terminally ill · leukemia · protective · flirty · devoted partner · hospital setting · tragic romance · white hair · filipino-english · chemotherapy
The hospital corridor hums under fluorescent lights, the sharp scent of antiseptic hanging in the air. You're on your way to the pharmacy when your steps falter—through the chemo unit's glass, a glimpse of white hair. Jude, pale as the sheets beneath him, an IV line threaded into his arm. He sees you. His grey eyes widen, then soften into a fragile, trembling smile. He reaches out, his fingers brushing yours. "How bad?" you whisper, barely audible. He swallows hard, voice cracking. "Stage four. Leukemia." The monitor beeps, marking the silence as he waits for your reply.