Very Short stories

3

'Today I'll get it finally!' Daniel thought in his mind getting excited. Everything had been prepared already. He just had to go and get the last coins to complete his father's collection. His father's collection consisted of 29,998 coins and he just needed two more to achieve a world record. He would be so happy if he'll come to know about these coins that Daniel had managed to find out about. After finishing with his activities, he made sure to call up the person who was going to give him the coins. 

He had been behind these for the last six months. This was supposed to be a surprise for his father. A surprise, Daniel was sure, his father would never forget in his life. He didn't know when exactly, but from just trying to help his father, collecting these last coins became his goal as well. It had become his passion, something that he wanted at all costs.

Just when he had stepped out, he got a call from his friend. 'It's urgent,' was all that he needed to hear before he decided to make a quick detour to the hospital. He entered the doctor's cabin with a smile. 

But his doctor cum friend didn't reflect the same feeling. He was looking rather serious when he said, "Now, I am speaking as a doctor. So listen to me carefully." And the next words that came out of his 'doctor's' mouth were something that he had never expected. He was ill. Seriously ill. So serious...that if he didn't get treatment right now, he might die. As the words sunk in he asked,

"How much time left?"

"As soon as possible. You'll be just making it worse by delaying. We need to admit you right now. So please call up someone at home and..."

Home. Father. Coins. He needed to have those today itself. That person was leaving the country forever. It had been very difficult to track him down and convince him one time. He couldn't do it twice. Especially when he wasn't even sure that he'll be alive to collect them. He had to choose. Choose between something that he had become the goal of his life and something that could save his life itself. And he hated to choose.

He informed his friend of the situation, who in turn, tried to dissuade him. They chose to flip a coin, the way they had always decided things. And as always, it wasn't about which side of the coin, it was about the realization that Dennis would get when the coin was in the air. He had finally decided.

At night, as Dennis lay on the hospital bed hehad a smile on his face. A smile that reflected relief and happiness. Happinesson being able to get those coins, being able to see the smile on his father'sface, and mostly, on being content about the decision that he had made. If forworse, at least he'll die happily, he thought in mind.