I Fell in Love with Hope - Lancali

“Cœur, t’es pas censé te promener, allonge-toi, je t’en supplie,” his
mother says.
He’s near the top of the transplant list now. He isn’t meant to be
standing up, much less over-exerting himself. But the moment he
sees the time on the clock, C tears out his IVs and gets out of bed.
He grabs his jacket and starts putting it on as his mother grabs him
by the shoulders, begging him to sit.
“Je vais chercher Neo. Tu peux être au téléphone avec lui. Je
comprends que tu sois en deuil, mais tu dois rester ici maintenant–”
“She’s my friend, maman. You can come with me or you can stay,
but I’m going.”
C’s father watches from the chair in the corner of the room, hands on
his face. He doesn’t rush to stop his son or help his wife. I think he
and she are at different stages of acceptance. C’s mother still has
faith in medicine, in the possibility of the transplant. C’s father sees
his son withering to a weaker version of who he used to be with each
passing day.
“Coeur!” his mother yells.
“Chérie, laisse-le,” his father says. He stands, grabbing both their
coats.
“Coeur, you can go, but let us come with you.”
“Merci, papa,” C says. He opens the door to Hikari and me.
“You ready?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
He nods, a bit disconnected.
“Where’s Neo?”