Skips A Beat ::Wattys2016::

Chapter 5

"What do you mean, all the other problems?" I stand up. "He only has one problem. He only has Restrictive Cardiomyopathy. It's only that his heart is stiff and doesn't want to beat right. It makes him dizzy and lightheaded. That's all he has." I say, shaking my head. The doctor looks over at Michael, who nods to keep going.

"Michael has the same symptoms that people with Sepsis do." The doctor informs me.

"What even is that?" I ask, staring at Michael who is messing with the hem of his shirt.

"Sepsis is the failure of all internal organs at around the same time. It means that his body is essentially turning itself off prematurely." The doctor says lightly, placing a hand on my shoulder. It feels like my already broke world just cracked further. He's literally dying. His whole body is failing, and he didn't tell me. So much for the "telling me everything". The doctor removes his hand and continues, "He's showing signs of it, but it's not what he has. I'm sure of it. Sepsis would have showed up in the blood tests that we took this summer, and it did not. We've been running tests for every disease that shuts down organs, but he doesn't show to have any of them. It's rare nowadays to not fit into an actual disease, but that's all we have. We're trying our hardest, but there's really not much we can do for him. Now, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Michael when we first found out, and you won't want to hear it. Nobody knows when it will happen, but it is going to happen, no if's, and's, or but's. We can't give you a set amount of days, because we don't know. All we know is that Christmas is a good place to shoot for, we think he'll be fine until then, but after that, we have no clue."

I stare at him, dumbfounded. My whole world just fell to the ground, breaking apart. Crumbling to dust. My kitten won't make it to be 19. We won't get our 1,000 moments together like I promised. I don't get to spend my life with the only person I love. My bottom lip trembles as I turn to look at Michael.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask, my voice breaking. He bites his lip, his eyes pleading.

"Luke, I wanted to-." He starts, but I shake my head.

"I'll be in the car." I say, rushing from the room. My vision starts to blur as tears fill my eyes. All my plans for the future were just crushed. The last deadline they gave us I ignored, because I read all the books on Cardiomyopathy, and I knew that his chances of living a long life were pretty decent. But Sepsis? I don't know anything about it. I get in the car, gripping the steering wheel hard. I feel broken, and I have no one. I reach into my pocket, fishing out my phone. I dial Calum. Sometimes you just need your best friend, you know? He answers on the first ring.

"Luke, babe. What's up?" He asks, sounding like one of those agents in a lame movie.

"C-Calum, I'm at the-the hospital." I stutter, trying to keep it together.

"Oh shit! Why? What's wrong?" He says into the phone, his voice louder than necessary.

"Calum, he's dying. He's dying and he didn't tell me. He didn't tell me. Why didn't he tell me? It's not fair." I sob into the phone, slamming my fist on the wheel and accidentally hitting the horn. A lady jumps.

"Luke, I can't understand you, you gotta calm down." He says. I cover my mouth with my hand, and cry brokenly. "Luke, babe, I'm going to your house. I'll be there when you get home, okay? Love ya, man." He hangs up the phone. I scream, tossing my phone into the back. Why didn't he tell me? I hear the passenger side door open, and Michael's scent hits me. He smells like home.

"Lukey?" He says softly. I don't look at him. I simply wipe my eyes, turn the car on, and drive out of the parking lot. I don't know where I'm going until I pull into the library. I get out, ignoring Michael as he asks where I'm going. I don't even have to ask where the medical section is. I spent most of my Freshman year in that section, researching his condition. I instantly squat down. Sepsis, Sepsis, Sepsis. I find a book on it, yanking it from the shelf. I sit down and start reading.