And now I finally see that the further we go We're only treading ground that we already know.

"Brooke, Brooke don't do this to me" pleaded Mush. Brooke and him had been together just slightly after the strike ended. It was now late November, and thats all the time it took for him to know he loved her. They had been through this before, Brooke had teburculosis and was constantly becoming ill. Mush always saw her through to the end though. She would faint atleast once a week, and Mush never knew what to do, except to sit with her.

I could write you a song, Send you a note, Or empty out your trash And buy a bucket full of diamonds

He was always thinking of ways he could tell her that he loved her, he never thought she knew it well enough. He wanted to give Brooke everything, the sky, the earth, the moon and everything in between. He couldn't though, all he had to give was his love. So as Mush sat there, in the middle of the bunkroom with Brooke lying in his arms, he didn't think this would be the end. Even if her sickness was becoming more frequent, he thought that she would just wake up, like she always did. She would spend a day in bed, and Mush would tell her everything would be fine. Then life would go on.

But even the most beautiful of all roses Must someday crumble to dust and fade away. It's certain tragedy.

No one was around. Mush just sat there, speaking to her limp body, telling her everything would be okay, like he always did. He kissed her burning forehead, and as he moved away, he realized she had stopped breathing, he could no longer feel her heartbeat, and he knew it was the end. He had been avoiding it for 4 months, but here is was.

So, it's on into the lonely nights and all the rest of it. The empty space between me and the sunken walls And feeling someone's hand around my neck Choking away the life that I have left.

Mush spent the next week alone in the lodging house. He stopped selling, he stopped eating, he stopped living. Mush was suprised that Kloppman even let him stay, but little did he know, the others were chipping in to pay each night for him.

And I can finally see that the further I go I'm only treading ground I don't want to know. I'll probably hang upside down From wooden rafters in my home And look at old photos of you.

A month and Mush still refused to talk to anyone. As much as the guys wanted to help, they decided it was best to just let him deal with it in his own way, as they continued to pay. He would spend his days sleeping and moping around, and crying when the guys backs were turned. The boys had never seen depression before, but even if they hadn't, they knew this was it, in its greatest extreme. Every night Mush dreamed of Brooke, every night was heaven for him. Her beauty was frozen in his mind like a picture.

So, it's on into the lonely nights and all the rest of it. The empty space between me and the sunken walls And feeling someone's hand around my neck Choking away the life that I have left.

Mush wasn't where he wanted to be, he was with his friends, but suddenly that wasn't enough. He was sick of being looked after and avoided. One night, in early January, he just left. Never to be seen by any of the guys again. He would spend his days walking, and his nights thinking. He got really sick, from eating nothing but what he could beg of people, or find in the trash. He was not a pretty site. What was once a tan and beautiful angel, was now a raggid and sad disgrace, and he was getting sicker by the second.

I miss the warmth of the summer When we were on our own, But now it's winter and my bones are cold.

But he still never forgot about Brooke, no matter how hungry he was, he never forgot. One day, as he took his last steps, he remembered the day he met her, and how shy she was. Her short dusky blonde hair and emraled green eyes did her face much justice, and she was very beautiful. She had been gone so many days now, and every night he would see her in his dreams. He sat down on a bench, and looked next to him. There she was, sitting there, "Hey beautiful" said Mush, smiling.
"Hey Mush, how have you been lately"
"But I don't understand? I'm not sleeping"
"Come on Mushy, lets go for a walk" said Brooke, as beautiful as ever.