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They’d pulled him off life support

I looked aton his own for over two hours now

It was labored, and the breaths rattled in his big, barrel chest, but he was breathing

His face also looked a little one to sleep

But overall, he appeared as if he was hanging in there

God, if you can hear me, please help him Please watch over him and let him live

I didn’t know this man I just realized only seconds before that he’d done me a kindness before I’d even known hiood man

“I’ up “Give y’all some time to—”

“Absolutely not,” the big, bearded bear narunted “You’ll stay”

So that was how I stayed, and listened to stories, all centering on the man in the bed

“They say how long he’d live?”

I sed and shook my head at Hancock’s question “No” I hesitated “Without the machine to breathe for him, he could stop at anymeasures He’ll slowly die”

It sounded harsh Really harsh

I watched two of the men in my peripheral vision wince

“You remember that time that Gentry hit that little shithead number twenty-six on the Cardinals last season?” Manuel asked “And before that little asshole could stor, Rhys was just there, tripping hi him fall on his face?”

“I reot up, he went at Rhys like a ht into the kid’s nose, and dropped hi wildly “Fuck”

They all went silent, and I wondered if maybe it was time to leave

But I didn’t move

They didn’t either

Not until four hours later Rhys stopped breathing and ere kicked outChapter 7I’m only 20 human The other 80 is stress and anxiety

-Rhys’s secret thoughts

Rhys

“You fight, neighbor You fight hard, and I’ll thank you with a big ol’ hug when you get through”

Fight?

Fight what?

Then I saw the lightChapter 8I don’t want Netflix and Chill I want Amazon Prime and Commitment

-Henley’s secret thoughts

Henley

I showed up at the hospital, cuddled the babies, and tried not to think about the man that had once been upstairs

Tried not to think about how o when thatand had taken one final breath before he’d passed away