Jackson and Jinyoung sat quietly, night had fallen among them but they didn't seem to care. They were seated in silence, and it was very odd for Jackson, his best friend, to be so quiet, it wasn't his normal vibe. But during these days, nothing was normal. 

Despite the protest of most doctors, everyone in the hospital knew of Mark's fate, his life nearing its end, and contrary to when Jinyoung first arrived, knowing that death was something so easy for people to accept here, when it came to Mark...

When it came to Mark, nobody could accept the fact that he would be departing from the world of the living soon, nobody could believe that this truth was going to happen in front of our eyes. Even Jackson...felt the immense amount of sorrow of his ending, and that was a feat even Jinyoung wouldn't be able to achieve from his good friend. Though Jackson, loved and cared for the sick, it was nothing like him to get overly emotional when they died, because he knew what he signed up for. And even now, they all knew what they signed up for, but Mark was just too good, too special. So, even the untouched, were touched by the tragedy that would come like a storm with no sense of preparation.

Jackson turned to Jinyoung, grasping his hand as he exhaled, "Is this what you really want to do? Is this your final decision?" Jinyoung gave a bold smile, it's been a few days since the news came out, since Mark and Jinyoung spent that moment, the day he knew, crying with each other. He was determined to make Mark's wish come true, he was going to stay by his side...well after he dies, he'll take him outside, he'll eat regular greasy foods, he'll play piano in front of an audience, he was determined to let Mark live a life before he died. Jackson knew then with just that smile, he grew happy his eyes softening to the sight. 

"Then I'll stay as well." The other was quiet shocked, "No, No Jackson you don't have to do that. This was a summer job for you, and you actually have a reason to go back to school..." Jackson chuckled, "Says the one who didn't even want to come in the first place, I can say you've definitely changed, enlightened I would say." Jinyoung slapped him on the shoulder, "Stop saying stupid things." 

The other shook his head, "If only it were stupid...Mark really changed you, as in, you actually give a damn about someone else, and are willing to sacrifice everything for them, I mean you could go on academic probation for this, lose all of your scholarship funding, hell they might kicked you out of school for spending six months away without having a good reason to be gone—!" He took a breath from all the amount of wrongs this plan included. Jinyoung staring down at his palms, "This is a good reason to go on academic probation, it's someone's life, and no matter how many A's we get, it will never amount to a lifetime, whether that be eighty years or less than a hour we miss spending with someone important. I mean, isn't that the reason we doctors and nurses train our asses off, so we can give back the lifetime people deserve to spend with others?" 

Jackson was actually surprised by the response, and he couldn't contain his smile, the words spoken were the truth, and how can anyone be mad about the truth. Everyone has a responsibility to make their lives count, whether we achieved that by pursuing our dreams, helping someone else, or just living life to the maximum ability of living, it was everyone's responsibility to make that happen.Even today, as a doctor or a nurse people have forgotten that the foundation of medicine is for that purpose, and that purpose alone, the purpose of living.

Jackson stood up stretching as he looked beyond the nightly lit sky. "Jinyoung I don't know where this path will lead us, it's going to be hard to pick ourselves up once the end comes...but in my heart I know this choice you made, that I'm putting my faith into, is the right choice." Jinyoung nodded, standing up as well, "I have to go see Mark now." 

"Ooh, you're going to tell him aren't you? Please don't each other's tongues out." Jinyoung chuckled, "I shouldn't have told you we did that." Jackson grinned, "The each other's tongues out or the fact that you finally admitted to your feelings?" Jinyoung waved his hand as he walked away, a smile whisking upon his lips, "I don't know! I just know it's all worth it in the end!" He hollered those words, leaving his friend behind to his own thoughts.

Jackson took out his phone, hovering over a familiar contact, of course it was his ex, Jaebum. The truth is, Jackson was probably one of the biggest scums on the earth, because the reason Jinyoung even experienced heartbreak was because of him. In truth, it was a lie when he came hollering to his best friend that he was angry Jaebum and him broke things off and a word wasn’t even said, actually he knew way before Jinyoung even knew what was going on. He had an attraction to Jinyoung’s boyfriend and what was suppose to be an accidental drunken one-night stand turned into a full on affair, but they both knew what they were doing. They were grown after all, and it wasn’t Jackson’s idea for Jaebum to breakup with Jinyoung, actually he was advocating for them to tell the truth, and if Jinyoung ended up hating them both then that’s the cards they would have to play, but in the end Jaebum was just a jerk that had good , even to Jackson he left him heartless, but...this isn’t his story to be telling. Eventually, this grand friendship him and Jinyoung have will come to end, surely because of this. And he doesn’t know when the right time to break it down to him will be. He knows he doesn’t deserve the benefit of being friends with such a man, but the past has already happened and the future is clear, what they end up doing with it, will surely change the present.

Jinyoung took his usual route to Mark’s room, his eyes darting for any security, there was an increase in security staff since the news of his health, so Jinyoung had to be extra careful when walking the halls in which Mark’s room was on, simply because he didn’t have the right badge to be on this floor, but it’s been a little over three months since he snuck on these halls, so, whatever. 

He went through the back way, hiking up the steps and going through the rooftop since it was directly aligned to his room, he could see the redhead reading a book, it looks to be an English one. He knocked on the window-door and the other looked back, gesturing with a coming in sign by mouthing “it’s open.” 

It was an awkward silence when he arrived, neither saying anything, mostly because the kiss they shared was still hot on their minds, but that didn’t stop Jinyoung from getting close to Mark. He grinned as he sat on the bed. 

“Why are you so happy?” Mark was genuinely curious, blushing at the fact that the young nurse had one of the most intense stares in the world. 

“Well, maybe because I think I can stay here for as long as I want, y’know, with you.” Mark’s eyes perked up, he sprung his way, “Are you serious! You’re really staying!?” Jinyoung nodded with a laughter as Mark wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace. “I promise I won’t leave you until it’s time...so, can you smile more often.” Mark chuckled, he pulled away, staring into the youngster’s eyes. 

“Jinyoung, I can’t stop death...but I know in this moment right now, my heart beats forever when I’m with you.” 

If only those words could have been true, because forever...is only a little of six months, but to Jinyoung their lifetime was in his words. His eyes glistened in the sunlight, he couldn’t stop looking, at everything that made Mark a beautiful human being. 

Mark was supposedly a patient to him in the beginning, but love doesn’t care about beginnings, it cares about the memories and this one will be in his heart forever.