A Dream, A Destiny 2

Decisions and Problems

Ash POV

I blinked a few times, sure that I hadn't heard it right. There was no possible way my dad had just said what I thought he'd said. "Did you just say-?" I asked slowly, my voice trailing off as he nodded solemnly with eyes shutted closed, covering his eyes. From unexpected to reality, the whole world had just stop moving for a moment and my life changed it's direction to down at the core of the earth.

"Yes, Ash." Dad shot me an exasperated glance, running a hand  through his brownish short hair. "I mean, this had to have crossed your  mind at some point." He opened his eyes only to be presented by a gaped expression from me.

Me dying? Why in the hell would that cross my mind willingly?  The only time I had actually thought of that was when I'd gotten started  on my list, but now, I just thought of it as a fun activity. You know,  something to do to pass the monotony of my life now especially now that I  didn't have to go to school which I don't even call it my bucket list  anymore!

My mind went whirl with my mouth moving on it's own, I spluttered, "I  don't- why are you talking about me dying?" I spread out my arms,  feeling betrayed by him. And just when I thought we'd come to some sort  of agreement. "You're my dad; you're not supposed to say things like  that!" I pointed a finger at him in self-disbelief.

Sighing, dad began pacing up and down in front of me with his arms folded  across his broad chest. Great. Time for yet another lecture, right on  schedule. "Hear me out," he said, looking serious. "Like you said, I'm  your father. Meaning that I have to think about the morbid stuff. I  don't like it any more than you do, but such is life." He paused for  effect, his steely dark eyes targeting at my face. "Dr. Brock says there's a  chance of you- dying during surgery or post op." I sucked in a shiver  breath as dad continued talking. Of course I knew that, but I definitely  didn't want to think about it. Death was such a scary subject for me.  "You know this. You were there when he said it."

"I was there when you bullied him into saying it," I retorted.

Dr. Brock was such a diplomat that he would never consider even  mentioning the word 'death' in my presence, but dad had forced his hand  on my last check-up. I had cringed through it all. Dad was a born bully.

Disinterested, dad flapped his hand at my direction. "Whatever. My  point is you know that operations like that are touch and go." He sighed  as I stared at him. Something must have been written on my face, maybe  the last shred of respect I had for him shrivelling up, he continued,  "Don't look at me like that, boy! I don't like it more than you do, but  facts are facts. We have to prepare for eventualities. That's why people  prepare their wills and get their affairs into order before they go in  for surgery." He shrugged at me as I stood still silently, my ears ringing  with his self-righteous speech. He actually thought he was giving me  advice? Why not tell me to just give up hope period? "I thought that  would surely be one of the things on your bucket list," he faced his head down in the shadows and bobbing for a second of his eyelids again. "but I guess not."

Breathing through my nose in an effort to calm myself, I stared dad down. "No. Writing my will wasn't on my list."

Dad chose to ignore the sardonic tone in my voice. "What do you think  your precious girlfriend will do if you died on the operating table?"  He tilted his head a little, giving me a questioning look. "It'll crush her to  bits! You're her first boyfriend, no wait, maybe her last, I'm sure?"

I nodded brusquely. "Yeah." So what if I was Sere's first boyfriend? I  really had no idea what he was trying to get at. This had nothing to do  with anything.

"Put yourself in her shoes. She has a boyfriend- her first boyfriend-  and he has an aneurysm. He's due to go into surgery any day now. What  happens if he doesn't wake up? How would you feel? What would you do?" He asked thrice questioned which I didn't even have the muster to answer them for him.