'd wait for Jack so they can make their journey into the sun together.