Coffee with milk, pastries, and cancer

My friend's battle with cancer has been ongoing since December 2006. I might not have noticed if I didn't know he was ill, considering he has always kept up his cheery disposition and positive outlook on life.

That has all changed drastically, which I witnessed when I went to visit him for the first time after his failed attempt at surgery. Now he can add a failed attempt at chemotherapy to his list of "treaments". He had undergone chemo twice previously, and each time the most serious side effect was weariness. Last week after one session of chemo he ended up vomitting so violently the same afternoon that he was admitted to the hospital where he stayed for 5 days.

He told me right off the bat that he was not well. Not even after having had 80% of his liver removed did he ever say that he was not well. He didn't feel like having coffee, but as a token of friendship he poured himself half a cup. A nibble of the pastry I brought was all he could manage. I decided right off the bat to talk about all the ordinary things we usually talked about. I realized how much I miss talking to him.

When I left my thoughts were in a blur. If I feel this way now, how am I going to feel later on? When is "later on" going to occur?