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"At your current state, you seem to only have very limited time left. I'm sorry, Marvin" said Dr. Charlotte.
He could barely take care of himself anymore. He was rapidly losing weight and his memory was beginning to slip. Now, he lays in the same hospital bed Whizzer did, just 2 months prior. Marvin knew this was coming. "I understand, thank you."
Trina waited outside. She and Mendel had been asked to come, and Jason insisted on coming along. He still visited Whizzer's grave often, and isn't prepared to lose his father on top of his best friend. "You may come in," Dr. Charlotte said. "Thank you, Charlotte," Mendel replied quietly.
As the three enter the room, the mood instantly shifted. Marvin sat at the end of his bed, IV hooked into his arm, his gown hanging looser than before on his thinning frame. "Dad?" Jason asked, unsure if his father was even present. Marvin shakes himself back to reality. "Oh, hello." Marvin says, attempting warmth. Mendel lowered himself onto the chair next to Marvin's bed. "What's the diagnosis, how much time do you have now?" Trina paces the room, anxiety in every step.
"It could be anytime now." Marvin forced out. Mendel's breath caught, not being able to speak. Jason sharply turned to his father. "What.. No you can't, we just-" "Marvin.. You can't be serious," Trina said, her voice shaking. "I'm as serious as ever." Marvin responded. Mendel stood and moved towards his wife and wrapped his arms around her as she broke down, overwhelmed by the thought of her son losing his father.
Jason took Mendel's place, sitting beside his father. He leaned into him, sobbing. "You can't leave me, you just can't. Whizzer already did." Marvin held him tightly, "You are a strong man, Jason. Never forget that."
Dr. Charlotte reentered the room. "How are we feeling, Marvin?" "Like my life is breaking apart piece by piece," he said with a fragile sigh. She sat beside him, not just as his doctor, but as his friend. "I do, sadly, have to send you three home. Visiting hours are over."
Jason pulled away, wiping his face. "What if he dies tonight? What do we do then? I need to stay with him" "I can't promise anything, but I will contact your mother if anything changes." Trina pulls herself together, "Thank you. Please.. call me if anything happens" Trina responds. Mendel finally spoke again, "Marvin... push through, alright?" Marvin nodded, though he already knew that his time was up.
The three of them left, the room falling silent behind them. He begins to tear up as soon as the door shuts. "I'm dying tonight, I can feel it." He choked out. "Marvin, please... have hope," she replies softly. He coughs hard through his tears, his immune system barely hanging on through his pneumonia. She helped him lay back, adjusting his bed. "Thank you, for everything." He whispered. "You don't need to thank me for anything. I'm just doing my job." she replied. But, they both knew it was more that that. "I'll be back."
As she left, Marvin felt himself slipping away. He sat in his last moments, memories of his lover and his family. His wife, his child... he realized for the first time they would have to live without him. Which, at one point in his life he would've thought impossible. He was the glue that held them all together, tightly knit. But now, he realized they never needed him. Marvin wasnt a miracle, he never liked being Marvin. He tries to remember Whizzer's final moments, but the details don't come. He misses his lovers presence daily, damning this world for taking him away so soon. In his final moments, he reaches out for Whizzer's hand, as if he was still there to hold him. Then, everything stopped
The monitor went flat, Dr. Charlotte ran down the hall. When she reaches his room, no one was there yet. For a moment, she was alone. Alone with the weight of saving him. She starts compressions, calling out for help. As others arrive, they hesitate to step in.
Minutes passed. Too many. Marvin was gone. Her friend.. no, her family.
With shaking hands, she calls Trina. She barely gets the words out. "He's gone."
All that can be heard from the other line was Trina's violent sobs.