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.