It can be the start of real no contact, which is very healing for ME.
If he hasn't been diagnosed with bone cancer, he may believe he has it, as did AH, because the joints start aching caused by bone deterioration brought on by alcoholism.
I don't worry about whether what we had was "real." As mentioned, the disease progresses and certainly AH would say things to me now that would come from the deep pain he is in. Loving someone does not mean being their whipping boy.