2030
Gallus stood in the hospital room, his heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and joy. The cries of his newborn twins filled the air, and he felt a surge of pride as he looked at Selena, who was cradling their children with a tired but radiant smile.
“They’re perfect,” Selena whispered, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. “What should we name them?”
Gallus smiled, gently touching the tiny hands of his son and daughter. “How about we wait for the doctor to come out with the identification test results,” he suggested. "I'm curious."
He was definitely curious, but there was one thing he needed to know. Whether his children would end up suffering the same fate as he was. The same problem he faced everyday.
The very problem he hid from her. She would understand, he knew it well, but he also knew everything else.
She would try to have a tough, strong exterior, trying to help him through it when she herself needed help. The last time he felt the intense pains, back in their third year of college, he heard every word of Aurelia's 2 AM rants about Selena who could barely sleep, disturbing her roommate's sleep, with the soft background noise of Thalia snoring through it all. An impressive feat.
When Aurelia emerged from the next room with two sheets of paper and a smile of relief on her face, she wasn't sleep-deprived, grumbling or ranting. She opened the door to the hospital room ever-so-slightly, pushing a stray lock of golden hair behind her ear. "Selena, I have their test results."
"Come in," Selena called out, the air inside her lungs forced out, yet only a feeble sound came out.
Meanwhile, Gallus, still questioning his impulsive decision to touch the half-inch fingers of the twins turned, and gulped loudly. "Okay, so..."
"Right," said Aurelia, in a serious tone, handing him a sheet of paper. "Let's start with the good news. Your son's powers are all pretty much normal."
"Huh, I wonder where he got helium from..." Gallus thought aloud. "No one in my family has that."
By then, Selena had already begun to doze off, her grip on the small, delicate babies slipping slightly. Aurelia's eyes perked up at the sight, began to glow, and enveloped the twins in a tractor beam, gently levitating them onto a cradle.
"He decided to copy me, huh? I think I'm gonna like this kid." she said with a light, airy laugh, then cleared her throat. "But your daughter, I'm afraid she's..."
Gallus couldn't believe his ears. It sounded as if Aurelia had to say something really bad, and was trying to figure out a way to make it less of a concern.
"Oh, no..."
"What do you mean, oh no?" she asked. "Her powers are related to water. Only two elements, but the good news is that the hydrogen being dual..."
She paused as she realized that my hardware engineer brain had forgotten pretty much everything from all those mandatory element manipulation classes in college. "She's surprisingly very stable for only two elements."
"Phew, that's good news, huh?" he glanced at Selena, who was half asleep, trying her level best to listen.
"Yes, good... now lemme sleep! It's a Saturday!" she argued drowsily.
That day was, in fact, a Thursday.
Gallus turned to face his puzzled college batchmate, who knew how much of a heavy sleeper her old roommate was firsthand. "All right, thanks Aurelia. I look forward to reading the rest of the report."
He really did, considering the good reviews.
***
2033
Three years had passed since that unforgettable day in the hospital. Twins Helios and Oxidane were now lively toddlers, filling Gallus and Selena’s home with laughter and the occasional chaos.
Okay, maybe not occasional.
Gallus cherished every moment with his family, but a shadow loomed over his happiness.
Gallus had been experiencing strange symptoms for months—intense fatigue, unexplained pain, and occasional blackouts. He had kept these symptoms hidden from Selena, not wanting to burden her or disrupt their idyllic life. He convinced himself that it was just stress from work, but deep down, he feared it was something more serious.
One evening, as Gallus was working late in his home office, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He clutched his desk, trying to steady himself, but the pain only intensified. He knew he couldn’t ignore it any longer. He needed answers.
The next morning, soon after Selena haag left for work, Gallus found himself seated on a chair, fingers mere millimeters away from an all-too-familiar name. The two hadn't talked since the twins' baby shower, and that was a very brief talk, interrupted by his friend's own pregnant wife's struggles.
He clicked the name, put the phone to his ear and listened to the monotonous caller tune.
"Hello?" came a masculine voice on the other end, muffled slightly by the sound of screeching, crying and 'eat your veggies'.
"Whoa, what's going on back there, Lead? Sounds like a warzone." Gallus teased.
"Ah, yes, the daily Veggie Wars, courtesy of Cadence and Zinnia." Lead chuckled, running a hand through his black hair, the other on his phone, to his ear. "Anyway, what's up with you? How are your kids?"
"Sleeping... sleeping, and did I mention sleeping?"
"Lucky, you don't have a hyper one."
"Because I have a hyper TWO... they sleep all day and stay up all night. Anyway, the reason I called is... it's back, Lead."
"What's back? -- gasp-- Is it covid?"
"No, no." Gallus answered, then his voice took on a more sarcastic tone. "My powers are back at it, and I figured I should ask you. After all, you're Dr. Carbon, the famous elementalist who graduated top of his class at one of the best colleges in the world, nearly saved us all, and is currently working in the best lab ever."
Most of that was a distraction from the main point and both knew it.
Lead sighed, recognizing the familiar tone in Gallus’s voice. “Alright, Gallus, cut the sarcasm. What’s really going on?”
Gallus took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. “It’s the francium. The symptoms are back, and they’re worse than ever before. Chest pains, blackouts… I can’t ignore it anymore.”
Lead’s voice grew serious. “Gallus, you need to see a specialist, here. This isn’t something you can handle on your own.”
“I know,” Gallus admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. “But I can’t just drop everything. Selena doesn’t know, and I don’t want to worry her. The kids… they need me.”
“Your family needs you alive and healthy,” Lead countered. “You can’t keep this a secret, Gallus. Selena deserves to know what’s going on.”
Gallus rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him. “I just… I don’t want to burden her. She’s already dealing with so much.”
“You’re not burdening her,” Lead said firmly. “You’re her partner. She’d want to help you through this. And you need all the support you can get.”
Gallus was silent for a moment, contemplating Lead’s words. “You’re right,” he finally said. “I’ll tell her tonight. But I need your help, Lead. I need to know what I’m dealing with and what my options are.”
“Of course,” Lead replied without hesitation. “I’ll do some research and get back to you. In the meantime, promise me you’ll take it easy and talk to Selena.”
“I promise,” Gallus said, feeling a small sense of relief. “Thanks, Lead. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Lead said with a smile in his voice. “Take care of yourself, Gallus. We’ll get through this together.”
"Thanks," he said, ending the call. Behind his back, he uncrossed his fingers, sliding his phone into his pocket. "I'm sorry, Selena..." he thought aloud. "But it's for the best that I don't tell you."
***
2036
Gallus lay in his hospital bed, the sterile smell of antiseptic filling his nostrils. The room was dimly lit, the only sound the steady beeping of the heart monitor beside him. He knew his time was running out. The experimental treatments had failed, and his condition had worsened rapidly over the past few weeks.
Selena sat by his side, her eyes red from crying. She held his hand tightly, as if afraid to let go. Gallus had finally told her the truth about his illness, and the weight of his secret had lifted, but the pain of seeing her suffer was almost unbearable.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Selena whispered, her voice breaking. “We could have faced this together.”
Gallus squeezed her hand weakly. “I didn’t want to worry you. I thought I could handle it on my own. I was wrong.”
Tears streamed down Selena’s face. “You don’t have to be strong all the time, Gallus. We’re a team. We always have been.”
Gallus nodded, his eyes filling with tears. “I know. I’m sorry, Selena. I should have trusted you.”
Selena leaned in, blinking back tears. “I love you, Gallus. No matter what happens, we’ll get through this together.”
Gallus felt a surge of love and gratitude for his wife. He wished he could tell her back then, but he couldn't bear to see that look on her face. “I love you too, Selena. More than anything.”
As they sat together, the door to the room opened, and Lead walked in, his expression somber. He had been a constant support throughout Gallus’s illness, and his presence was a comfort.
“Hey, Gallus,” Lead said softly, pulling up a chair beside the bed. “How are you holding up?”
Gallus managed a weak smile. “I’ve been better. But I’m glad you’re here.”
Lead nodded, his eyes filled with empathy. “I’m here for you, buddy. Always.”
Gallus took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his impending departure. “Lead, Selena, I need you both to promise me something.”
“Anything,” Lead replied, leaning closer.
“It's about the kids...” Gallus said, his voice trembling. “Make sure they know how much I love them, and that...”
Lead’s eyes glistened with tears. The two were best friends since their first year of college, and in between their infamous Aurelia issues, he was the one constant support for both Lead and Nick. “Please, don't cry... just let the words out."
Which was more than he could say for Selena.
"Make sure they don't know what was really happening. Tell them it was an accident... something." he said, looking a bit thoughtful and guilty.
Selena's eyebrow shot up, as she was crying. "You... you really haven't learnt your lesson?!" Her tone was frantic, bordering angry at him.
"I don't want them to worry too much about me, or their own powers. They both got good power combinations, and I want them to live their lives normally," he said, a sneaky tear escaping from his eye. "No pill every night, no chest and back pains, and no sudden liquefaction spurts..."
To emphasize his point, Gallus closed his eyes and concentrated. His body shimmered for a moment before transforming into a puddle of liquid on the hospital bed. Selena and Lead watched in stunned silence as the liquid slowly reformed into Gallus, who now had a sheepish grin on his face.
“See? No one needs to deal with this kind of mess,” he said, his voice slightly distorted as his body solidified. “It’s not exactly a party trick you want to show off at family gatherings.”
Lead couldn’t help but chuckle, despite the gravity of the situation. “You always did have a knack for making things interesting, Gallus.”
Selena wiped her tears, a small smile breaking through her sadness. “You and your dramatic demonstrations,” she said, shaking her head. “But I get it. We’ll make sure the kids have a normal life.”
Gallus reached out and took her hand, his expression softening. “Thank you, Selena. And Lead, thank you for being here. I couldn’t have asked for better friends.”
Lead nodded, his eyes still glistening with unshed tears. “We’ll take care of everything, Gallus. You can rest easy knowing that.”
As the night wore on, Gallus drifted in and out of consciousness, his thoughts filled with memories of happier times. He held onto Selena’s hand, drawing strength from her presence.
For hours, his body shifted back and forth from liquid to solid, the silicon in him kept glitching out the various monitoring devices surrounding him, and worst of all was the urge he felt to hold her hand, but every time he did, things around the room seemed to shift into bright neon colors.
But one time, he saw something behind the door. His shaky hand was still in Selena's, when he witnessed the scene. He knew she could see in X-ray vision, one of her powers, although she never particularly enjoyed using any of her powers much.
As Gallus’s vision flickered between reality and the neon-colored distortions, he noticed movement behind the door. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized the familiar figures of Aurelia, Nick, and Thalia. They were deep in conversation, their expressions serious.
Gallus strained to hear their words, but the door muffled their voices. He could see Aurelia holding a folder, likely containing test results. Her face was a mix of concern and determination. Nick, ever the supportive friend, had his arm around Thalia, who looked anxious and kept alternating between glancing towards the door and fidgeting with her short brown hair.
“Selena,” Gallus whispered, his voice weak. “Can you see what’s going on out there?”
Selena nodded, her eyes glowing faintly as she activated her X-ray vision. She focused on the trio outside, her expression shifting from curiosity to worry. “It’s Aurelia, Nick, and Thalia. They look… concerned. Aurelia has some papers with her.”
Gallus’s heart sank. He knew that whatever news Aurelia had, it wasn’t good. He squeezed Selena’s hand, drawing comfort from her presence. “They must have the latest test results,” he said, his voice barely audible.
Selena nodded, her grip tightening around his hand. “Do you want me to call them in?”
Gallus hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, please. I need to know what’s going on.”
Selena stood up and walked to the door, opening it slightly. “Aurelia, Nick, Thalia, you can come in,” she said softly.
The trio entered the room, their faces a mix of concern and determination. Aurelia stepped forward, holding the folder tightly. “Gallus, I have the latest test results,” she said, her voice steady but tinged with sadness. "I'm not going to ask how you guys knew we were here, but... anyway..."
Gallus took a deep breath, bracing himself for the news. “What did you find out?”
"Do you want your answer plain or sugar-coated?" Aurelia said softly, trying to joke about it. She had been told by many that she had no talent at deep conversation.
Before Gallus could open his mouth, Selena answered for him. "Plain, I can take it."
"You're probably going to die in the next few hours..." Nick answered. "Well, that's the simplified version. I know being a professor back at the university I should know all the exacts, but... I don't teach biochem... and,"
He was interrupted by an elbow punching him in the waist. Thalia's favorite method of teasing. "I'm sorry about him, Selena. That was a bit too plain."
"Ow," was all that Nick could say next, while Selena mustered a smile. "It's okay, I understand. Back in third year, he ended up with another brush with death... I know."
She did not want to relive that, especially now that they were married and everything.
Gallus managed a weak smile at the familiar banter between Nick and Thalia. Despite the gravity of the situation, their presence brought a sense of normalcy and comfort.
“Thanks, Nick,” Gallus said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I appreciate your honesty. And Thalia, thanks for keeping him in check.”
Thalia gave a small, sad smile. “Someone has to,” she said, glancing at Nick, who rubbed his side with a mock pout.
Aurelia stepped closer, placing the folder on the bedside table. “Gallus, we’ve explored every option. Don't believe me, ask Lead. The treatments… they just weren’t enough. But we’re here for you, every step of the way.”
Gallus nodded, feeling a wave of gratitude for his friends. “I know. You’ve all been amazing. I couldn’t have asked for better friends.”
Selena squeezed his hand, her eyes filled with tears. “Well... I'll be here, but still... I need to get this out of the way. Goodbye,” she said, her voice trembling but determined. "You've always been awesome. Since the day I threatened you in front of the doorstep of my room at college, till our fear-fueled breakup at the end of year 4, then when we started over, got married, blah-blah-blah... everything... I'll really miss you."
"Really... you guys are great."
"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock, of course we're here for you!" Aurelia said, eyes filling up with tears, eyebrows furrowing. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “But damn it, Gallus, why did you have to keep this from us for so long? As your doctor, I could have done more if I’d known earlier. And as your friend… I just wish you had trusted us.”
Gallus looked at her, his expression a mix of guilt and gratitude. “I know, Aurelia. I thought I was protecting you all, but I see now that I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
Aurelia wiped her eyes, her anger softening into sadness. “I just hate feeling so helpless. You’re one of my best friends, Gallus. Watching you go through this… it’s tearing me apart.”
Nick stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Aurelia’s shoulder. It was clear that all disputes from first year were settled. “We’re all feeling it, Aurelia. But we’re here now, and that’s what matters.”
Thalia nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. “We’ll make sure your kids know how much you loved them, Gallus. You know, you were my first friend back at college...”
The quote earned her a great accolade - a light kick in the shin from the unimpressed Aurelia, standing beside her with her hands folded.
"Aw, shut up, you were my first friend when we were what, two? But the point is, you always encouraged me to show off my skills. We're quite similar that way... weird elements and problems the others wouldn't understand." Thalia continued.
"Yeah. Remember all those x, y and z simultaneous equations? You were basically doing that nonsense, handling the secrets and rants from a whole triangle, with different perspectives on the same thing." Lead joked. "The infamous love triangle."
Aurelia's face flushed. Well... I wouldn't call it a LOVE tri..."
"Consider it isosceles, then, not really equilateral." Nick shrugged. "Anyway... I guess it's my turn to start with some heartfelt tribute, but I think there's too much to say. You were my first friend back in college too, and now that I think about it, you brought our whole group together."
A rebellious tear rolled down Aurelia's cheek, which she slapped as if it was a mosquito. She heard a quote from an anime once. 'Protect each other, never disappear and never cry,' which became her life motto. The tear would have been violating the rule. She couldn't take it anymore.
“Alright, that’s enough for today,” Aurelia said abruptly, her voice cracking slightly. She stood up, her movements sharp and decisive. “Visiting hours are over. Gallus needs to rest.”
Nick and Thalia exchanged worried glances but nodded, understanding Aurelia’s need to maintain control. They each gave Gallus a gentle hug, whispering their goodbyes and promises to be there for his family.
Gallus knew what was happening. He didn't want to see the sobfest either. "Goodbye..."
Selena stayed there, by his side, as did Aurelia and Lead, watching his every move. It was about as interesting as watching paint dry, but they knew it was a part of the job.
As the agonizing hours passed, loved ones came and went. Colleagues, siblings, parents, friends, they all came to say one last goodbye.
Finally, his vision began to blur. He slowly let go of Selena's hand, and the colors in the room began to turn normal again, then fade. He turned to her, smiling softly. "This might have sounded crazy back in first year... but it ain't no lie, baby..."
Selena let out a sad laugh, standing up and lifting her hand to wave. "Bye-bye-bye..."
ns 15.158.61.20da2
