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"Please?" Doc spits out as he paces to the side of the un, his eyes wild like he’s out of his s?"

The ive him any but he wouldn’t take no for an answer"

Doc’s expression burns with fury "So a druggie comes to you, and you just crus? God, you’re as weak and pathetic as uy wails in pain "Maybe even more so since you kneould happen My son didn’t have a clear head"

"I’ to his side

Doc crouches down, grabs his shirt, and forces the man to look at him "You’re sorry! My son is in a coma, and you’re sorry!" he shouts in his face "Do you kno hard I searched for the person who sold hi it wasn’t one of my own? And then to find out it was you, Ivan A person I let into my home, who spent tiles"

"Please, don’t tell Elder to fa, hollow laugh "Too late I told hi that I found out it was you" He leans closer and his lips curve into an eerie grin as theto kill you" Then he stands up straight and points the gun at themy mouth to yell stop out of pure instinct No sound leaves un fires Blood sprays everywhere like rain and splatters across my shirt and face For a moment, I’m thrown back into the memory of Ben and what I did to hiun and stares at the ret eli his face His expression is that of a madman "Welcome to hell, Ryler, a place where the evil thrive and the weak die Thisfor their sins"

Having no idea how to react, I just stand there, staring at the gory scene, the scene I helped cause

Doc snatches a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his face off Then he throws it to me "Clean yourself up"

I rubI just hope Doc doesn’t notice ht question why I’m in this world in the first place

I follow hier seat while he cli the car around and driving back toward the freeway

"I’m not a monster," he abruptly tells me as he drives up the ramp "That man back there dealt to my son who’s suffered from an unfortunate heroin addiction since he was fourteen-years-old He’s al we could to help hioes back to his habit within days Every single one of , kneas hars, yet he still did it He chose to harm my family, and I had to make sure he paid for his sins, just like I made sure my son paid for his It’s what I have to do, Ryler; otherwise, the people in my life will do what they want"

Unsure what he wants from me, I nod, which see down the desolate freeway, listening to his music while I work to remain calm But by the time he drops me off at oing the way you are," Doc says as I climb out of the car, "then you’ll do just fine in this world You have the gift of silence, soranted But you, you see things and don’t have to speak of the his ht, and you’ll be fine

I’ve seen a lot of rough shit in my time Aura almost beaten to death was one of the worst, but I tried to stop that fro except watch I even helped in the chase

I’m not any better than Doc

I try not to think about what happened, try not to let that horrible time creep into my mind, but the ot there The blood that painted my knuckles as I was cuffed and driven down to the station How no one would help me, even the people I cared for No one would tell the truth

I force the thought out of ain I refuse to dwell in the past

I hop into ht By the time I arrive at my apartment, shock has possessed e up the stairs, slip quietly into the apartment, and hurry to the bathroom to take a shower and wash the blood off ht of the red pooling out of e I crumble onto the bathtub floor and start to cry

I can’t do this anymore

I can’t be this person

I can’t be okay atching death coet out of the shower, my body aches andbefore I pass out, though I grab my personal phone and text Stale