This cannot be happening. This is a nightmare. It hurts, and I am dying alone. This is my fault thought, I messed up. I heard foot steps and then Javi yelled.
"Gabriel! No, please no!" He kneeled next to me.
I showed him the bite.
"No…No!"
"I…tried to stop him, Javi. That's when we crashed..." I managed to say, my words felt so heavy. It hurts to talk.
"Goddammit. David!"
"He fought for me, Javi. Until they…" For the first time in my life, I felt like he was my father. Even though it was only in the end, it still must have meant he cared, right?
"But I couldn't…there were so many…" I felt weaker and weaker, both in body and spirit. I just want this to be the end.
"I fucked up. After everything you taught me…" Boy did I ever… I feel so ashamed.
"It really hurts…" A lot…
"You didn't fuck anything up, buddy. You fought as hard as you could. I'm proud of you." I could hear him choking up.
"I tried. I really did."
"I know."
"Gabe, No! No…" Clem's voice appeared. No, I don't want her to see me like this. I always wanted to show her how strong I was, and now I am weak. There is a part of me that feels selfish for wanting her here at the same time. I want these last moments with her.
"Do me a favour, Clem…" I hope…
"Gabe, No!"
"Take my cards."
"W-What?" She seems shocked.
"My playing cards. Grab them." Please...
"Teach AJ euchre, okay?" I hear her gasp and sob then she wipes her face.
"Okay." I didn't think I could, but I felt a strain of happiness mixed in with the pain of dying.
She holds the side of my face, and her words hit a cord in me.
"I always thought I'd be alone….but then, I met you" she speaks as she stares deeply into my eyes. I manage with all my strength to smile.
We kiss. I should have done this when I wasn't dying. I wanted to spend more time with her, to hold her hand and to love her. I could feel love through this kiss, and pain. It breaks my heart to see her cry over me, I want her to smile.
She breaks away and I cough. Her soft hands come back to my face.
"Bye, Gabe."
"Bye, Clem." I smile again. It really is goodbye. But, I feel a soft stroke of heat and warmth, almost peace.
I turn to Javier.
"Give me your gun, Javi! I don't want to turn.. into a muerto." I could never ask him to pull the trigger on me. I couldn't move on if I knew he lived with that.
"Gabe- Gabe, I don't know if I can let you do that to yourself." He says.
"And I can't make you guys do it for me….Just give me the gun. Hurry, Javi. You have to hurry. " Of course he argues, even when I am dying.
"No…No, Gabe. I'll do it." He stands up and loads his gun.
"Okay….Okay" I tilt my head down then look at him. I need to tell him.
"You may not be my father…Javi. But, you were a great dad…" my body is getting wetter and wetter by the rain falling so heavily, and by the bite taking over me.
"I love you, Javi." I am glad I told him, in the end.
"I love you too, buddy." He cries. The moment is over quick, he points his gun to my head as I look down. Thank you, for everything.
Bang.
