The hospital room smelled like disinfectant and old hope.Alex Lee sat on the edge of the cold examination bed, tapping his foot so hard the floor probably thought it was being drilled into.
He hated hospitals.He hated waiting rooms.But today?He hated silence the most.
The doctor walked in with a folder tucked under one arm, glasses sliding down his nose, and that serious expression all doctors get when they're about to say something life-shattering but gently — like sprinkling powdered sugar on a grenade.
"Alex," the doctor began, "I want you to take a deep breath."
Alex laughed nervously."When someone says that before giving you news, it's never good news."
The doctor didn't deny it.
"Your scans came back," he continued softly. "The growth we saw… it's advancing faster than expected."
Alex felt his stomach fall. "How fast?"
The doctor hesitated, the way a human hesitates when the truth feels too heavy to deliver.
"Three months," he finally said. "At most."
The room went cold.The doctor's voice kept going, but Alex only heard pieces.
"…we can manage the symptoms…""…you should focus on the time you do have…""…make decisions while you still feel well…"
Three months.Three months.
Alex blinked slowly, trying to process how a normal Tuesday morning had turned into the prologue of his tragedy.
"Are you sure?" he whispered.
"I'm afraid so," the doctor said gently.
Alex nodded.Numb.Like someone had unplugged half of his emotions, leaving only confusion and a buzzing in his ears.
"Well," he said with an awkward shrug, "that's… short. Even Netflix shows get more seasons than that."
The doctor's lips twitched. "Humor is a good coping mechanism."
"It's either that or crying on your floor," Alex muttered. "And your floor looks unsanitary."
The doctor actually laughed.
But when Alex stepped outside the hospital, the air felt too bright. Too loud. Too unfair.
Three months.
Ninety days.A short semester.Half a summer break.
He stood on the sidewalk, staring at cars passing by like nothing had happened — like the world didn't just give him an expiration date.
He whispered to himself, voice trembling:
"What am I supposed to do with three months?"
UNEXPECTED TEXTS AND UNEXPECTED FEELINGS
His phone buzzed.
He expected bad news, but it was… worse.
Jason:Bro. Emergency. Call me.
Alex groaned.Jason only used the word "emergency" for three things:
running out of ramen,
breaking up with someone he wasn't dating,
losing money in a crypto coin shaped like a cartoon frog.
But before he could call back, his phone buzzed again — a different name.
Maya:You okay? You left class early.
And just like that, Alex forgot about his illness for a moment.Maya had that effect — dangerous, warm, comforting. She was the kind of girl who laughed with her eyes first. The kind who remembered birthdays, even of people she didn't like. The kind who made Alex's chest feel too full.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard.
He wanted to tell her.He wanted to pour everything out.
But the words wouldn't come.
In the end, he typed something incredibly stupid.
Alex:Yeah, just… doctor stuff. Nothing major. I'm fine.
He cringed so hard the sidewalk felt it.
"Nothing major," he muttered. "Nice. Totally normal to lie about dying."
His phone buzzed.
Maya:Please take care of yourself, ok?
Three months to live, and the only thing hurting him at that moment was that she didn't send a heart emoji.
AN ORDINARY BOY WITH AN ORDINARY LIFE (BEFORE IT COLLAPSED)
Alex wasn't special.Not in the cool way.
He wasn't a fighter.He wasn't ripped.He once pulled a muscle trying to open a jar of pickles.
He was a college student in the U.S., studying computer science because his parents said it had "future job security," which felt ironic now.
His superpowers were:
overthinking,
solving math problems in his head,
and appearing like an NPC in group photos.
His life was simple.Classes. Cafeteria food. Late-night gaming. Occasional accidental eye contact with Maya that made his brain short-circuit.
He had plans — stupid, small, human plans.
Get a degree.Get a job.Maybe confess to Maya before graduation.Visit home.Live long enough to complain about taxes.
But life had other plans.
Three months.
He still couldn't accept it.
THE CALL THAT KICKED EVERYTHING INTO MOTION
He finally called Jason.
"Bro!" Jason answered in a whisper. "Thank God! I'm in trouble!"
Alex sighed. "Is this about crypto again?"
"No!" Jason hissed. "This is real trouble. Mafia-level trouble."
Alex paused."…like, Italian mafia? Or more like a guy named Tony who sells fake Rolex watches outside Walmart?"
"China mafia," Jason whispered dramatically.
Alex blinked."Like… real China? Real mafia?"
"Yes!"
"Why do you have beef with the Chinese mafia, Jason? You're not even Chinese."
"I know!" Jason squeaked. "Listen, I'll explain later — I'm hiding right now."
"Hiding from who?"
Someone shouted in Chinese on Jason's end.Jason made a noise that sounded like a dying squirrel.
"Oh my God— Alex, they're close! I'll call you—"
The call cut off.
Alex stared at his phone.
His best friend — his stupid, impulsive, disaster-prone best friend — was running from a Chinese mafia group.
And Alex had three months left to live.
He exhaled slowly.
"Oh, perfect timing, universe. Really poetic."
THE MOMENT HE MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE DECISION
He sat on the curb outside the hospital, head in his hands.
He couldn't fight anyone.He couldn't intimidate anyone.He wasn't strong, brave, or even particularly coordinated.
But Jason…Jason had been at his side since childhood.The one who defended Alex from bullies.The one who snuck snacks into Alex's room when his parents grounded him.The one who called him "brother" even when Alex felt like a ghost in his own skin.
And now Jason was alone, terrified, hunted.
Alex's voice came out in a whisper:
"I'm dying anyway."
He looked up at the sky.Clouds drifted slowly — unconcerned, unbothered.
"If I only have three months," he murmured, "I'm not spending them waiting in a dorm room."
His heartbeat steadied.
He grabbed his phone.Opened a flight website.Typed: Los Angeles → Shanghai
For the first time all day, his chest felt lighter.
Not happy.Not calm.
Just… purposeful.
He clicked Buy Ticket.
"Alright," he whispered. "Jason… I'm coming."
It was a stupid decision.A dangerous decision.A decision even the bravest idiot wouldn't make.
But Alex wasn't brave.He wasn't stupid.
He was dying.
And this — helping someone he loved — finally felt like living.