I was practically blinded when I entered the hospital. There was so much white, so much light, I felt like I might never see again. But no time to think about that.

I quickly found Trey's room number, then rushed into the hospital room, almost tripping with my haste.

It was kind of anti-climactic when I entered, because Trey was asleep. He had been feeling iffy on Saturday morning, so I had been expecting something more dramatic.

Considering how nervous I had been, Trey didn't look too bad. He looked almost peaceful. I knew, though, that what Trey was dealing with wasn't on the outside.

He'd been diagnosed with brain cancer in about fifth grade. It had been really bad at first - sometimes he'd be out of school for weeks or a month at a time, maybe more. After about a year and-a-half of multiple hospital visits and that good stuff though, the cancer had gone into remission. Nothing crazy had happened since then. I wondered how bad it really was for Trey right now. His slumber sent an illusion that he was fine, but why had Mom been so worried if he was?

I sat in the chair closest to him. I was mostly alone in the room, except for Angelina. She was sleeping in another chair by his bedside, her hand clasped in his. The sight was oddly comforting, so I just watched them sleep.

Before I knew it, I was jolted awake. When had I fallen asleep? What time was it? Who woke me up?

"Aaron," my dad patted me on the back. "Your mother and I think you should come home for a while."

"What time is it?" I groaned, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. It felt late.

"Half past three a.m."

I glanced at Trey, lying totally still except for his breathing, with Angelina still by his side. He looked a little worse than he had before, but still better than I would have expected. I could come back tomorrow, right?

I hesitated for a moment, but I knew I had to go home.

"Okay, I'm coming." I stood groggily and stumbled out to the car. I barely stayed awake for the ride home, and I fell on my bed as soon as we arrived.

**

I awoke late the next morning, still weary.

I just roamed around the house, not knowing what to do. I sat at the piano, but I was too lazy to play anything. I picked up a book, but the words on the page didn't register. I watched TV, but there was nothing good on. I played some Nintendo, but there was no one to play with and I wasn't paying enough attention. I would have gone to the hospital again, but there was no car for me to take. No one was answering my texts or calls asking for news about Trey.

I glanced at the kitchen clock, hours later. It read 7:03. Great. I'd wasted most of the day moping and doing absolutely nothing.

A few moments later, my mom opened the door. I didn't even bother to ask where she had been.

"Hey, any news on Trey yet?" I asked, hoping and yet not hoping.

"I haven't heard much, but I think he's taken a turn for the worse." She made a face that was full of pity.

"Okay." I took that in slowly. How much worse? "Do you mind if I take the car to the hospital?"

"No, go ahead." She handed me the keys and I left in a hurry, wondering what I would see.

**

I almost gasped in shock when I entered Trey's room. He was a million times worse that when I had come yesterday.

Trey looked like he'd had trouble sleeping. I guess the sleep he'd had when I was with him was all he'd gotten in a while. His eyelids had a purplish tint. His lips were chapped, his eyes were slightly bloodshot, and there were bags under them. He was pale and sickly and had almost a dozen machines surrounding him, most of which hadn't been there since I last saw him. Beeps and other machine-ish sounds filled the room.

I sat down in a hospital chair next to him. Angelina was on the opposite side of him, kneeling at the side of his bed. She had tears in her brown eyes and was clasping his left hand with both of hers. I followed suit and knelt beside him instead.

"Hey, Aaron." He managed a small smile. His voice was so weak. It had never been that bad before. What had happened? I'd been away for less than a day.

"Trey, buddy." It was so hard to smile, seeing my best friend like this, but I tried.

"Is Diana with you?" he croaked.

"No, but I can call her. Let me go outside really quick. I don't want my phone messing up the equipment." Why hadn't I thought of that? I guess my mind had been so frazzled I hadn't even considered calling Diana.

He seemed hesitant for a moment, but said "Okay. Just hurry back."

"I will."

I sprinted out the doors of Trey's room, then the doors of the hospital. At that moment, I was especially grateful to have Di's number on speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Di, you need to come to the hospital. Right now."

"Okay. Who is it? What happened?"

"Trey. His cancer is back." I could almost feel her shock and surprise emanating through phone.

"I'll be right there." Her voice was shaking as she hung up.

I stormed back inside, the whole time thinking "Please let him be alive when I get back. Please, oh please let him be okay."

Thank Heavens, he was fine. Or at least, fine for a guy dealing with brain cancer.

"She's coming," I panted, kneeling by him once more.

"Good," he breathed a sigh of relief, but I could barely hear his breathing at all. "I want my friends to be here."

I didn't like the way he said that, like it would be the last time he'd see them.

"You're gonna be okay, Trey. Everything's gonna be fine." I was trying to reassure both of us, not just him. Trey had to get through this. He just had to.

"I don't know, Aaron, Angelina. I'm trying, but I don't know."

"Don't say that!" she cried. "Please don't say that, Trey."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Out of all the people here, why should Trey be sorry? He was the one that was... no, I couldn't say that word. Not yet. I couldn't even think it for one minute.

"Listen," he continued softly. "I want to start talking to my family and friends, individually. Can one of you go get Mason?"

I gulped. Mason was Trey's little brother. Trey was like an idol to him. How would he deal with this?

"Yeah," I swallowed, not particularly happy that my voice cracked. I left the room unwillingly with Angelina and retrieved Mason.

Mason was almost in tears, his lips trembling. I couldn't take the sight of that and looked away.

Diana burst through the doors a few seconds later, hugging me tightly when she reached me.

"I came as fast as I could," she choked. She eyed me nervously. "Please don't tell me I'm too late."

"You're not," I said, hoping it was still true.

"Oh, good." We pulled each other even closer, relieved.

We sat together on a couch outside his hospital room, grasping each others hands, too solemn to speak. The only thing to break the utter silence between us was the occasional family member or friend of his leaving the room to send for another one of us, or a gurney rolling by. I waited, dreading the moment he would call for me.

As it turned out, Trey sent for Diana before me. She moved away from me towards his door, looking sadder than I'd ever seen her.

I wondered what he would say to her, what special things they had shared that I had missed out on. I shook my head, not believing this was happening.

Diana returned after a few minutes and tapped Angelina on the shoulder. They were both weeping now.

She turned towards me and looked me straight in the eyes. Her blue-green ones were overflowing with tears.

After about seven or eight minutes, Angelina came to me.

"Trey wants to talk to you," she sobbed quietly. Diana took her in her arms and comforted her while I took the dreaded walk inside.

If it was possible, I swear Trey looked even sicker than he had when I last saw him.

I took my now traditional place on my knees by his side, barely able to look him in the eyes and not knowing what to say.

"Aaron," he began. I had to lean painfully close to hear him. "You're my best friend. Always have been, always will be."

"You too, Trey." I was trying so hard to not cry in front of him, trying so hard to be strong for him. I felt hot tears stinging my eyes but not daring to coming out.

"Play some nintendo for me, okay?" A tiny grin crept onto his face, but then he was semi-serious again. "And keep playing piano and singing for me, too. I know you're really good."

I normally would have objected to all the compliments he was throwing at me, but that was not the right thing to do when your best friend was... I still couldn't say the word, even when it was right in my face holding up a neon sign with arrows pointing to it.

He continued. "Don't let Diana go. Ever. Love her like you always have, and keep being the best boyfriend she's ever had. Take care of her."

A few tears almost leaked out at that point, but I resisted them the best I could.

"You're the best guy I've ever known, and you've made my life happy. I didn't deserve you as a friend, I really didn't, but that didn't stop you." His voice continued to fade until it was all but gone. "You're my comrade, okay? My compadre. Remember that."

He slowly lifted his hand up towards me. I wondered what he was doing, but then he gave me a light slap on the head. There was no strength behind that cold hand. There was hardly any life left in it.

Very gently, as softly as I possibly could, I tapped him on the side of his head. At least he still had hair. "Comrades," I whispered, nodding my head.

Diana appeared in the doorway. Seeing that we were done talking, she silently walked in and sat next to me. Angelina followed her inside slowly, almost in a trance, it seemed.

He closed his green eyes slowly, too tired to say anything. I just sat there, hoping that it wouldn't happen. Hoping that he would just wake up in a second, and fifty years later we would laugh about how he had given us his last requests and ended up fine a while later.

But then I heard the worst sound I had ever heard in my eighteen years of living. The machine showing his heart rate made a loud, long beep; a flatline.

I didn't care if Diana and Angelina were there, watching, eyes wide with shock and hurt. I sat back in the chair and put my head in my hands. And for the first time in my life, I cried.