Ryan Ellis sighed, checking his clipboard once again and wishing the content of the paper would bend to his will and give a more favorable conclusion. Sadly, reality held strong against his will.

Ryan's eyes trailed from his clipboard to the glass window in front of him. Within the room sat a woman lying on a hospital bed with an endotracheal tube plugged into her mouth. Besides her bed, a patient monitor showcasing her vitals on various screens showed that she was stable.

For now.

Ryan hardened his resolve and detached his feelings from the equation. This was without a doubt the worst part of the job, but he had signed up for it. Getting emotional was not what this woman would need.

He marched inside the room with a blank expression. The sound of the sliding door slamming shut caused the woman to open her crystal blue eyes and regard him with inquisitive eyes. She had a pallid complexion, but even then, she would've met the requirement for a Vogue cover.

Ryan cleared his throat, glancing back at his sheet to ensure he had remembered the name correctly. "Hope, I've come with news."

Hope Valdez smiled weakly. "I notice you didn't say good news."

"No, I'm afraid not," Ryan paused, making sure to look her in the eyes. It was important to maintain eye contact while delivering such news. "You were misdiagnosed for an infection. In actuality, you had a myocardial infarction. In simpler terms, a serious heart attack. The medicine we put you on for infection has led to nephrotoxicity, which means your kidneys are severely damaged."

"I'm only hearing what's wrong, not how to make it right," Hope responded suspiciously.

Ryan hesitated. That wasn't good. It was important in these times to shed a piece of your humanity so you could appear as a solid support for the patient to lean on, but something in this woman's eyes melted the mental wall he tried to build.

Ryan once again cleared his throat. "You're heading towards cardiogenic shock, which will leave your heart unable to pump enough blood to meet your body's need, creating an inadequate blood flow to vital organs and thus causing multiple organ failures. Due to the time wasted on the misdiagnosis, the window for treatment has passed. Your heart muscle has suffered irreversible damage."

Hope just stared blankly and Ryan choked out his conclusion. "There's nothing we can do."

"I'm going to die?" Hope asked the question softly, her eyes drifting away to the wall.

"Yes." Ryan looked back down at his clipboard, relieved to be released from her intense stare. "Is there anyone you would like me to call?" He knew she hadn't had any visitors, but perhaps she simply hadn't informed anyone because she thought it wouldn't be serious. She certainly seemed the type.

Ryan felt hot with guilt, even though he hadn't been the one to diagnose the infection. However, as Hope's eyes once again met his they held no accusation in them. "That won't be necessary," she said. "My parents are dead and my friends are only useful when it comes to college parties. Funerals aren't high on their priority list."

"Oh."

"How much longer until I'm dead?"

 Ryan's eyes widened. She was taking it impossibly well, her voice clearer than ever and her eyes positively anhydrous. "We've estimated your cardiogenic shock will occur in twenty to twenty-four hours."

"So twenty-four hours then," Hope said with finality.

"In the best case scen-"

"So twenty-four hours then." Her voice was much sharper this time and her expression hardened, yet her eyes seemed to be begging for confirmation.

Ryan nodded. "Twenty-four hours."

Ryan sat down in the visitor's chair next to the hospital bed. He couldn't shake the hold that guilt had on him. After all, no matter how little he had contributed to the diagnosis, he was a part of the reason Hope was too far gone to be saved.

Hope observed him wordlessly, then focused her eyes on the ceiling. Neither spoke for ten minutes until she once again glanced at him. "Don't you have other patients?" she asked.

Ryan waved his hand dismissively. "We have more doctors and nurses than we realistically need, they'll be fine."

Hope's gaze turned thoughtful. "Would they be fine without you for twenty-four hours?"

"I'm not leaving. You've just been handed a death sentence as a result of human error. It's the least I can do."

Hope shook her head. "I don't harbor any ill feelings toward you or the other doctors. Honestly, I don't believe humans should have such a huge responsibility in the first place. Doctors asked to save lives over and over again without fail. I'm sure there was a reason to think it may have been an infection. But there was no reason for me to get the heart attack," Hope's eyes narrowed, "really, there's no reason or meaning to it at all. Isn't that sad?"

Ryan rubbed his head idly. This was where he was supposed to console her and reassure her that there was a meaning to everything. He'd never quite been good at that part of the job. Especially when asked to desensitize himself to the many people who died right in front of him. "Yeah, it's pretty sad. And unfair."

Hope smiled faintly. "The world never promised to be fair, silly." Ryan couldn't find the words to refute that point. "I bet you've seen a lot of patients who have started to get better then die suddenly. Here, I've been given a 24-hour forewarning - a privilege, really."

That's certainly one way to think of it, Ryan thought.

She started to sit up with tremendous effort, her body shaking as she grunted from waves of pain cascading into her. Ryan rushed forward to help. "What's the matter? Just tell me what you need and I'll get it."

"What I need is to be able to move on my own," Hope replied, feebly trying to push Ryan away. "I need to get out."

"Out?" Ryan asked, his voice now laced with concern. "Your heart is severely damaged as I told you before; you can't just expect to go out for a walk."

Hope finally managed to sit up and immediately fixed Ryan with a glare. "Why not? I've been given a timeline and I'd be a fool not to make the most out of it. Prescribe me painkillers for my swollen ankles and I'll be on my way."

"I don't think you understand the situation. Every step you take risks a medical emergency which will quicken the arrival of the cardiogenic shock."

"That's why you'll tag along to help if that does happen," Hope replied brightly. A bout of coughing followed her words.

"What's the point?" 

"I'm going to make a to-do list. Heh, a to-do list before death," she said.

Ryan sighed. He was starting to wonder if she was delirious but her eyes were laser-focused instead of the alternative. "I'm not crazy," Hope said, reading his worried expression. "It's just I've wasted my life away studying and going to frivolous parties, thinking that a degree would help me get a meaningful job and I could enjoy my freedom afterward. That's no longer an option."

Ryan gritted his teeth as guilt washed over him. The doctor in him knew he shouldn't let her take a single step out of her bed, but the human in him begged him to humor her.

Hope rolled her eyes. "Listen, I'm going with or without you, so unless you're willing to sedate a dying woman - get out of my way." She took out her tube and through sheer power of will, slid off the bed and onto her feet. Her face was contorted in anguish as Ryan finally nodded.

"I'll get the painkillers."

An hour later, Ryan found himself parking in front of a sumptuous restaurant which was target number one on Hope's to-do list. She had changed out of her hospital gown and into her street clothes, which was a modest T-shirt and jeans combo. Ryan had insisted she wore a watch he provided which tracked her BP as it was essential it didn't reach a critical level. He had a lot of tools in case of medical emergency stuffed into his jacket pockets.

"Man, you really worry a lot, huh?" Hope asked. He hadn't even noticed she had been staring at him as he mentally went through everything that could go wrong.

"It's best to be prepared."

"Worrying isn't being prepared," Hope commented. "We've already taken precautions. Loosen up."

Ryan didn't feel any better about the situation but he humored her with a smile. "As you say, M'lady."

Ryan exited the car and tossed the valet his keys before opening the door for a grinning Hope. She'd downed an unhealthy amount of painkillers and it had reduced her suffering, but Ryan could see in her face that the pain wasn't completely gone. He helped her out of the car and it took a moment for her to steady herself enough to stand on her own.

"I'm sorry that your date is going to be tremendously underdressed," Hope commented as they started toward the door. They could see the inside through the opened glass doors and everyone in sight was dressed in a suit or fancy dress.

"Given the circumstances, I'll let it slide just this once," Ryan responded playfully. He leaned toward her, offering his shoulder as he'd seen people do on dates in the movies and Hope hooked her hand in between with a pleasant smile.

The first thing on her to-do list had been to go on a date at a fancy restaurant. She'd never been on one before because she'd only had flings throughout her life - or so she'd claimed. Naturally, Ryan was the only available candidate to assist and he'd known a restaurant owner who owed him a favor.

The host ushered them to a balcony seat which Ryan suspected was as far as they could get them from the entrance and general customers. Their walk alone was drawing many curious lingering eyes due to both of them being so underdressed.

He wasn't complaining though. The sunlight illuminated the balcony majestically and the view made Ryan wonder how much these seats usually cost. It felt like a hotel suite view, overlooking the city and its residents, strolling to and fro going on about their days.

"These seats must cost a fortune," Hope commented as she too looked at the view, voicing his own opinion.

"Not to worry - they're free for us. No splitting the bill here."

Hope chuckled and then busied herself browsing the menu. Her eyes were sunken and her complexion an unhealthy pale but her natural beauty shone through. "I find it hard to believe you have much of an appetite," he commented.

"I don't, but I can taste blood so I guess my tastebuds are still working."

Ryan stood abruptly. "You're tasting blood?!"

Hope cast an embarrassed glance behind them at the nearby customers who looked in their direction. "It's a joke."

"Sorry," Ryan said, retaking his seat and busying himself with his own menu until the other patrons looked away. 

"Ok!" Hope said suddenly, her bright demeanor back. "Here's a rule, let's not mention anything about my medical...situation, unless it's an emergency."

Ryan nodded. "Deal."

Just then, a waiter came and took their orders then they were left to their own devices. Ryan noticed that Hope was suddenly tense which might have been because she was nervous or in pain. Or both, really.

"So, you said you were in college; what have you been studying?"

Her face brightened a bit and some of the tension melted off. Maybe she was serious about not experiencing a lot of dates. "Law. It sounds silly but I watched the series Suits when I was younger and Harvey Specter was so cool that I set out to be a lawyer from then on."

Ryan remembered the trauma-ridden egomaniac closer in question and grimaced. "Are those the type of men you like?"

"No, but he sure is entertaining," she replied.

Ryan nodded. "Still, I didn't take you for the lawyer type."

"And I didn't take you for the going out on lavish dates type."

Ryan smiled. "I know. I surprised myself asking you out like this"

Hope laughed. "My prince charming couldn't even wait until I was checked out of the hospital."

"Time is of essence," Ryan said, wagging a finger.

Hope's smile faded a bit and her eyes strayed. Ryan mentally facepalmed, realizing his mistake. "Sorry I-"

"What made you become a doctor?" Hope asked, interrupting his frantic apology.

Ryan shrugged. "My parents wanted me to be one and it turned out that I was doing good enough in school for it to be a realistic path. My dream was a bit more unrealistic and less secure."

"What was it?" Hope asked, leaning in curiously.

"An author."

Just then, three waiters arrived carrying their orders. Ryan figured that the owner was looking to get them out of there as soon as possible because this was the fastest he'd been served at any restaurant.

His chicken alfredo pasta was a creamy heaven and quickly took his mind off of any ulterior motives. He did notice that Hope was slowly picking at her food. Loss of appetite was just one of the side effects of severe kidney damage, and when he thought about the kidney damage paired with the heart damage it was a wonder she'd make it this far out of the hospital. No doubt she was bearing significant pain that the painkillers couldn't shield her from.

They finished eating - or rather, Ryan finished eating and Hope kept going until she finally admitted she was done. She did make sure to send compliments to the chef and Ryan tipped them even though he didn't have to.

Next on the list was an amusement park. There wasn't time to visit some big famous park, so Ryan told her she'd have to settle for a little one - which Hope didn't seem to mind. It was only the second time Ryan had been at such a park himself and he particularly enjoyed the activities.

From snatching sugary treats away from the girl who seemed to forget how sick she was, to winning that same girl a teddy bear and having to hold back her hair as she vomited for four minutes straight. Call him simple but he loved every second of it.

"We need to go on that," Hope said suddenly, holding her gigantic teddy bear to the side to point at a rollercoaster. 

Ryan side-eyed her. "What part of severely damaged heart wall was incoherent when I said it the first time?"

"It'll be fine," Hope pleaded. "And even if it ends badly, at least they won't think you kidnapped me or something."

"Yes, there's always that," Ryan replied sarcastically. "Doctor stupidly puts a patient who recently suffered a heart attack on the roller coaster and what do you know - she has another one. You're right, at least you consented to the murder."

"Ryan. Stop always assuming the worst. I'm sure in your circumspect mindset you didn't think I'd still even be alive right now if I left my hospital bed. We're alive Ryan, we may as well have fun. I've been forced to learn the hard way that you can't postpone your fun, because you never know when you'll be given a death sentence."

Ryan heaved a sigh. "That may be true, but it doesn't mean you answer to your every whim without a care for your safety. You may be dying, but there are still valuable hours left on your clock. Are you really willing to risk that?"

Hope nodded confidently. "I am. Today I've discovered having fun is more meaningful than being cautious."

Ryan scratched his head idly. "Ok. But we're not going on that one. Kid's coaster or no deal, your heart might not be able to handle that as it is."

"Deal," Hope said excitedly and bolted forward toward the coaster in question. The sudden movement was too much and she slumped to a knee with a groan. Ryan rushed to her side.

"Are you okay?" He asked, checking her vitals through the watch. Her BP was high, but that was to be expected.

"Just a little lightheaded," Hope whispered with her eyes closed. Before she could protest, Ryan carefully lifted her up in his arms and began walking forward. "Hey! What are you doing?" she demanded, her pale cheeks gaining a slight blush.

"Getting you to a rollercoaster against my better judgment," Ryan responded and carried her the rest of the way. 

He gently put her down in front of the operator who watched them suspiciously but accepted the money nonetheless. "Thank you," Hope said.

"Save the thanks for after."

As they were strapped in among excited and loud kids, Ryan made sure that his hand could reach Hope's shoulder. He'd allowed her on the coaster only because he knew he had a syringe ready to sedate her if her BP were to reach too high. The watch would make a beeping noise and he'd stab her with the syringe, suppressing her sympathetic nervous system, leading to a release of adrenaline and a lower heart rate and blood pressure.

It sounded like a good plan in theory, but Ryan gravely underestimated the kid's rollercoaster because he'd never been on one. By the second loop amidst the screaming of the kids, Hope and maybe himself, the syringe fell out of his hand. Filled with panic, he grabbed aimlessly at the air, and Hope mistook his attempts for a grab at her hand and grabbed his tightly.

The remainder of the ride was a horror for many reasons. Ryan was caught in between trying to survive the death trap disguised as a kid's rollercoaster, all the while praying that the million things that could happen to Hope didn't. Their eyes met for a brief moment on a drop and she started laughing at what must've been a very frightened expression.

He made sure to hold her hand tight in case the pressure was the only thing keeping her conscious. At least, that reason was better than the alternative that he was scared as hell.

At the end of the ride, Ryan stumbled to the garbage can and emptied the contents of his stomach. So long Alfredo pasta. The kids laughed, unbothered by the hellish invention that Ryan felt lucky to have survived. 

"You alright, miss?"

Ryan's head snapped back around. The operator was leaning over the coaster car where Hope hadn't moved an inch from the seat. No doubt he was regretting allowing them on. Ryan ran over and once again lifted Hope up carefully. She had a pulse thankfully and her vitals seemed ok, but they weren't in the clear. Her eyes were glassy. For all he knew, she could be in some kind of shock.

As he began walking back to the car, Hope groaned. "I'm not dead yet, don't look so worried. Just a bit tired all of a sudden."

In his haste, he had forgotten to check if she was responsive! He grinned. "Maybe that's a side effect of that crazy ass ride."

"Ryan, that was a kid's ride."

Ryan reached his car and gently put her down in the passenger's seat before walking around to his own seat. Hope seemed more focused now and regarded him with intense eyes.

Ryan shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortably self-aware. "So, what's n-"

Ryan was cut off by Hope suddenly grabbing him by the head and leaning forward. After a moment's hesitation, Ryan followed suit and their lips met. There was an insatiable desire in Hope's searching lips as they merged to Ryan's and she pulled herself from the passenger seat to position herself on top of him. It was almost as if she was a new person, surging with renewed strength as her hungry lips devoured his as Ryan's fingers weaved into her hair, pulling her in closer. Hope's hands struggled to take off his jacket as she refused to part from their passionate dance and Ryan moved to assist. 

She was intoxicating and magnetic, a beacon to his every sense. Which was why it felt like a punch in the gut when her watch started to ring in warning. Hope ignored it, her lips leaving his only to pull off her T-shirt but Ryan stopped himself with a sigh of frustration.

"We can't."

"What?" Hope still seemed stuck in a trance, leaning back in for more but Ryan forcefully ignored her magnetic pull, gently stopping her advance. 

"Your heart can't handle it," Ryan said, trying his best to not focus on how bewitching her bare skin looked illuminated by the dim sunlight of the late evening which glanced through the windshield. 

"I don't care," Hope said with a hurt expression. "Don't you want this too?'

"I do. Very much. But I'll never forgive myself for giving in to lust and costing you the last hours of your life."

"I don't care," Hope repeated with more fervor this time. "I won't be alive to have any regrets. It doesn't matter!"

Ryan shook his head. "We can't."

Hope scoffed and sullenly drifted back into the passenger seat, throwing back on her T-shirt. They sat in silence, their breathing heavy - for a good five minutes, before Ryan spoke up. "What was next on your to-do list?'

To his surprise, Hope's cheeks reddened and she looked out the window. "...have a happy date ending."

Ryan looked away else he'd be tempted to make that a reality, consequences or not. "What else?"

"That was the last."

Ryan sighed and put back on his jacket. "I'm sorry."

"Well, I don't want to go back to the hospital, so it's your turn to choose something."

Ryan mulled it over then came up with an idea. "Ok. I'll take you to my favorite place in the whole world."

Thirty minutes later, they sat on a park bench, watching people going about their late evening jogs and children being called by their parents to go home. The sunset was due anytime now.

"This is your favorite place in the world?" Hope asked incredulously.

"Way to not be judgmental," Ryan commented wryly.

Hope chuckled. "Honestly, it fits you."

Ryan attempted to hold her hand and he was immensely relieved when she didn't pull away. They sat there, listening to the sound of birds and little insects while the world went on around them. 

"I wonder if there's any meaning at all," Hope said suddenly.

"Meaning in what?"

"In life. Some people get more time to achieve what society would consider an achievement, but does that really mean that they matter in the universe?"

Ryan thought it over. "Maybe they only need to matter to some part of their surroundings throughout their life. Be it friends, family, loved ones, or just some random people or an establishment that will notice your absence."

"That sounds awfully optimistic," Hope murmured. 

"I just think it's better than the alternative."

Hope nodded. "I guess so." It was a while before she spoke again. "I think that by being given this timetable of death, the end of my life gained meaning - which made me want to make my life have meaning as well. But I don't think twenty-four hours is enough to achieve that."

"Did you have fun today?" Ryan asked. She nodded. "Why can't that be enough? Why does everyone seem to think the meaning is being respected or thought of as honorable?"

Hope looked at him pointedly with a smile. "I think you'd do well to remember your own words, doctor."

She was right. He was being a hypocrite, talking as if he had put happiness at the foremost of his life, rather than caution and security. "That's true," he admitted.

"But that is a cool way to think of it all," Hope added. "That your own personal feelings are what gives your life meaning." She sighed wistfully, "That would mean today was the most meaningful day of my life."

"Aw, you're going to make me blush," Ryan said with a mischievous grin. 

Hope punched him lightly in the arm. Or at least he assumed she meant to do it lightly. "I guess I can admit I wouldn't want any other doctor to spend my last day with."

Ryan squeezed her hand lightly. "I think this was the most meaningful day of my life so far, too."

Hope raised an eyebrow. 

"That's sad."

They both laughed at that. It took a second to realize that Hope was no longer laughing...she was sobbing. "It isn't fair," she said in between her sniveling. "The moment I gain hope that my life is turning around I have to give it all up."

"You wouldn't have gained hope unless you knew the end was coming," Ryan reminded her. "It's like you said the end gave meaning, but in reality, it just gave you the confidence to freely do what you wanted to do." He wrapped his hand around her, pulling her into his body and resting his chin on her head. "Besides, someone once told me - the world never promised to be fair, silly."

They sat there for the next hour, watching the sunset and everyone leave. It was harrowing to think that the world would be unchanged in a few hours when Hope passed on. Maybe she was right to think there was no inherent meaning to life but she didn't need to hear that.

As night fell, Hope turned to him. The circles around her eyes had gotten darker and she seemed exhausted. "I don't want to go to...sleep on that boring hospital bed. Let's go to your place." At Ryan's raised eyebrow she snorted, "Calm down, I'm not going to jump you. I have self control too, you know."

Ryan nodded. "Very well. Sounds like a plan."

They walked back to his car, hand in hand. He unlocked it and before she could react, planted a kiss on her lips and drew away before she could pull him in. "I'm going to make a call quickly, I'll be there in a bit."

Hope smiled. "Ok."

It was possibly the most beautiful smile he had seen from a human. The bags under her eyes and her obvious pain, yet she still smiled so brightly for him. That image would no doubt hold a place in his heart forever. Maybe the meaning was hidden in key moments like this one.

He moved away from his car and turned on his phone. He had a number of missed calls and knew it was all from the hospital. After all, he hadn't told them where he was going or what he was doing.

He called back his boss and waited patiently for him to pick up. To gain yet another moment of meaning. 

His boss answered. "Hello? Ryan, where the hell are y-"

"I quit."