It was Monday morning and Ruby was taking her Anatomy exam. Roger was sitting at the other edge of the room. Sometimes when she just couldn't answer to a question, she turned around and looked at Rog who was confused too. Then, they'd share a look and smile. Three hours later, they were free. Rog waited for Ruby at the classroom's door.

“Hey Riley! How has it been?”

“Terrible... Actually I didn't study much, I spent the weekend with my brother. How did it go for you?”

“Mmh, not bad but not good either. Waiting for the results now. I can't wait for the exams to end!”

“I can't either. I think I'm leaving the Imperial College.”

“WHAT?” Roger shouted in the corridor, making all the students turn around. “I mean... Why? You're one of the best elements here!”

“One of the best elements? I think you're mistaking me for Bri, Rog! I always fail at my tests and I don't feel good here.”

Roger looked at her, almost sadly, and shrugged. He hugged her quickly and kissed her forehead.

“Follow your own way, Riley, but I'm more than sure that you would do great things in Medicine.”

“Don't worry, Rog, you'll still be my favourite blondie!”

“Hey, don't call me blondie!” he laughed. “Call me the Golden God!”

“Already taken, dear!”

“Oh, crap. Then... The blonde angel?”

“Nah, you're not an angel.”

Roger faked to be shocked and tickled her waist. She bursted out laughing in the middle of the corridor, pulling Roger's jacket. She ran out of air and begged him to stop. He did, and then, she tried to breathe again.

“Oh, poor Riley, I'm being rude with you again!” he laughed, hugging her.

“Rog, doesn't it hurt you?”

“What?”

“Hugging me when... you know... I'm dating... Bri?”

“A tiny bit, but I like being like that, because I know you're happy with Bri and Bri's happy with you.”

Roger's smile looked so sincere that Ruby couldn't doubt about his feelings. However, she felt bad about it. He loved her, and she always was with him.

“Promise me you're not lying, okay? I don't want anyone to be hurt, even if it's the case right now.”

“Hey, Riley, don't worry! I'm okay with that! I mean... I'm sure that I would never have made you happy like Bri's doing. Actually, Brian and you fit so well together!”

“I hope you're telling the truth.”

“I am.”

He smiled to her, and she couldn't help but hug him once again. She immediately felt guilty. “This hug is one more stab” she thought. Roger cupped her face in his hands; he smiled and gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead and the nose.

“Ah, Riley. What am I going to do with you?”

“A pizza.”

Roger didn't expect this kind of answer at all. He bursted out laughing and hugged her once again.

“I like you so much. I'm glad we're friends.” he said.

“I'm glad too, Rog” she smiled. “What time is it?”

“Almost 1 pm.”

“Oh shit, I've got to go home and change my clothes before seeing Bri!”

“Oh, okay. Well, I'm going to see him right now at the library, he told me he'd help me for something.”

“Well, have a nice time! Can you tell him I went back home and that I may arrive a bit late?”

“Sure!”

As they were about to say goodbye, the bell of the college rang, being the sign of a public announcement. The voice of the director resonated in the corridors.

“An urgent call for Miss Ruby Franklin from the department of Medicine, please go to the secretary office. I repeat: an urgent call for Miss Ruby Franklin from the department of Medicine, please go to the secretary office.”

Then, the corridor reduced to silence. Roger looked at her, quizzical. She was looking up at the amps; her hands were shaking and she could feel a cold shiver crossing her back.

“Ruby... I think you have to go.” Roger whispered.

She jumped and stared at him. When he calls her by her real name, it was getting serious. Roger saw the look of terror in her eyes. He patted her back.

“Go to the secretary office. I'm waiting for you here, okay?”

“O... Okay.”

When she began to walk, it was as if her legs weighed tons. Roger encouraged her, and she walked up to the secretary office, two corridors away, swallowing her saliva. She knew what it was about. She knew it too well. “Dennis.”

She knocked at the door of the secretary office and entered. The secretary, a nice lady with short, curly red hair raised her eyes.

“Are you Ruby Franklin?”

“I am.”

“Go to the telephone up there” she said, pointing at a telephone on a table next to the desk, “it is your mother calling.”

Ruby nodded and almost ran to the telephone. She picked it up and put it against her ear.

“Mum?”

“Oh, Ruby, here you are!” Prudence was crying. Ruby's eyes began to be filled with tears.

“Mum, where are you?”

“At the hospital. Come now.”

“Did the telephone ring?” she asked, tears rolling down her face.

“It did.”

Ruby bursted into tears, and she didn't even want to hide it. The secretary stood up and came to her, placing her hand on her shoulder. She wiped her eyes and tried to keep calm.

“I'm leaving now.”

“Be quick.”

And then, Prudence hung up. Ruby was staring at the handset. She sobbed even more and the secretary whispered “Are you alright, miss?”

“Do I look like I'm alright?” she almost shouted. When she saw the expression on the secretary's face, she said “I'm sorry, madam. I didn't want to be rude. I have to go to the hospital.”

And then, Ruby ran out of the office and came back to Roger. He was still there, waiting for her. As soon as he saw her red face and crying eyes, his eyes widened and he reached out to her.

“Oh, Ruby, what's the matter?”

“My brother... His time has come.”

“Oh... Shit, Ruby I'm... I'm so sorry.”

“Can you please tell Bri I left for the hospital? And when you finish, can he meet me there? It's Charing Cross Hospital. First floor, third corridor.”

“I'll tell him. Now, go!”

She kissed him on the cheek and ran through the corridors, pushing other students on her way. She ran away from the Imperial College and caught a bus at the corner of the street. Twenty minutes later, she arrived at Charing Cross and made her way to the hospital. She rushed in and went to the first floor, third corridor.

When she turned left, she found Prudence, kneeling down, her face in her hands. She threw her bag on the floor before falling next to her mother. She took her in her arms and sobbed on her shoulder.

“This is it?” she hiccupped.

Prudence turned her head, her eyes were red and wet. She was too weak to speak and she simply nodded. Ruby stood up and walked to the bedroom door. She opened it and saw two doctors, facing her. The bed was covered by a white sheet under which she could see the shape of a body. She ran to the bed, despite the doctors trying to prevent her. Hesitantly, she grabbed the sheet and threw it away. She saw Dennis's face: it was pale, his eyes were closed and it looked like his lips had been sewed together. His eyelids were a bit purple.

“Dennis...”

She screamed in pain and knelt down beside the bed. She hugged her brother's lifeless body, burying her face in his neck. She could hear one of the doctors writing on a sort of notebook.

“Dennis John Franklin. Born in the 9th of November 1945, died in the 29th of June 1969 at 1:13 pm. Cause: liver failure.”

Then, he put his pen away and bent over her to grab her arm and try to stand her up. But she resisted, struggling, screaming.

“Come on, go away.”

“NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! HE'S MY BROTHER!”

“I'm sorry, but go away.”

“I WON'T! GO FUCK YOURSELF!”

The doctor let go of her arm and walked to the door. He shouted something to someone, but she couldn't hear it, deafened by the pain. She could feel a bunch of footsteps coming her way. She raised her eyes and saw four nurses, who grabbed her arms and waist, trying to make her leave.

“I won't leave, I WON'T LEAVE!”

Unfortunately, they succeeded in standing her up. They accompanied her to the corridor, while she was screaming and giving punches to everybody. The last thing she saw in the bedroom was the doctor placing the sheet back over Dennis.

The nurses almost threw Ruby out of the door. She fell on the cold floor and crawled to her mother, holding her head.

“What was that?” Prudence was crying. “Are you stupid or what?”

“I don't want him to go.”

“Do you think I want it?” she shouted. “DO YOU REALLY THINK I WANT MY OWN SON TO DIE?!”

Both broke down again and cried in each other's arms. Hurried footsteps made their way to them, and Ruby saw Brian, panicked. She stood up and, shivering, threw herself to his neck. He held her tighter than ever, kissing her hair.

“Roger told me. I left as soon as he arrived.”

“Weren't you supposed to help him?”

“He told me to go.”

He deeply breathed. He saw Prudence, sitting on the floor.

“What happened?”

“Dennis is... Dennis is...”

At the same moment, the bedroom door abruptly opened and the doctors rushed out, dragging the hospital bed covered with the white sheet. Brian's eyes widened, and like Prudence's and Ruby's, watched it move away. Prudence stood up, shivering, and reached out to Ruby and Brian. They all held each other. Brian wasn't crying, but was in a state of shock. Endlessly, he whispered “I'm sorry, so sorry.”

About an hour later, Prudence was sitting in the waiting room, still sobbing, trying to drink a cup of coffee the secretary gave her. Ruby and Brian were sitting in the hospital garden where Ruby had taken Dennis a few days before. They were on a bench, and Ruby was still sobbing, like her mother. Brian was lost and didn't know what to do. She was looking absently at the bench in front of them. Brian's arms were wrapped around her shoulders.

“Do you want me to get you a cup of tea? A cup of coffee?” Brian whispered.

“No, thanks, Bri.”

“Do you want a glass of water?”

“No, thanks for asking.”

She sniffed and looked down.

“I can't believe he's gone.”

“I know, my dear, I know. But you have to carry on. He didn't want you to cry, did he?”

“No. He told me he didn't want anyone to cry for him. He said he was happy to leave this world. And it was true.”

“Then let him be happy where he is now.”

“Bri, do you think he's in a more colourful place, now?”

“I don't know” he sighed. “I guess he is now.”

She nodded and rubbed her eyes.

“Damn, it was quick” he sighed. “It's 1969 and they still haven't found a cure for that?”

Ruby suddenly raised her chin. Her eyes wandered thoughtfully in the garden. She deeply inhaled.

“I will find it.”

“What?”

“I'll find this cure.”

Brian was surprised.

“I'm not leaving for Literature. I'm staying at the department of Medicine. I'll work hard, and one day, I'll find the cure for liver failures. There won't be more Dennises.”