"Jamie, thank god you're here." Layton runs into his arms distraught.

"What happened, any news about Rick?"

"No, it's been almost an hour and nobody has told me anything, we were just at the beach having a good time, then he couldn't breathe, started coughing up blood and turning pale, everything else is a blur."

"Okay wait here, let me see if I can get someone to tell us what's going on." Jamie rushed off in the direction of the nurse's station.

In Rick's hospital room

"Alright Mr. De la Rosa, we've taken a CT scan of your chest and have found a mass growth on your left lung. "

" We cannot be sure if it is cancerous or not until we test a sample of the tissue, we can schedule the procedure for tonight and you may receive your results in a few days. Also we have put you on a course of coagulants."

Rick was taken aback, suddenly with the mention of one word his whole life could come crashing down.

"Let's do it, but I don't want anything mentioned to my family as yet."

"As you wish, I'll let the nurses know that you are allowed visitors now."

Within a few minutes Layton and Jamie were by Rick's side ambushing him with questions.

"What did the doctor say?"

"When can you get out of here?"

"Any hot nurses around?"

Jamie lightened the mood with his last query.

"I'm fine, I was overdue for a routine checkup anyway, guess my body just reminded me of that." Rick had downplayed the seriousness of the situation

"So we can go home now?" Layton really felt uncomfortable in hospitals

"I have to stay the night amor, perhaps Jamie could take you home to get some of my things?"

"Of course." She plants a kiss against his forehead but he pulls her in for a more intense caress.

2 days later

Rick is happily smiling away at something on his phone will Layton gets ready for college.

"Make sure to rest today, doctor's orders."

"I think you just like bossing me around Ms. Cruz, careful I'm not the submissive type."

"Don't start something you can't finish Mr. De la Rosa, remember what Dr. Parker said 'no strenuous activities', I'm going to be late for class, I'll see you later."

Rick pouts as Layton blows him a kiss from across the room.

Ricks p.o.v

A few days have gone by as I grew anxious waiting for the hospital to call, when they finally did a wave of relief came over me until the thought of my impending doom slapped me over the head.

"I'm sorry to inform you Mr. De la Rosa, but the growth is a malicious cancer and is likely to rapidly spread."

"Please call me Rick, how could this of happened? I don't smoke, I work out and eat healthy" Disbelief took over me.

"Well it could be a number of reasons, been exposed to asbestos or radon gas but most likely it's hereditary. We would like to run more tests to examine the extent of the cancer and to be able to map out a course of action unfortunately surgery to remove the mass is out of the question as it is too close to your bronchi."

"How long would I have doc, If the treatments don't work?" the answer to this petrified me to my core.

"Most men and women die within a year of been diagnosed."

"What about a lung transplant?" I was beginning to grasp at straws at this point

"Well you would be high up on the list, you're a server of the community and otherwise healthy but even so it could take up to three years to find a donor and well your body could reject the organ."

Hopeless, disheartened, wretched, defeatist- these are the feelings I was interjected with.

As I made my way home, Dr. Parker's words played on loop in my head. How could this of happened, it's not fair, how am I supposed to tell Layton I could be leaving her, it's not a conversation I was ready for, are we ever really ready to say goodbye?

End of p.o.v

"Honey I'm home." Rick shouted

Layton came running into the living room. "I've always wanted someone to say that, I just attended my last lecture now it's just a few pesky exams standing in the way of me and that law degree." She beams while looking up at him.

Rick was gutted from the day's earlier events but had to hide his emotions, he wanted to make every moment with Layton count, and god only knows home many he actually might have left.

"I texted Jamie on my way over, we're meeting for a few beers, don't wait up amor."

At Camden's bar downtown Blue Fall's

The two friends were already one beer down, things were laid back but that was about to change

"I have to tell you something." Rick utters to his best friend

"Sounds serious, what's up? If you cheated on Layton I will use my pistol on you."

Rick rolls his eyes and begins to tell Jamie what has been going on the last few days

"Shit and you have been going through this alone, why haven't you said anything earlier? I can't lose my brother in arms"

"Because if I did, the reality of the situation would have become overwhelming. I have a favor to ask you."

"Anything."

"You need to keep this from Layton."

"You want me to what? Are you out of your mind? This is life changing for her as well."

"She has finals coming up, I don't want her to be distracted, her future is still important even if I might not be there with her."

"This is a bad idea, she will kill us."

"Better her than the cancer." Rick jokes

"Too soon bro, too soon."

The remaining months of the year went by in a flash. Rick found it hard hiding his symptoms and countless doctors' appointments from Layton but luckily she was busy with finals and hardly noticed.

Jamie was feeling extremely guilty about hiding something so big from Layton but understood it wasn't his place to say anything really.

Cassidy officially asked Tessa to move in with him and the two loved spending Sunday mornings in bed till noon. Rose moved back in with her parents but eventually lost contact with her friends.

Mr. Cruz decided to throw a congratulations party for the newly graduates on his yacht. Everybody important to the group sailed away in luxury, enjoying the night's festivities and partying away.

"I'm so proud of you and I know Joyce would've been to."

"Thanks dad, I couldn't have done any of this without you." Layton began tearing as she held onto her father, there was so much more to say at the moment yet actions spoke louder than words.

She eventually pulled away from her father and embraced Akemi, thanking her for making Romero so happy.

"My little girl is all grown up, next I'll be seeing her in a judge's robe with a white powered wig with that little hammer thing, wait what's it called again?." Jamie wipes away fake tears and pulls Layton into a bear hug.

"It's a gavel and that's still a long time away." She laughs and tries to hug him back with the same amount of strength.

Rick stands in the middle of the yacht and requests for Layton to join him, he taps the side of his champagne glass.

"May I have every body's attention please?"