Hana

Dog Rose

Lance looked at the cute cakes through the glass. The bakery wasn't as busy as it usually was, so Lance stopped by.

"Could I get the strawberry one and the fig one?" He pointed to the cakes as he asked.

"Sure thing, Lance," the baker said with a smile. He turned around to box up the sweets.

"Hey Mike," Lance said, "make that two of the strawberry one."

Mike chuckled, "Of course!"

Lance paid and waved goodbye to the staff. He walked down the busy sidewalk holding the bag of treats. He hummed to himself, swaying as he took each step. He turned a corner and entered the bookstore.

"Linda!" Lance called as he wiped his shoes on the welcome mat, "I brought your cake!"

Linda skipped out from behind the counter, "Yay! Thanks Lance!"

He pulled a box out of the bag and handed it to her, "One fig cake."

Linda giggled happily, "You're the best! What's on your schedule for today?"

"Not much," Lance chuckled, "I was going to go to the park to enjoy my cake and feed the cat."

"Did you name it yet?"

"Of course not."

"What do you mean 'of course not?' You love that cat!"

"I do not," Lance smiled.

"Well, I have to get back to work. Thank you for the cake!"

"No problem!" Lance waved goodbye and headed to the park.

He found a bench and sat cross legged, setting the cake boxes next to him. He picked one up and opened the plastic fork package. Lance took a couple bites. "Delicious," he said with a smile. After finishing the cake, he heard a meow from under the park bench.

"Hi kitty~" Lance pulled out a can of cat food and opened it. He set it on the ground and the cat licked it happily. Lance moved from the bench to the ground, petting the top of her head as she ate. When she finished, Lance pulled out a water bottle and a small dish. He poured some water in for the cat, then took a sip from the bottle. This caused him to cough and he closed the bottle, returning it to his bag. Lance stood up to walk it off, slowly stepping a few feet away, then turning to come back. He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and coughed pink into it. Damn it, he thought, and coughed a few more times.

Lance attempted to force the coughing to stop, but to no avail. He only managed to stop long enough to hear Keith from a distance away calling his name.

"Keith?" he said out of disbelief, looking up slightly. Then, his head jerked back down and he coughed harder into his hand. His throat tensed and he dropped to his knees. Through the gasping, he heard footsteps running up to him.

"Lance! Are you okay?!" Keith dropped to his side and put his hand on his shoulder.

Lance couldn't answer him, and a mixture of pink and red spilled from his hand. Lance looked at him and choked out, "Keith?"

Lance's vision blurred and he fell to the right, away from Keith and barely conscious. Blood leaked from his mouth, filling the tiny cracks in the concrete as he heaved.

"Lance!" Keith scrambled for a moment, then picked up the limp boy. "Stay with me, alright!"

Lance felt Keith run for a while, then he was put into the back seat of a car. Through half-opened eyes, he watched Keith fumble with his keys and start the car, driving frantically. He noticed that there was blood on Keith's hands, which spread to the steering wheel. Then, he realized that it came from his own hands and mouth. He went black for a minute. When Lance came to, he was being picked up again, and Keith burst through the doors of a hospital.

"Someone help! Please!" Keith called out in a frantic, worried voice. Lance thought that he might have been on the verge of tears.

Lance heard different noises: people rushing to them and the paitents in the waiting room gasping at the scene. He was laid on a gurney and heard a nurse yell, "Call Dr. Martin! It's Lance!"

As Lance was pushed away, he watched a worried Keith stand in the entrance. He was covered in blood, and there was a pile splattered by his feet. Lance's chest convulsed again, and he coughed up pink and red over the white sheets and more pink and red fell to the floor. He tried to breathe, but it wouldn't work; it was just useless wheezing.

Lance recognized his doctor, Dr. Martin, running up to his side, "It's alright Lance! We're going to do our best!" He turned to a nurse, "Get me the-"

The voices faded out. Lance tried to hold on, but fell unconscious.