My friend is probably dying

[Clodfobble]

Difficult situation Sam. My guess is that the doctor won't be inclined to discuss the details of his patient's condition with you in private. But, it's worth a try.

I'm pretty sure HIPAA makes it completely illegal, in fact. But realistically, your friend is going to hear bad news from the doctor either way, and he will probably appreciate having someone there to ask questions that he surely wants to know the answer to but may not be clear-headed enough to think about yet.