Squirrel peered up at the white building in awe. It looked like a castle. He had seen tall buildings in the city, but he had never seen one quite like this. "Is this where the doctors live?" he asked, staring up at it. "It's huge!"

His fear was quickly melting away to sheer excitement. He felt very special to be able to go to the hospital and to be able to see his brain. He ignored how his head ached and the strange colours that popped like bubbles in the corner of his sight. The doctors would fix him and make all that go away.

Lee pulled the truck up and into the parking lot, and shook his head lightly. "No, they don't live here." He said, reminding himself that this was a child, abandoned at six and residing amongst bums and creeps the rest of his life. "They work here, but they go home when they're done working." He found a place amongst the other cars nearer the door and got out. "Okay kid. We have to be patient for now." Lee noted as he walked around the back of the truck. "They might not find anything, but they might, and that's what we're hoping for."

He paused. Maybe it was best not to tell the kid...

Squirrel sat on the chair, dangling his feet off the floor. They were in a small room, with two chairs and a desk. The walls were lined with big, boring looking books and large, framed certificates. The window behind the desk was large, the curtains open to show the view from the 5th floor. They were waiting for the doctor to come back with the results from the CT scan. Squirrel straightened his hat, remembering the large metal tube with the lights and glass inside it. He had been very scared, but trusted the doctor enough not to hurt him.

He sucked on the large red lollipop the doctor had given him for being so brave. He had never tasted anything quite like it, as he had never really bothered with sweets. Lee was standing rather than sitting, seeming impatient and maybe a little nervous. Squirrel watched him, wondering why he seemed so out of character. The doctor had talked to him like an old friend, and the boy wondered if they were friends. He glanced at the door. What was talking the man so long?

Lee tapped his foot restlessly on the tile floor. It didn't usually take them this long to come to a conclusion, especially if there was nothing wrong. Denver, the name of the doctor in charge, the one that had calmed Squirrel when it was needed, finally entered the room with a few of the scans. "Sorry for the wait, Andrew." He called Lee by the name he'd given, rather than his real name. "I had to go over the scans more than a few times to make sure what I tell you is... accurate."

"And what's the accurate conclusion?" Lee asked. When they entered the hospital he had put on his mask of emotions. No one was any wiser. To everyone else, Lee, or as he said, Andrew Wilman, was just another person with no mental disorders or lack of human emotion.

Denver shook his head. "We... found some abnormalities at the base of the brain. Too far in to operate. Two large tumors growing around the stem, and we just... can't get in there."

"Malignant?" Lee asked quickly, dropping his crossed arms.

"Very." Denver shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wilman. There's nothing we can do to get deep enough into Marcus's head without doing some major, irreversible damage."

"So we can do nothing."

"Right. The only thing I can say is... well, be prepared. Something could happen any time."

Lee nodded, feigning true distress though he was certainly put off by this news. He stepped forward to hide his next question from Squirrel. "How long?"

"Perhaps... well, it's not necessarily known. It could be days, it could be weeks. It's... unpredictable." Lee nodded, turning his gaze down. Denver put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want a moment with him?"

Lee nodded slowly, and Denver backed away with an understanding word, closing the door behind him. For the first time since the death of his closest friend, Lee felt a ball of ice settle in his stomach.

Squirrel perked up when the nice doctor entered the room. He was hoping that the man would have some pictures of his brain to take a look at. He was slightly disappointed when he saw the doctor carrying nothing. Sitting back in his chair, he listened to the two men talk. He had wondered why Lee had made up names for them. He guessed Squirrel would be rather strange to say to a doctor, thinking that Lee was his relation.

But what did these words even mean? Abnormalities? Malignant? Irreversible? Squirrel shook his head, not understanding a word that was said. He wondered why Lee looked so distressed and it caused him to feel scared. As the doctor left them, he stared up at the man he had grown to like. "Lee? What's happening?" he breathed quietly, ignoring his lollipop for now.

When the door closed fully, Lee sighed, and sat on the other chair beside Squirrel's. He was silent for a moment, and as he figured out how to explain it, sighed heavily. "Squirrel... Something's in your head. It's... bad. It's like your brain doesn't know how to stop growing, and there are small places where it's gotten out of hand. That's why your head is always hurting, it's why you fainted yesterday. But..." He paused, and looked hard at the light on the ceiling. "The doctors can't get it out of your head. It's too far in. They'd hurt you more than help you, so it's just not worth it. You might not have too long left."

Finally, he looked down. If only he could feel truly sorry, truly scared, worried, then maybe he could be like all the other human beings in the world and begged someone to do something to save this kid. The world was unfair, though. Lee knew that. He just wished Squirrel could catch a break. Abandoned. Homeless and chased by creepers. The death of a good friend. Found by a serial killer. Where would it end? Perhaps... soon.

Squirrel frowned, not quite understanding what Lee was talking about. There was something in his head, but the doctors couldn't pull it out. "Too long...?" he asked quietly, finally realising what Lee meant. He was dying. Because of something in his brain. He started to cry, tears falling onto his lap. He covered his face, trying not to be loud or cause Lee any annoyance. He felt childish when he cried, but now, he couldn't stop. How could he be dying? He didn't feel like he was dying. He was still young. He had just started to enjoy his life. Now it was being taken away from him.

He wished Lee would comfort him. Hold him and tell him everything was going to be ok. He knew that that would be asking too much from the man. He continued to cry, even when the doctor came in to say his condolences. He offered strong sedatives and pain killers, to ease Squirrel to sleep or to take off the edge of the pain. Squirrel remained curled up with his face covered, crying his eyes out.

Lee shook his head. How could he be someone to comfort a dying child when he didn't know how to? But he shook his head. No time to think. He sighed, leaned down, and pulled Squirrel up into a heavy hug. "Calm down, kid. Come on, easy. Hey. Hey! You still have some time. No one ever knows when their time is really, truly up. And now you have somewhere to stay. Somewhere that's your home. A good place to live. You're not dying on the street anymore. Your real dad may have left you, but you have me now. It's not much, kid, but it's something. It's got to be worth something."

The doctor was gone. He'd said his final apology and let them show themselves out. "Come on, kid. Calm down. You can't give up when you're not dead yet. You're not dead yet."

Squirrel hugged Lee back, accepting the man's way of comfort. What he was saying was all true, but he couldn't feel like this was the end for him. He could die at any moment, like a ticking time bomb. He sniffed, wiping his tears. He nodded slightly, hiccuping. He wanted to be strong like Lee. He wanted to not be afraid. He wanted to live the rest of his life in happiness. His heart skipped a beat when Lee said that he was like Squirrel's dad. He would have loved to call the man dad, even if he did hurt and kill others.

"I'm just scared... It will hurt..." he said, wiping his runny nose on his sleeve. He straightened the hat on his head again. A special gift from a special friend. He was always going to cherish it. "And that... I'll go without saying goodbye..." He wouldn't want to just leave the man. He wanted to somehow show him how much he was grateful for everything he had done.

Lee tightened his grip on the boy before finally setting him down. "You don't have to be afraid. It won't hurt, I promise. I've read about it. It'll be just like going to sleep. You don't have to say goodbye, Squirrel. And I don't want you to. Because that's just saying you've given up, when you can't, not yet." He went to the sink nearby and pulled a few paper towels off the roll on the wall. "And I don't want you to cry over it." He added, and wiped the tears away from Squirrel's eyes.

Standing, Lee stretched his legs. They hated crouching so long. "And if you have to think about it, kid, think as happy as you can. When it happens, you'll see Skye again. and you won't have to worry about anyone hurting you ever again. And I'll always be able to think about you, and that way, you'll never be forgotten. How's that?" He put out a hand for Squirrel to take. Perhaps somehow he could ease the boy's mind. Stress would just irritate the tumors. Lee didn't want the kid dropping suddenly. Not like that. The best way to go would be in his sleep. Or at home, content, or happy.

Sniffing again, Squirrel stood, putting the lolly back into his mouth. He didn't feel like being happy. He wanted to go home and bury himself in the sheets, to cry and cry and never stop. Even hearing about being able to see Skye made him sad. He was comforted a little that it wouldn't hurt. He followed Lee out of the room quietly. As they were leaving they passed the doctor who stopped them. He was holding an envelope, which he handed to Lee.

"Again, I am really sorry. I thought these might cheer the little guy up a bit," he said, before patting Squirrel on the head and letting them pass. Squirrel looked at the envelope, wondering what was inside. He took it from Lee and opened it, feeling a little bit better. There were two large black plastic sheets, showing the image of his brain. He smiled.

"Are we still going to go shopping?" he asked, as they left the building. He hated to think that Lee was going to spend money on him, even though he could die at any moment. He finished his lolly and kept the stick, putting it in his pocket. "I want some more cartoons and lollies."

He would be strong. He wouldn't cry and give up. He would live the rest of his life as happy as he could be. For Lee. His dad.

They left the hospital, out into the bright sun that had taken the chill from the air long ago. "Sure. I'll stop at a gas station for more suckers. Maybe we'll hold off until tomorrow for anything more drastic. I still have some, eh... chores... to take care of." He glanced around. Though he and Squirrel had quite a ways of distance between them and anyone else, but he was never too safe. Hoisting himself up into the cab of the truck, he started the engine. "Anything else you were thinking about doing today? Visits, sights, anything you couldn't do before?"

Squirrel joined him in the truck's cab, sitting in the passenger's seat. He again took the pictures out of the envelope, lifting one into the light so he could see properly. He shook his head, not really needing anything. He looked at the picture of his brain, and wondered if the doctors had been right. He couldn't see anything different or out of place. Then again, doctors were ten times smarter than he was.

Suddenly remembering something, he looked to Lee. "I did want to go visit Skye's grave. I know where they buried him. I just thought I could give him some flowers, seeing no one else would have." He didn't see the point any more, as he was going to be joining his friend soon enough. "When I die, will you put flowers on my grave?" he wondered out loud. Just having Lee think of him would be nice, so he didn't mind if the man never visited his burial site.

As they pulled into the small parking lot of a small, generic gas station, and pulled to a spot in front of the door. "I... don't usually put much focus into gifts for the dead. I feel that paying respects with a thought as often as I can is just as well. But I will visit. When I can." He didn't want to think about the place Squirrel would be buried. In fact, he'd felt that putting the kid with his friend would have been a kind enough gesture, but it'd be too public. He shook his head. "I'll be right back, kid. Stay here, I'll be able to see you from the window." Getting out, he made sure to lock the doors so no one could get in.

In the little station, Lee chose a few bags of non-namebrand sweets, suckers and small chocolate pieces. At the register, he found some roses in plastic to preserve their petals's shape. He picked up a white one, adding it to the mix.

Squirrel sat in the truck's cab, watching Lee enter the store. He still was in shock. He had never thought about dying, even on the hot streets without food and water. In his mind, dying was for the old. Unless you were murdered, like Skye had been, there was no reason for someone so young to die. Now all his beliefs were crashing down around him. When would it happen? What if he never got to do what he wanted before it happened.

He comforted himself with the thought that at least one person alive would still think about him. Even if the man was a killer and had difficulties displaying true emotions, Squirrel was happy that he promised to think about him always. Sighing, he took off his hat, ruffling up his hair. 'Dumb brain,' he thought, disgruntled.

As Lee handed over the total amount---seven dollars and forty cents---he studied the man behind the counter. Dark skin and eyes. Black hair with a little gray around the front. Didn't look over forty. A bit wiry under his red shirt and nametag, thin. Lee had had his eye on this one for a few days. Hadn't seen anything off, however, so he had wanted to focus on more immediate issues. Before Squirrel had come along. Scooping up the two bags and the rose, he went back outside, casting a glance at the man again. He wouldn't be able to go after him for a while...

Hopping back into the cab, Lee set the bags on the seat between them and handed Squirrel the rose. "We'll go visit Skye." He said simply. "Just tell me where he's buried."

Squirrel directed Lee towards the burial place of his friend, an unmarked grave in the public graveyard. They usually picked up the bodies of street kids and homeless adults every week, cremating them and holding a quick ceremony. It was up to family or friends to provide a funeral service. Skye didn't have any one come to his quick ceremony. Squirrel had been far too scared and unsure to attend. He hoped the priest had said the rites properly and that Skye wasn't stuck here, haunting the dismal place.

He hadn't visited the grave. He knew where his friend was buried, but he had always been far too scared to go there alone. Scared of death, scared of ghosts, scared of Julius. his thoughts fell on the man chained in the basement. "Lee, when we get home I want you to make sure you continue your work. I'll help out with the small stuff for a little while," he said, trying not to say directly what they were working on, seeing there were a few people around. He figured he'd be a little helpful and try grinding any bones left over.

Lee followed the boy's directions, watching the road with an intensity he normally used when he wanted to specifically remember something. This would let him recall which way he went to reach the cemetery, rather than loop around in relatively random directions until he made it there. Pulling to a stop, he glanced around to Squirrel. "I've already finished the bones." He said. "Woke early to take care of them. Now I'm going to be focusing on the meat---it'll be boiled, then ground to resemble beef you'd get at the store. I usually take it to dog pounds to imitate having gone hunting recently. That gets rid of the rest of the human without bringing insect activity to random or suspicious places."

He turned the engine off and got out, going around the front of the truck. "No more talking about that, though. We'll focus on it when we get home! Come on, kid. If you don't want to go alone, I'll come with you."

Squirrel found Lee's hand, holding it whether the man wanted to or not. He walked slowly towards the unmarked grave, feeling like his heart had stopped beating. He stopped in front of the grave and looked at the seemingly empty plot of land. Under all this soil was the remains of Squirrel's best friend. He didn't know what to do. Should he talk to him? Should he cry? Confused, he stared with hopelessness at the ground. "I... don't know what to do," he finally spoke to Lee. He had seen that the man was holding a rose. He supposed it was for Skye, but where did he put it? Why bother putting a flower on the grave that he had ignored for this many years. It wasn't like it would bring the boy back.

Lee crouched at the little stone that marked the resting place of Squirrel’s only real friend when he had no one else. “Well...” He sighed, pulling the plastic from around the flower. It would die, eventually, but it was a nice enough gesture. “I don’t know any prayers or words of a psalm. But when I visited Jamie, a few months after they buried him... I said how I was doing. What I was doing. Confessed a secret I couldn’t tell anyone else... And hoped he was doing okay, wherever he was. Said I hoped I’d be able to see him again someday. Even if he couldn’t hear me, it... helped, I guess. Gave a little closure, and acceptance of death in general.” He stood and put the thornless stem of the rose in Squirrel’s hand. “I can’t tell you what to say, though. Only you know that. I won’t go far.”

Lee turned and stepped away, and made it a point not to step directly on the land above the other bodies resting beneath them. He may have been a killer, but Lee respected the dead, should they deserve respect.

Squirrel froze on the spot, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the flower tightly. Say something... he thought almost angrily. He stared at the little stone marking Skye's grave. He opened his mouth but closed it, not knowing what to say. He put knelt and placed the flower near the stone, still not blinking or looking away. "So... When we go, all that's there to make people remember us is a stone..." he muttered. Suddenly his eyes stung and he realised he was crying.

"I'm sorry... Skye... You meant so much to me. You were my best friend. You helped me and taught me how to be strong... I'm sorry I never came sooner..." He reached for his locket, taking it off. "I'm dying. Something to do with my brain... You had always told me to look after my head..." He sniffed, wiping the large tears out of his eyes. "I want you to have this..." He placed the locket under the stone, hiding it from any thieves walking passed. "I mean... I know it was yours to begin with... But I thought that maybe... You'd like it back..." He fell silent, sitting back and crying again. He thought of the tumours, he remembered his friend's dead eyes staring. Finding his friend like that... "I'm sorry..." he sobbed loudly, covering his face. "I'm sorry I went against your word and let men have their way with me... I'm sorry I looked for my parents... I'm sorry I wasn't there at your ceremony... I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you..." Squirrel couldn't stop sobbing.

He remembered the day he had met his friend. Steadying his voice, and sniffing deeply, he spoke quietly, loud enough for Lee to hear. "I was so scared and hurt. I was crying, hugging myself to try and stop the pain. You asked me if I was ok. I was scared because you were older... You were trying to grow a beard..." He smiled weakly at the thought. "You shared with me your food, even though you barely had enough for yourself. You gave me a blanket and took me to a sheltered alley. You told me everything... Where to clean myself, what not to eat, how to stay safe... How to protect myself against bastards like Julius... You were my older brother... My father... My mother... You were my family... And... I can't wait to see you again..." It hurt to say it, but Lee was right. It helped a little and made him accept his fate. Skye wouldn't want him to sit here feeling sorry for himself. He would want him to live his life. "Skye... This is my friend Lee... He got Julius for us. For you... He hurt him... I hope it makes you happy... Lee let me live with him and watch cartoons... I wish you were alive to meet each other... Even though you wouldn't agree on his... methods, you two have a lot in common."

Seeing Squirrel struggle a bit with what he was going to say made Lee think back to himself. He crouched over the grave of Jamie just as Squirrel did Skye's that day. Oddly enough, it was overcast, a hot, humid day, and thunder roared in the background. Jamie had come from a rather rich family, so he'd been buried in a quiet, secluded area of a private cemetery. Lee hadn't worn anything overly mournful---he wore a simple white shirt, a bit oversized, some old jeans, gray tennis shoes. He hadn't thought Jamie would have wanted him to approach in a black suit.

"You... stupid bastard." Lee heard his younger self mutter above the thunder, above a breathy, angry tone in his voice. "Why'd you do it? Why? Y-you... could have come to me. If you couldn't go to anyone!" He saw his fist come down on the base of the angel statue, defiance obvious in his voice. "You told me what he did to you! You told me everything! You... you were my only friend! You... I... I lo... I can't stand you sometimes, Jamie, you stupid..." He shook his head as rain started falling, hot and stinging, on his back. "I'll take care of him for you." He referred to jamie's father. A fatcat type of man, who mainly cared about money. "I'll do it. I won't do it now. But I'll make sure he pays for what he did to you. I'll kill him. I'll kill him, Jamie. I'll kill all of them!" He bit down hard, forcing back the flood that very much wanted to break through his resolve.

Then he sat. Lee sat there for ages. The ground soaked slowly with rain, and masked the tears that every once in a while managed to leak through his hardening emotions. When he had left, he never went back. Now when he thought of Jamie, he felt a dropping sensation in his stomach. He started when he heard his name, and shook his head. "Perhaps we would have gotten along." He told Squirrel, and put a hand on his shoulder. "You feel a little better now? I found it... easier... once I visited Jamie's grave."

Squirrel nodded, standing to his feet. He glanced again at his friend's grave as they walked back to the truck. He was still wondering what his friend would think about Lee when his head suddenly burst with pain. It brought him to his knees, where he clutched at his head. Panic and fear showing through. No, not now, no... I can't go now, no! he screamed in his head. He tried to get up and blink away the darkness that dimmed his sight, but the pain was over whelming. He sat crouched, moaning in pain. He willed himself to stay conscious, to not die just yet.

"Hey Squirrel, thanks for coming," he heard a voice say from beside him. He slowly tilted his head, staring up at his friend. Skye looked exactly how he had when he had lived. He was smiling, tears shining on his cheeks. "I was waiting for you." Squirrel wanted to hug him, to go with him, but Skye shook his head. "Not just yet... A little longer my friend."

Squirrel passed out again, landing hard on the cracked earth underneath. He was still alive, and as he feel into another dreamless sleep, a smile formed on his lips.

Lee gasped when he went down, and when he fell, Lee caught him. Squirrel was still light in his arms, and as he managed to open the door of his truck, he could feel a light heartbeat. He was still there. There it was again, that odd sensation behind his eyes, around his nose, like a sneeze that just wouldn't go away. He shook his head, setting Squirrel in the seat and rolling him onto his side. They'd get home. They'd get home and Squirrel would live. If for one more day.

Lee drove relatively slowly on his way home. It was as if he were going through a dream, back with Jamie, his closest friend, his only friend. Then, he hadn't known Jamie was about to take his own life. Now... Squirrel was a time bomb about to explode. But he couldn't find the timer. Pulling back to the house, he slid Squirrel out of the seat and grabbed the two bags, using his foot to close the door and doing a bit of adjustment and readjustment to unlock the door without dropping either. While he tossed the two bags on the table in the kitchen, he set Squirrel down easily on the couch. Any sudden movement or change in pressure could be devastating now...

With a sigh, Lee went downstairs. He had to work some of this energy out...

Squirrel woke suddenly, calming when he saw the familiar living area. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. Even though it seemed he was asleep, he felt like he hadn't slept for days. He must have passed out, it seems. Feeling a little mad at himself, he got up, standing on unsteady feet. He was about to look for Lee, but the screams of pain coming from the door leading the basement answered that question.

Squirrel moved to Lee's room, taking the blanket and pillow from his bed. He hoped that the man wouldn't mind that much. He returned to the living area, turning on his cartoons and making a bed on the couch. He smiled at the cartoons, his head feeling too sore to laugh. He fell into a half-asleep state, still awake but resting his thoughts like he was sleeping.