A woman garbed in a white uniform welcomes me with her warmest smile as I step inside a room. For a moment, I forgot that I was actually inside a medical facility. But the nurse quickly brings me back to reality as she hands me a sheet of paper.

"DYING PERSON'S BILL OF RIGHTS"
That was what the header said, and below it were several bulleted sentences. I just smile as the nurse starts discussing it to me. Not wanting for her to notice my disinterest, I start reading what was written on the paper with my eyes.

*I have the right not to die alone.
That bulleted sentence caught my attention. My mind instantly shuts down and I didn't even notice that the nurse was already through with the whole thing.

"Do you want me to walk you around?" She asks with yet another sweet smile.

"I'll go by myself." I answer politely then leave the room. Besides, I don't want to bother her further.

I sigh while walking around the grounds of the hospice. All I can see are old people with smiles plastered on their faces. The smile of being contented that they lived a good life and that they are ready to rest at any given time. But it was different for me. I am just in my early twenties. I am too young to die. School, dreams, love... There is just so many things left untried or should I say undone.

"Is he dying, too?" I whisper to myself in disbelief as I notice a young healthy-looking man dressed in a patient's gown. And just like the sentence earlier, he caught my attention. Milky-white skin, mesmerizing big doll eyes, perfectly-angled nose, enticing pinkish lips, almost all his features could rival that of a woman's, except for his short black hair. Though slightly disheveled, it looks soft and smooth to touch. Perfection. That was all I can think of as I stare at him. My visual joy stops when a doctor calls his attention and soon leaves with him.
-

Night came. I clutch my pillow then bite to it hard to suppress my pained scream, to avoid waking up anyone this late night. I try to endure the pain radiating around my chest and somehow go back to sleep. I have been experiencing episodes of this same excruciating pain since I was diagnosed of cardiomyopathy. Despite series of medical and surgical managements that I had undergone, the disease still progressed, shortening my life span to roughly six months. Heart transplant is my only hope for survival and I need it within seven days. And since chances of getting a donor is too slim, I have no other choice but to just wait and die. We can't really cheat death, can we?

"Please stop hurting." I massage my chest as I sit up from my bed then I get a view of a small garden from my room's window. Drawn by it's beauty, I decided to go there.

I smile as soon as I reach the garden for the sight of the beautiful roses in there seems to be taking away the pain in my chest. I was about to pick a rose when I suddenly heard someone shout.

"HEY! STOP THAT!"

I instantly look at that someone and my eyes widen as I recognize his face. Perfection, the man that I saw earlier this morning.

"Didn't you see this?" He points at the big signage indicating [DON'T PICK FLOWERS!]

"I'm sorry, I didn't." I bow my head down, feeling stupid that I didn't notice such an obvious warning. I was about to walk away but his words stopped me.

"Didn't your mother teach you that stealing is bad?" He asks in a tone bordering from anger to arrogance.

"You're being rude. I already apologized. Besides, I didn't know that this garden was yours. I thought it belongs to this institution." I raise my voice in protest.

Hell yeah he is gorgeous, but his attitude isn't. So much for calling him Mr. Perfect. My words silenced him as he stares at me. I look at his eyes and wait if he has something more to say. But he doesn't utter a single word, instead he just looks back at my eyes, like he is searching for something. Feeling that I won the argument and made my point, I quickly turn my back and walk away. But after a few steps, I feel the pain again around my chest. This time it is unbearable, too painful that I even fell on my knees. He quickly crouches beside me.

"It hurts... Can't... Breathe..." I manage to speak despite my labored breathing.

He carefully carries me in his arms and rushes me to the emergency room.

"I'm not supposed to die today." I weakly utter before losing my consciousness as he carefully lays me to the operating table.