The next day after Toby's confession was probably the hardest for Luna, telling their friends about his condition was enough to make her blood run cold wondering how Athena, Lexus and France would react.
Standing on the rooftop of Sheldon's, the memory of her first encounter with Toby felt like a distant dream now. Toby was standing on the edge of the rusting railings, with sad eyes hiding behind his lenses, looking back now, Toby looks like he has given up on everything when they first met. The realization made her heart break, wondering what would happen if she didn't act so recklessly that time.
"I really hate climbing that stair!" Athena's whining breaking her thought, as she watches the door opened widely as the three of them walked into the rooftop.
"Hey babe, what's this all about?" France eyed her suspiciously, taking a bite on his half-eaten sandwich. Calling them out there during lunch wasn't the best way to confess Toby's condition, the Student Council were particularly busy with Prom preparation, and with Toby's absence means more work for them to do. But Luna could no longer bear the weight of knowing Toby's secret alone.
"You okay Luna? You look pale," Lexus hand made its way to her forehead that caught her off guard, a soft gasped escaped her lips that stunt the three. Swallowing the growing lump on her throat, she put on a fake smile on her face that none of them bought.
How can she tell any of them that Toby's sick when she didn't even want to believe it herself? She's still fighting the reality where Toby's sick and probably dying, every minute, every hour passed since Toby told her about his sickness was pure torture to her and she doesn't want any of them to feel the same pain that she's in. But just like her, the three of them needed to know the truth.
"Luna, what's wrong?" Lexus words break the last piece of thread that was holding her in place, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks, blurring her friends worried glances at her sudden outburst.
"Babe? What's going on?" Athena asked worriedly as she wrapped her tiny body on her, France rubbing small circles on her back as Lexus watched her with the same worried expression on everyone's face.
"T-oby," she managed to choke the words out of her mouth, not recognizing her broken voice. Just the sound of his name breaks something inside her. Thinking Toby inside that hospital room, suffering alone and dying hurts her beyond words.
"Babe you're scaring us, what's going on? What about Toby? Did he do something? Oh my god does he already knew about your unrequited love?" on normal days Athena's rumbling would make her laugh but today it didn't give her the same effect, Lexus seems to be the one who realized it first as he grabbed her shoulder away from Athena's gripped. Luna can feel how tensed and scared Lexus by the pressure that he's using on her. It hurt her but the pain in her heart was more painful to even complain.
"Luna, what's wrong? Tell me," His eyes pleading for answers and Luna owe it to them to know the truth, and with the last of her resolve, she spoke the words that been hunting her since she left the hospital.
"He's sick Lexus, Toby's d--ying,"
--
"I think we should go back?" Athena mumbled loud enough for them to hear, the four of them standing outside Oakwoods Medical Hospital, no one dare to take the first step inside, too scared of the reality that was waiting for them inside.
"I swear Luna if this is one of your pranks again, I'll literally wring your neck," France words sounded more of a plea than a threat, she could see the fear swimming on his eyes. Not that she could blame him when the boy was Toby's closest friend since eight grades, if something was wrong with Toby, France should be the first to know. But now, it was no longer the case, Toby did a really good job in hiding his condition from everyone.
"I wish it was all a prank France, I really hope so," she mumbled, grabbing Lexus arms for support as she felt her knees weakening knowing what's waiting for them inside the hospital. Lexus been awfully quiet since they left Sheldon's and its starting to worry her not knowing what was running on his head.
The four of them stepped inside the hospital, Mrs. Willis welcomed them with her usual warm and friendly smile that no one can seems to reciprocate. Every step felt too taxing for anyone to take as they made their way towards Toby's room. The familiar path making her stomach tied into a million knots, although Toby did not stop her from telling their friends about his condition, no one can tell how things will unfold once everything was said and done inside his room.
Luna's the one who held the door, just one push and the rest of them will see Toby again, but it's different this time. Because inside the room was Toby, and he has leukemia. With a deep breath and a heavy heart, Luna entered the room with a smile on her face. Toby was holding a book on his stomach; his eyes were closed, and his face look paler than yesterday. She heard Athena's gasped at the sight of him, unlike yesterday, Toby's wearing a nose cannula today and the sight of wretched her heart in pain.
The door to the bathroom opened, the woman who she now knew as Toby's mother saw the four of them, Tyra looked at the sight of her sleeping son, a sighed escaping her lips as she motioned the four of them out of the room. Although Luna wanted to stay behind Toby, she knew that talking to Tyra was something she can't delayed any longer.
"Are you Toby's friends?" Tyra asked, they all nodded at her making a small smile appeared on her face.
"Is it true? That Toby's sick?" it was France who asked the question that's been bugging the three of them. Tyra took a deep breath, brushing his jet-black hair with her finger as her eyes turned dull and tired.
"Yeah, it's true. I know that he never told any of you about it, and I'm really sorry for that," Her words was all the confirmation that they needed, and Lexus was the first to lose his head in the process, his fist meeting the wall in an instant, making them flinch at the sight of his outburst.
Luna quickly grabbed his arms away from the now bloody wall, France helping her in the process. But Lexus continued to pounce on the wall like breaking it would wash away the reality that Toby was sick, Luna could only hold onto him in desperation, burying his head on his broad back hoping for it to end.
"Lexus please," she begged him to stop, when he heard her voice broke into sobbed, Lexus finally did. Leaning his head against the wall, and his shaking back facing them. Athena was sobbing in a corner with her hands clasped tightly on her mouth, France fell on his knees as tears streaming down his face. The four of them broke down outside Toby's room, Tyra just watching them with tears on her eyes.
"This is unfair! Why him? Why?" Lexus mumbled, but no one answered his queries, because all of them were asking the same question. Because they knew that Toby doesn't deserve this. He should be in school with them, sitting at the back of the room, with his thick glasses on, a book on his hands, reaching his dreams and living a normal life. He deserve as much as that, but that's life, they can't get what they wanted just because they wanted it. Life's unfair and that's a fact that they all have to accept.
They stayed by Toby's side, not wanting to let go of him, a part of them still waiting for someone to yell that it was just all a prank, a bad joke but seeing Toby's breathing with the help of a tube was a big slapped to them and finally believing that it was real, Toby's sick. Luna's holding his cold hands on her, France and Lexus resting on the couch with Athena, Tyra left them to pick up Timmy from his grandparents, leaving them to watched over Toby.
Luna's drawing circles on Toby's hand, her eyes examining the fresh bruise on his wrist, wondering how did he got that when she felt his hands moving, jerking her head towards him, she saw that Toby's slowly opening his eyes.
"Hey," she greeted him with a small smile on her face, which Toby reciprocated with a lazy smile. He looked so tired, the dark circles on his eyes were so prominent now and he looks paler than yesterday.
"H-ey," he whispered, closing his tired eyes again.
"Should I call someone?" She asked, a little worried now that he was awake. Tyra didn't leave them any instructions to follow after all.
"It's fine, I just need to catch my breath for a minute," Toby opened his eyes again, he was having a hard time focusing his eyes on her and she finds it cute as she grabbed his glasses and carefully put it on him.
"Thanks," he mumbled softly, holding her hand captive as his eyes moving inside the room, the loud beeping sound coming from the machine attached to him startling her as Toby's eyes landed on the sight of the rest of their friends in the corner of the room. Toby gripped her hand a little tighter, swallowing the lump on his throat as his lips trembled a little.
"What--" he managed to say as the three stood up on the chair and walked towards them.
Athena was the first to broke down as she encircled her small arms to Toby that caught him off guard, Toby looked at her, asking for help but Luna just let Athena bawled like a child on Toby's arms.
"You mor--on! Why didn't you tell us? Why?" but Toby seems to cut his tongue as his arms rubbing Athena's back, Luna's doing the same as she sat next to Toby, her head resting on his shoulder. France joined them, his wide arms wrapped on the three of them, he remained silent, but he doesn't have to say anything because the rest of them knew what France wanted to say. Lexus watching them but remained standing, Luna entangled herself from her best friends as she pulled Lexus hands, leading him to Toby's.
"I'm sorry guys,"" Toby muttered repeatedly as the first tear escaped his warm blue eyes, Luna was quick to wipe his tears away.
"For a nerd, you sure was an idiot," Lexus voiced out as he finally joined the group hug on Toby's bed that made them cracked up. They stayed that way for a few minutes, no one of them wanted to let go of each other's arm, they wanted Toby to know that he's not alone with this fight.
"You're not alone Cooper, you got us, and nothing can change that. Not even this shitty Leukemia," she mumbled, burying his head on Toby's neck.
"You're not alone, moron," France added, ruffling Toby' hair that made him groaned.
"I would appreciate if you can stop calling me a moron though," Toby said.
"You're a moron Toby," Athena added making them laugh, the five of them cried and laughed that day, trying their best to lighten the mood, trying their best to put a smile on their faces because the last thing that Toby needed was for them to change just because his sick.
On that day inside Toby's hospital room, FATAL did a vow to fight with Toby, because it was no longer his fight alone. This time, he got his friends to lean on when things get too heavy for him to carry, leukemia or whatever, they refused to give up without a fight. Hoping that their resolve would somehow create a miracle.