For some reason, I hadn't thought to ask what sort of cancer it is and I'm not sure knowing makes a difference. Except, strangely, I suppose I imagined skin cancer might be more visible. And it isn't, obviously. Lee is gaunt and clearly ailing, but I've never noticed any sort of lesions or rashes at all, and I still don't. It's almost worse somehow, knowing that the thing that's slowly killing Lee is inside him, eating away little by little.

The ache in my chest just gets worse as Lee continues, just from imagining him pulling away from everyone he cares about, from people he's only just met, trying not to get attached. It's something I can't even really fathom, cutting myself off completely. I think that might kill me before the cancer ever did.

"I'm not sad I met you," I finally manage once I'm sure he's finished. I certainly don't want to interrupt. "For what that's worth. Even knowing what I do now, I want... I want to get to know you even better. And I want to do anything at all that you want to do while-- while you still can. Actually, I'm going to promise you right now that I'll make you your favorite pie every single week until you get sick of it. And then I'll make you a new pie. Or cookies! I'll make whatever you want. Or-- oh! Oh, Lee."

For a second, I can barely breathe as a rush of hope zings all through me. "Lee, have you-- I mean, there are wizards here! Magical people. You might have options outside of modern medicine!"