Keith Braxton has never felt so ill, and for a man who’s known nothing but illness most of his life, that’s saying something. He’s had enough of pain, and the only thing helping him wile away the hours when it has him in its bony grip, is talking with Yuri, the nurse who works the night shift.

Yuri sits with him, listening to Keith’s stories, and laughing, crying, and blushing like crazy.

He’s easy to talk to, and when Yuri speaks, the pain dims, and those precious hours give him the will to continue.

Keith does most of the talking, about first love, first times, people who came into his life and left their mark… All this talking is having a beneficial effect—Keith is finally able to sleep at night, his pain eased. Which is great, because Keith’s favorite holiday is fast approaching, and he wants to see it when it arrives.

There’s only one thing that puzzles him.

Why does no one else in the hospital seem to know who Yuri is?

Trigger warning

This story respectfully discusses issues concerning palliative care, end of life and termination of treatment. This story may not be for you right now, especially if you’ve lost someone you love recently.