The steady, loud beep of a flat lining medical monitor were all that could be heard in the hospital room. No visitors were here, and the only person inside the room was a man who looked dead. He probably was, considering the monitor.
A bird looked like it was frozen in time outside the window. The soft rustle of bedsheets was heard as William woke up with a loud groan. His head still hurts. Suddenly he gasped, turning his head to look at the monitor. Was he…… dead? Then he noticed a man, dressed in an all black business suit, speak. He was sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed, a book on their lap. “Yes, you are. That brain tumor was certainly inoperable.”
Wait, who was that? William quickly turned his head again, staring in surprise at the man. “W-Who are you?” The man got a soft smile, his hair, and face so well done there wasn’t a thing out of place. The man leaned back. “I am the one your society calls Death. I visit those who died, but were meant for something greater. You see, you were never meant to get cancer, you were meant to cure it.” William was….. A bit surprised to say the least. Literal Death sitting at his hospital bed? He’d never guess that would happen in a million years. And the words Death said were even more surprising…..
“Does that really mean I’m actually dead…?” He asked. “Yes. But this is not yet the end for you. Since you’re a world-renowned doctor, at least on this world, I have a proposition. I do not want your talents to go to waste, even if you might not be able to live here anymore.” “What do you mean, this world?” Death smiled again. “Well, I want to send you to another. One where your skills might come of more use. You’ll get a new body, one that is stronger, faster, and heals much quicker.” William hadn’t expected to wake up to this when he just felt so drowsy today. “Of course, you’ll get dumped there in your current body, after which you’ll undoubtedly go through a somewhat grueling transformation. But there’s also the option to just appear there in your new body. It’s your choice.”
He didn’t like the sound of more pain. Also, he somehow had the ability to think clearly again, instead of that haze hanging over his thoughts due to the meds and the tumor. But he thought the best option was just appearing. “I-I wouldn’t exactly like more pain…. I’ve already had enough, thank you. But what kind of body will I get?” Death opened the book he was holding, flipping through a couple pages before reading something. “You’ll like it. Do try to stay away from silver, though. It’ll hurt. Other wounds will heal within about half a minute. It’ll be really handy considering what will probably happen.”
That certainly threw up some questions for what he would become. But Death already continued talking. “You probably won’t even know how to walk for a couple of minutes or hours. I guess it’d be fun for you.” William was just confused now, but he understood some things. It was just that he wasn’t that prepared. “Don’t I need to do anything before I go there?” Death knew William would ask that. “It’s pretty simple. It’s ready already. You’ll easily be reincarnated” William tried to interrupt. “A-Am I going like, right now? W-What if I’m not rea-” Death had already snapped his fingers, and William was cut off mid-sentence. All that William could see right now was a pitch black darkness.
Then, he could see his own body. His bones were able to be seen through his thin skin. That’s what years of chemo, radiation and stay in a hospital would do to you. He was floating in a pitch-black void, completely cut off from sound, feeling, or light. All he saw was his body, but something was different. He felt uncomfortable, and an itch, as if something was under his skin. Then, he realized he didn’t have the body of a cancer patient anymore. Not skin over bone like before, now he had some flesh and muscle. And even then, he felt himself grow. Agonizing pain shot through his body as his bones changed shape and grew. He didn’t know what was happening, but his body certainly didn’t like it. He wanted to scream, but he could only hear his voice through himself. Screaming loudly into the empty void, he couldn’t hold out for long anymore. Seconds later, he lost consciousness.
