“Really? Is that your wish?”

I smile gently up at the confused face staring down at me. “Yes, of course. Did you not hear me?”

Dr. Watts frowns, baffled, as he runs his hands through his hair and straightens his glasses. “Of course I heard you, but you do realize. . .you’re going to die. Why would you want to-” A hand touches the doctor’s shoulder as I feel another hand grip mine.

“Neil, let the old man be. That is his wish, and we must grant it,” Dr. Rosalene says. “This is our job.”

My bedpost rattles as Dr. Watts leans on it, the autumn light cutting across his face. “Eva, this old man is wishing for something we cannot grant! How are-” He stops short as Dr. Rosalene cuts him off again, this time much more impatiently.

“Neil! Just because everything says something cannot be done doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. Stop with this foolishness and let’s get this over with.” Her young hand squeezes on my baggy sack of bones as she glares at her partner, and Dr. Watts sighs.

“Fine.”

He turns back to my bed and carefully lifts my head so I can stare him in the eyes. “You probably know this already, but we’re going to need you to be strong right now, and to understand that this has never been done before. What you want is something I’m not sure will work out, and Dr. Rosalene and I don’t know if your memories can handle this much of a tampering.”

I blink twice, as if to say yes. Dr. Watts nods, but right before he lets go, he faces me one more time. Green eyes into brown. Dr. Rosalene watches, a small smile dancing across her eyes.

“Why don’t- ” he begins, but then he hesitates. After a quick glance at Dr. Rosalene, he continues. “Why don’t we try something different. Focus on the reason, the memory of why you want this wish. Perhaps that will help us with our task. Alright?”

A deep breath. “Alright.”

I close my eyes as I wait for the doctors to prepare for the memory simulation. I don’t know when it happens, but soon my mind relaxes, and I doze off.

The boy is sitting on a wooden swing, the ropes creaking as he gently swings back and forth, the leaves quietly spilling their fire. A tiny creek bubbles its way through the trees, and the grass shines bright through the swirling colors. Everything sways with the time of nature’s music.

As the boy almost reaches the height of the branches, he flies off and lands in a pile of leaves, plunging into the musky scent of autumn. Laughing, he climbs out and heads to the swing for another ride, the swing already covered with more leaves.

Brushing them off, he picks one up, holding it to the sunlight.

It simply disintegrates into dust.

Again, he tries to pick up another leaf. This one too breaks down at his touch.

Running back to the pile, he sees shattered leaves in his landing spot, and he  scoops up the brittle shards.

They are too old, too dead to the world to be able to be held. The boy looks up at the tree above him, the breeze continuing to send leaves tumbling. He catches one before it hits the ground, and smiles as he sees its unbroken form in his hand. Yet that too flies away to settle on the grass below.

I watch as I the faint figures of the two doctors appear standing next to the boy, who is completely oblivious to their presence. I know now what they have done. My time has come. They raise a hand to me, and I raise mine as well in farewell. Dr. Rosalene salutes me as I slowly fade into darkness.

They did their job well.