8 months have passed. I have been playing Betelgeuse Online every day with Becker. Basically, I have been playing Betelgeuse Online for 18 years in-game time. I know everything about the game. From the newest features to the ideas that Becker had in his mind. We tested everything and It doesn’t make me feel bored with them at all. There are still tons of things I want to try and the more I’m experimenting with the game the more I get hooked by the game. But for the past few weeks, I haven’t seen Becker online and the last time I checked on him, he said that he was busy since the game will be released on March 14th, which is two weeks from now.

I’m about to take a shower before I login to Betelgeuse Online. I write a message to Becker.

“Hey, Becker. It’s been a while since the last time we play together. Are you planning to play today?”

After I’m done taking a shower, I check my phone and Becker is replying to my message. I tap on the notification and I read his replies.

“Is this Trevor? Could you come to this address…”

I raise my eyebrow. I think someone else is replying to my message, and the address this person is giving me is the address to the hospital. I have a bad feeling about this and so I immediately dressing up and leave the house.

I’m at the hospital and walk inside. I approach the receptionist. The nurse is looking at me.

“What can I help you today?”

I look around and then look at the nurse.

“Yeah, I would like to visit a friend of mine. His name is Becker.”

The nurse is looking at the computer and then looks at me.

“Can you please tell me his last name? There is more than one Patient that has the same name.”

Sh*t, I don’t know his last name. I immediately take out my phone to ask Becker’s last name.

“I’m at the hospital and I’m with the receptionist right now. Since I don’t know which room Becker is at, so I asked the receptionist and she asked for his last name since there is more than one patient with the same name.”

The person who is holding Becker’s phone immediately replies.

“Wait there, we will come to you.”

I reply,

“Okay, I will wait at the receptionist.”

I tell the nurse that it’s not necessary since they will come to pick me up. The nurse nods and continues to do her job. Not long after that, an old couple wearing expensive clothing approach me. The old lady is looking at me.

“Are you perhaps Trevor?”

I nod.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m Trevor, Becker’s friend.”

The old man approaches me and lifts his hand for a handshake. I lift my hand and greet him. He smiles.

“It’s nice to finally meet you. Becker has been talking about you for the past few months.”

I nod and smile.

“It’s nice to see you too, sir.”

I believe that they’re Becker’s parents. The old man put his hand down.

“We are Becker’s parents. I believe that he told you about us. My name is Sylvester, and she is my wife, Andrea.”

I nod.

“Yes, sir. My name is Trevor. It’s such a pleasure to meet you both. He talked about you sometimes and I know that you guys live abroad.”

Andrea nods.

“Alright. Shall we go to Becker’s room?”

I nod.

“Yes, ma’am.”

I follow them to the lift. Sylvester presses the top floor. I guess that’s where the V.I.P. patient is at. Nobody is in here with us and it’s just silence while we are going up. I can hear Sylvester keeps clearing his throat. I guess he’s been smoking a lot lately. I know that since I’ve experienced it and I can smell the tobacco on his suit and from his hand earlier when we shake hands or from the smell of his breath when he talks.

A ding sound comes. The lift’s door is opening. They both walk out from the lift and I follow them from behind. This is the first time I’m on the V.I.P. floor. It’s quiet in here and there are a lot of sofa and so many nurses are on standby. I guess it’s just how it is since they’re treating V.I.P. patients so the hospital prioritizing them first even though it feels wrong, but I’m not going to make a fuss about it. Sylvester looks back.

“We are grateful to you. Being there for our son and makes his days full of joy and happiness. If there’s anything that you need, you can come to us. We want to show our gratitude to you.”

I’m surprised and for some reason, I really have a bad feeling about all this. I shake my head.

“No, sir. I’m good. It’s actually I’m the one who is grateful to be able to be his friend.”

They both smile.

We are at the end of the hallway and Andrea opens the door. We walk inside the room and it surprised me when I see Becker shaved his head. I don’t want to think that something is happening to him, but shaving someone’s head in the hospital it only means bad things are happening to them, or so I thought since I’m not an expert. Becker is barely awake and when he sees me, he smiles and weakly waves at me. I approach him and sit beside him while Sylvester and Andrea are standing beside him on the other side.

“You look paler than the usual, Becker.”

Becker smiles and chuckles weakly. His parents are smiling. He’s looking at his own hand.

“Yeah, I feel like sh*t…”

We all chuckle. He clears his throat.

“I’m happy to see you here. There’s something I want to tell you.”

Becker is looking at his parents and they both nod and leaves the room. He gulps slowly and weakly as if he’s in pain. He looks at me.

“The truth is I have lung cancer… and I’m at the end-stage. Pretty much I’m dying right now.”

I’m covering my eyes with my hand. It shocked me deeply. He put his hand on mine.

“Do you remember the first time we speak? You said that I shouldn’t tell anyone about my home address, especially to some stranger in the middle of the night like you. Now you know the reason why I said that I won’t be living there soon.”

Becker chuckles weakly and I uncover my eyes and chuckle with him.

“And that’s why you prefer Sev as your wife than any real woman.”

We both chuckle and he nods.

“That’s right. A real woman is a pain for me anyway.”

Becker coughs and pressing his chest as if it’s hurt when he coughed. I look at him with worries. He shakes his head.

“You don’t have to worry about me. It doesn’t change the fact I’m already dying.”

I sniff and look at him.

“Since when you have this cancer?”

Becker is looking at the ceiling.

“Around 4 years now I think… yeah, 4 years.”

I exhale deeply.

“So the reason your parents live abroad was looking for a way to cure your cancer?”

Becker nods.

“Yeah, that’s right. Well, my wish is also to live on my own since I know that there’s no hope of finding the cure on my condition because it’s already too late.”

I scratch my head.

“So since then you already giving up on life?”

Becker chuckles weakly and shakes his head.

“Do I looked like someone who’s giving up on life? Well, you can call it that way, but for me, I interpreted it as acceptance. My parents are still in denial but now it seems that they’re also in the same boat as mine.”

I shake my head.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.”

Becker smiles.

“It’s fine. you don’t have to worry about it.”

Becker looks at me and points at something on the table.

“Can you get me those documents over there?”

I look at the table and grab it then give it to him. He opens the documents and he’s searching for a specific paper. I’m looking at him and the documents back and forth.

“So, the game will be released two weeks from now. Are you going to be there on the releasing date?”

Becker chuckles.

“Do I look like someone who’s able to attend any events? So, no. I won’t be there. I’ll watch it on the TV when that day comes. At least that’s what I’m hoping for.”

I look at him.

“What do you mean?”

Becker smiles.

“Well, the doctor said that I only have a week left or so. So there’s no chance for me to be able to even watch the game that I created for a few years with my own sweat. Isn’t that kind of sad, don’t you think?”

I cover my eyes again and this time a tear fall on my cheek. I sniff and I’m sure he notices that I’m crying, but he doesn’t comfort me at all. I can still hear his fingers looking through the papers.

“I’m really fortunate to meet you, Trev.”

I’m wiping my tears and sniffing.

“Yeah, me too.”

Becker finally got the right paper and he hands it to me.

“I want you to read that.”