Chapter Forty-Six: Send Me an Angel
The weather had gotten worse the further up the mountain they went. Winds howled beyond the glass and blowing snow buffeted the truck. The high beams did little to help with visibility as the three canines ascended the winding streets to Nevers Road.
Snow had begun to form drifts upon the already snow-packed asphalt, creating treacherous driving conditions for anyone still on the roads. With only a few blocks to go before arriving back home, Rae-Anne put the truck in four-wheel drive. The large tires paired with the extra power made quick work of the budding drifts, ensuring they wouldn't have to call for a tow at the outset of an already terrible night.
Legosi stared out the window to his left, watching the darkened houses pass him by. A bar of light swept past him with each streetlight they drove past. He counted the seconds between them. At their current speed, sterile white light passed by the truck every five seconds. He drummed his fingers on the door, hoping that they'd be home soon so he could be alone.
Rae-Anne pulled the truck into the driveway minutes later. She set the parking brake and cut power to the engine. The light produced by the high beams had disappeared, plunging all three of them into near darkness.
The moment he felt he could, Legosi pushed the rear passenger door open. He was instantly met by the hostile north wind coming down the face of the mountain. He struggled against the gales but was finally able to push the door open far enough for him to step outside.
Legosi stood motionless while he waited for Rae-Anne and Shen to join him in the driveway. He buried his hands into the pockets of his coat, already feeling the tips of his fingers beginning to numb. The wind bit at his face, sending shivers down his spine. It didn't help that he'd stepped into a particularly large snow drift, and a considerable amount of snow had already melted into his socks.
He glared at the spot where both his shoes had disappeared beneath the snow. Seeing it only made the chills he felt worse. Though he tried to move, he found himself cemented in place. His hands balled into fists inside his pockets, anger rising within him out of nowhere. While it didn't manifest outwardly, a dull headache had formed behind his eyes.
Mental and physical joined together in making the wolf feel worse. In addition to being worried for his friend and just overall miserable, being cold and tired amplified it that much more. Legosi wasn't sure if he wanted to cry, scream, or both. He released the breath he'd been holding and allowed his fists to fall open again.
"Legosi, come on, you'll freeze to death out here!"
Legosi looked up from the spot he'd been staring at. The one who'd shouted at him was nowhere to be seen, and the voice was so muffled by the wind he couldn't tell if it was Shen's or Rae-Anne's. He glanced to the truck next to him. The seats were empty; they'd both left the vehicle without him noticing. The wind had muffled the sounds of the truck's doors slamming as well.
He glanced back toward the source of the voice to see a silhouette gripping one of the brick pillars. He squinted to get a better look, gathering that from the height of the figure, the one calling to him was Rae-Anne. He stepped forward, pulling his then soaking wet shoes from the snow drift as he started toward the house.
Once he rejoined the two canines on the patio, all three of them walked across it toward the front door. Rae-Anne lifted her hand and inserted a silver key into the lock, twisting it before reaching down to the handle and pushing the door open. The heat from inside rushed past them as they filed into the landing. While Shen and Legosi removed their jackets and shoes, Rae-Anne locked the door again.
"Natalie's asleep in her room just upstairs, so please try to be quiet." She stated before lifting a finger to her lips.
Shen and Rae-Anne ascended the small flight of stairs to the living room, leaving Legosi alone in the landing. While he paced around the living room, Shen glanced over his shoulder. "I'm not sure if I mentioned this last time, but you have a beautiful home." He shoved his hands into his pockets, turning his head back to the wall across from him.
Rae-Anne sighed. "Thank you. Though, it's certainly much…emptier these days." A chuckle escaped her lips, though it sounded more like a whimper.
She followed Shen's gaze to the wall. Photos of a once happy family covered it, reminding her that she'd forgotten to take them down. The smiles on the faces of those depicted within them were burned into her mind, torturing her with the knowledge that things could never be the same again.
She clenched her fists and drew a shaky breath in. "Well, I have a few things to take care of before I go to bed. Shen, you can take the couch. Legosi, you can have the bed downstairs."
Legosi glanced up from the floor upon hearing his name. He was met with the fox's bright green eyes staring at him. Legosi stared back, one hand in his pocket while the other gripped the wooden railing. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Shen had shifted his attention to him as well. Legosi's jaw hung open; he was unable to speak.
Rae-Anne leaned inward. "Did you hear what I said?" she repeated, raising her voice slightly.
Legosi jumped, gasping as his vision refocused. He shook his head before lifting his hands to his eyes, rubbing them. "Um, no. Sorry…"
Rae-Anne pointed toward the stairs. "I just said that you can have the bed downstairs and that I have a few things to do before I go to bed myself. It would be best if we could get to sleep quickly. It'll make tomorrow a little easier, as impossible as that sounds…"
Legosi stared blankly toward Rae-Anne, signalling his understanding with a nod. "Oh, okay. I'll try my best." He descended a few steps before looking back up to Kachi's parents one more time. "Goodnight." Before either could return the gesture, Legosi continued into the darkness.
The temperature difference of the basement compared to the upper floor of the home was noticeable, but it wasn't the only thing contributing to Legosi's chills. Upon reaching the bottom, the air seemed much colder to his left. Turning his head, he was faced with the even darker corridor that led to Kachi's room.
Legosi placed his hand upon the wall, its surface as cold as the wind howling just beyond the front door. The tips of his fingers began to lose feeling before he quickly pulled them away. He shuddered, another wave of chills shooting through him. His fur bristled as he looked into the darkened hall, a strong urge to continue forward filling him. He took one step forward before stopping himself.
No. Just go to bed. There's nothing for you in there.
A shaky breath left the wolf's lips. He stepped away from the staircase, turning around and heading toward the bed. The clutter that filled the makeshift bedroom had remained untouched since his departure, though his muscle memory served him well in aiding him navigate the treacherous terrain.
Legosi flopped onto the bed once he was able to locate it. The dust that had resettled onto its covers was thrown into the air, momentarily suffocating the wolf. He coughed and sputtered into his elbow, sitting up atop the comforter. Though the captain's bed wasn't unfamiliar to him, it was still foreign enough to give him no comfort.
He just couldn't pull his eyes away from the dark area that was the corridor to Kachi's room. He stared until his eyes burned, unmoved…sitting just like a statue. He knew there was nothing for him within that bedroom, but the possibility that there was something, anything to tell him the reasons for what had happened far outweighed his rational thoughts.
Legosi rubbed his eyes again, the stinging becoming worse as they began to water. He gritted his teeth, a soft groan escaping him before he gently set himself down onto the pillow. He could feel the grains of sand, coarse drywall, and dirt tangle into his fur and settle against his skin the further he sank into the mattress.
He dared not roll onto his side lest he inhale some of the sediment that lied around him. Instead, he forced himself to focus on one spot in the rafters above, breathing softly and hoping that sleep would come. Legosi gripped the comforter a little tighter; he was exhausted, but wide awake at the same time. Memories of the night remained still in his mind. Unmoving, just as he was.
Footsteps rumbled above him, his focus on the same spot having not been broken until then. Legosi wasn't sure if he'd slept at all, but he could tell that some time had passed. Light cascaded down the staircase, illuminating the little bit of floor that was below it. He sat himself up further, rubbing his neck where a dull ache had formed.
His eyes took a moment to adjust after staring for so long. Gradually, the blurred figures and splotches of dark and light returned to normal, and Legosi was able to see properly again. He sat himself on the edge of the bed, feeling and hearing the dirt beneath him as he moved across the sheets.
Legosi dismounted the bed, cautious as to not step on anything sharp. Once all his weight was on his feet, the sensation behind his eyes and inside his head confirmed to him that he hadn't slept at all. He recognized it from the times he'd pulled all-nighters studying, but it was different. Both were caused by stress, but only one of them for good reason.
He forced himself to step through the debris-covered basement until he arrived at the staircase. He'd reminded himself to watch his step, but two drywall nails and a staple later, he found himself limping the last few feet.
Voices upstairs rang out louder the further he got to the main floor. He recognized Rae-Anne and Shen instantly, but the third took a moment to register. He'd only just heard it the night before, and as the living room came into view, Legosi was reminded that it belonged to Natalie.
He stood behind the couch, watching her as she pranced around the living room. Her green eyes, the same as her mother's, glowed with joy and her laughter filled the room. Legosi couldn't help but smile with her. Looking around the room, he was joined by Shen and Rae-Anne, both of whom wore smiles as well.
Finally, his eyes came to rest on the tree in the corner of the room. Under it, a sizable pile of gifts. The tree's decorations and lights fought for dominance over the rays of sunshine that entered through the bay window. The warmth and brightness of the room helped Legosi remember that regardless of what happened to Kachi, it was still Rexmas.
"Can I open gifts now?" pleaded Natalie, coming to a stop in front of Rae-Anne.
"Yes, now you can open your gifts." Her smile dissipated slightly as she lifted her mug of tea to her face. While she drank, she glanced over toward Legosi. "Since we're all here now."
Natalie shifted her attention to Legosi without warning. She tilted her head, one ear falling flat as she looked Legosi over. Feeling slight pressure in his chest, he forced a chuckle. "Well, it's kind of tough to sleep with all the racket." He sighed, wishing he'd actually gotten to sleep. He gave a quick dismissive wave, looking back to Rae-Anne. "You could've started without me."
Rae-Anne feigned a stern expression before shaking her head. "No chance, everyone gets up for gifts in this house." Her smile returned, though much weaker. "Don't want anyone to be left out."
The sound of tearing paper cut off any answer Legosi was going to give. Everyone's attention was turned to the tree, where Natalie was already making quick work of her first gift. Legosi made his way around the couch and sat down next to Shen. The elder wolf looked down to him, offering a light grin before returning to Natalie.
"Wow, that's so cool! Mom, look!" she shouted, lifting the freshly unwrapped item and holding it over her head.
"An iPod? Woah, lucky you," replied Rae-Anne, a big smile across her face.
She held up the box for the others to see. Legosi gave an approving nod, while Shen leaned forward, lifting a hand to his chin. "I wish I could have had that kind of technology when I was a kid. That way, I wouldn't have had to sacrifice half the space in my backpack to cassette tapes."
Natalie's smile disappeared for a moment as she looked back to her mother. "What's a cassette tape?" Both Shen and Rae-Anne burst out laughing at the young girl's question; even Legosi gave a little chuckle.
Rae-Anne knelt to meet her daughter at eye level. "Well, remember that shelf of big tapes we used to have whenever we wanted to watch a movie?" Natalie nodded. "Well, a cassette tape is like those, except it's really small and it only plays music. Grandma's old car used to have a cassette player in it."
Natalie nodded along to her mother's short lesson. "Oh, okay. So they're how old people listen to music?"
Rae-Anne scoffed. "Yes, they're how old people listen to music," she repeated.
While Natalie continued with her gifts, Legosi's gaze was pulled away from her when he saw movement come from the other side of the room. Rae-Anne had crossed the living room, her red housecoat dragging on the floor behind her. She came to a stop in front of Shen, her mug of tea clutched tightly between her hands.
"Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Glass of water?"
Shen shrugged, sinking further into the couch. "I'll have a coffee since you're offering." He then glanced toward Legosi. "Want anything?"
Legosi blinked once, surprised that he'd been addressed. He inhaled sharply. "Huh? Oh, no thanks." Rae-Anne nodded before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving Shen and Legosi alone to watch Natalie.
Instead of continuing with unwrapping the rest of her gifts under the tree, Natalie sat patiently on the floor and awaited her mother's return. She and Legosi locked eyes for a moment before she shifted her attention to Shen. Her smile never faltered, though curiosity was much more prevalent. Legosi rested his head in his hands, squinting as he leaned in to get a better look at Natalie.
Patterns on the young fox's fur stood out much better in the light, intriguing him further. The fur around her eyes was much darker than the rest of her face. While her tail swished idly behind her, he noticed it was of a different shape, and darker colored rings ran down its length. Legosi sat back upright.
If I didn't know any better…Wait. Oh, that's right, Kachi mentioned this back at Witt's place…Natalie's father is a raccoon. She's a hybrid just like he is.
Hearing footsteps to his left, Legosi looked over to see Rae-Anne returning to the living room, only with two mugs in hand instead of one. She set the second one down on the coffee table in front of Shen before taking a step back. Shen leaned forward and picked up the mug, carefully lifting it to his face and taking a sip, despite the steam still wafting from the top of it.
Upon lowering the mug again, he looked toward Rae-Anne, a gentle smile on his face. "You remembered what I put in it."
Rae-Anne shrugged. "There are some things you just don't forget. Also, sorry about it being instant coffee, it's all I have."
Shen set the mug back down, giving her a dismissive wave. "Oh, no, that's okay. I don't have time to brew my own coffee anymore, so I'm used to it."
While Rae-Anne chuckled at Shen's comment, Natalie finally left her position on the floor and joined the rest of the canines around the coffee table. She planted her hands upon the surface, her attention solely upon Shen.
"What's your name?" she asked, tilting her head.
Rae-Anne's smile disappeared. Shen glanced briefly toward her before returning to Natalie. He offered a friendly smile and extended his hand. "My name's Shen, it's nice to meet you."
Natalie reached out and shook the elder wolf's hand. Once Shen retracted it, Natalie turned back to face her mother. "Mom, who's Shen?"
Though panic was visible behind her eyes, Rae-Anne kept her cool. She set her own mug down on the coffee table and looked her daughter in the eyes. "Shen is a friend. Like how Legosi here is a friend to Kachi." Rae-Anne pointed toward the younger wolf, who was sitting quietly in his corner of the couch.
Natalie looked toward Legosi from the corner of her eye. "Where's Kachi? He's gonna miss gifts."
The question was so sudden, it took him by surprise. He knew the answer, but he also knew he couldn't just up and tell her. He froze up, his shoulders tensing and his grip on his pants tightening. "U-Uh…Well—"
"Kachi is…" chimed Rae-Anne. She put her hands upon Natalie's shoulders. "Kachi is at the hospital. He got hurt last night, so he won't be able to join us for gifts." The smile upon Natalie's face disappeared, giving way to concern.
"Oh. He's okay though, right?" Her voice was slow, and the genuine worry she expressed nearly tore Legosi's heart in two.
Rae-Anne bit her lip, her eyes darting around the room as she searched for the words to say. "The doctors are doing everything they can to make sure he's okay. Besides, your brother is strong. I think he'll be just fine, so don't you worry, okay?" Though she hid it well behind her smile, Rae-Anne's voice expressed every bit of pain she felt. "Why don't you finish with your presents, Dad's gonna be here soon to pick you up."
It took a moment, but the smile returned to the young fox's face. It wasn't as big as it was initially, but the reminder of the gifts and her father seemed to distract her for the time being. "Okay. I'll be double excited when I open mine to make up for him being in the hospital!"
Legosi couldn't help but smile at her sentiment. "Alright, sweetheart," added Rae-Anne, smiling as well.
The three canines watched from their spots on the couch as Natalie worked her way through the rest of her gifts. Rae-Anne had produced her phone and began taking pictures with each gift opened. Laughter rang throughout the otherwise quiet home, and smiles were shared amongst everyone…well, almost everyone.
Though the gift-opening process only lasted about fifteen minutes, Legosi couldn't help but feel as if it'd been hours. Time was slowed to a crawl the moment he left the hospital, and his thoughts were elsewhere. Sometime during the opening, he'd shifted his gaze to the window and began observing the tiny snowflakes sparkle in the morning sun.
Kachi is in one of those buildings out there. …I hope you're doing okay.
His focus on the far-off Sapporo skyline was broken by an unfamiliar vehicle pulling into the driveway. It was a pickup similar to Rae-Anne's, only it was blue instead of white. He held his gaze as the unknown driver cut power to the engine, the headlights going dark.
The others had since caught onto the arrival and had looked to the window as well. Shen tilted his head as he looked the vehicle over. From the center of the living room, Rae-Anne and Natalie approached the window. Rae-Anne's ears fell flat.
Natalie's tail swished rapidly behind her "Daddy's here!"
She promptly bolted toward the landing, nearly knocking Rae-Anne to the floor in the process. Once she regained balance, she pulled herself away from the window, heading around the couch down another hallway.
Legosi and Shen continued to watch the blue truck for any sign of life. They watched the driver door open and close, and they watched the truck's owner, a raccoon, cross the front of the vehicle on his way to the front door.
The raccoon looked to the window as he passed it by, an idle expression of discontent spread across his face. As Legosi made eye contact with him, the raccoon's brows creased further and Legosi backed away from the window. He looked to his right. Shen was still watching the window, and his expression matched that of the raccoon.
Rae-Anne returned from the hallway with a little red backpack. She descended the stairs to the landing before handing the bag off to Natalie, who in the time her mother was gone, had gotten dressed to leave. A series of knocks were heard upon the front door, getting everyone's attention. They all looked to the door as Rae-Anne pulled it open.
In a move catching Legosi by surprise, Shen picked himself up from the couch and started toward the stairs. Unsure of what to do, Legosi followed him, staying a few feet behind him. He reached the opposite end of the couch and leaned upon it, looking down upon the landing with a sneer.
"Hey. Merry Rexmas," the raccoon said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Rae-Anne nodded. "Merry Rexmas, Rick," she replied, her voice holding much less enthusiasm.
Rick sighed and nodded once before shifting his gaze to his daughter. "Alright, Kiddo, ready to go?"
Natalie stepped closer to her father. "Mhmm." She lifted her hands. "Daddy, look what I got!" Clutched within her hands was the iPod she'd received earlier.
Rick feigned surprise, raising his eyebrows. "Woah, would you look at that? That's pretty cool. Probably because you were such a good girl this year."
Natalie chuckled, returning the device to her pocket. "Yeah! If I'm good this year, maybe I'll get a phone next year!"
Rick's smile persisted as he looked up from Natalie. "Maybe…" He looked to Rae-Anne. "Well, we're gonna head out now, have a…good…day." His gaze gradually shifted to the short staircase, atop which stood Shen. His smile disappeared, the discontent returning.
Rae-Anne stared toward Rick with confusion until he followed his eyes. She turned around to see the large black wolf, as well as the smaller grey wolf, standing just a few feet behind her at the top of the landing. She gasped softly before returning to Rick.
"What's he doing here, and who's the kid?" asked Rick, his voice filled with spite.
Rae-Anne opened her mouth to answer but was quickly cut off. Heavy footsteps descended the stairs behind her, causing her to jump. "What I'm doing here is none of your business, and who this 'kid' is does not matter." His voice boomed throughout the home.
Feeling a presence behind her, Rae-Anne extended a hand backward, pressing it to Shen's chest. "Hey!" She gave Shen an icy sideward glare before looking back to Rick with a scowl. "Not while Nat's around."
Shen looked over to Rick, giving him a similar glare before taking a step back. The fur on his neck bristled, using every bit of restraint he had to keep from shouting. "Fine," he whispered.
Rick shook his head in disappointment before putting his hand on Natalie's shoulder. "C'mon Nat, let's go." Natalie pulled herself from Rick's grip and began running toward his truck. Rick gave one last look to everyone in the landing before taking off after his daughter.
Rae-Anne shut the door before swiftly turning around and pressing a finger into Shen's chest. "You should know better than to fight in front of kids."
Shen nodded, a sigh leaving his lips. "And you know how I feel about him, Rae. What he did to you…to Kachi…"
"That's in the past, Shen. It's not worth getting upset over anymore." She retracted her hand, allowing it to fall to her side. "Besides, we have bigger things to worry about right now."
Shen's ears fell flat against his head, his shoulders slumping. "You're right."
Rae-Anne lifted her hands to the sky, arching her back as a big yawn suddenly overtook her. A groan left her lips while she allowed her arms to fall. From his spot next to Shen, Legosi yawned as well.
Shen caught on, a gentle smile returning to his face. "You two still tired?"
Legosi shrugged. "A little bit," he lied, knowing full well his answer to the elder wolf's question was 'yes.'
Rae-Anne nodded. "I couldn't sleep at all. I was just too stressed."
"I didn't sleep either. All I could do was stare at the ceiling and hope it would come eventually, but…nothing," Legosi dejected.
Shen stared between the two, shocked. "Wait. So you two didn't sleep at all last night? I got a few hours at least, but none at all?"
"I was finding it difficult earlier, but not so much anymore I don't think…" Another yawn escaped Rae-Anne. "What time is it?"
Shen pulled back his sleeve and glanced to his watch. He sighed. "Eight-thirty." He looked back up, his hands finding their way into his pockets. "I take it this isn't the usual time Rexmas wraps up around here?"
"Nope. Usually an all-day affair. We'd have breakfast afterwards, relax throughout the day, then we'd go for dinner." Her ears fell flat, her eyes falling to the floor. "I already knew this year would be a different…I just wasn't expecting this kind of different."
Shen descended the stairs, stopping midway down and leaning upon the railing. "None of us were Rae. Don't beat yourself up over it. Things are going to be different, at least for a while." Rae-Anne's dejected expression remained; she was unmoved by Shen's words. "I know it hurts."
Rae-Anne took a deep breath in before she met Shen's eyes again. "Yeah. Everything will be alright in the end. It always is, isn't it?"
Shen's lips curled into a gentle smile. "That's the spirit." As he spoke, another yawn left the vixen. He crossed his arms, his grin widening. "Maybe you should try and get some sleep. You'll be in a much better headspace."
"I'm not good at hiding it, am I?" she said, turning her head over her shoulder. Her body followed suit until she stood facing Shen, her hands folded in front of her.
"No, not really. Your yawning is also a pretty big tell." Shen quipped.
With her tail swishing behind her, Rae-Anne ascended the staircase back to the main level. Shen watched as she passed him by, sneaking a glance into her big green eyes. A quiet chuckle escaped her lips. "Maybe I'll give sleeping another shot then."
Before Shen could reply, Rae-Anne continued forward, heading up the third and final set of stairs before disappearing into her bedroom. "Well, what say you, Legosi?"
The younger wolf jumped as his mind fell back to Earth. The living room came back into focus, the sudden brightness of the room surrounding him threatening to blind him. Though his eyes stung, he held himself together and turned to look the one addressing him. "Huh?"
His response was a little above a whisper, but Shen had picked it up just fine. "I said 'what say you?' Rae went back to try and sleep again."
Legosi's jaw hung open as the sentence slowly worked its way from his brain to his tongue. He blinked once before meeting Shen's stare. "Uh, oh. Okay. I…think I might try that too. Maybe I'll have better luck."
I thought that if I were quiet, they'd ignore me. Well, I guess they did until I was all that was left.
"Sounds like a plan. As for me, I think I'll be staying awake. I got a little sleep, and this coffee is starting to kick in." Shen looked over to the coffee table, his empty mug resting near the center.
Legosi nodded. "Alright…guess I'll see you when I wake up?" Shen gave a shallow nod in return
Legosi pulled himself from the couch's armrest and began heading back to the basement. As he rounded the corner toward the larger staircase, he heard his name called again. Legosi peered through the bannister to see Shen bent over, staring right back at him.
"I'll wait until you wake up, but I'll be asking Rae if she can drive me back to the apartment. I want to see if I can get some clothes. If not, I'll at least be able to get my truck from the property." Shen reached into his pocket and produced his keychain. The keys jingled as he gave it a little shake. "Did you want to come?"
"Yeah. I'll come." The moment he finished his sentence, he was transported back to the washroom.
It was dark, but the blood splattered across the surfaces and floors glowed bright red. It was cold, but every part of him burned. His chest heaved, his breathing grew unsteady, and nausea overtook him. He shook his head, using all his strength to tear himself free from the memory. "I could use some clothes too."
"Okay, well—" Legosi continued down the stairs, cutting Shen off completely. The further down he went, the colder the air around him became. It was a welcome cold, as in the short amount of time the memory had a hold of him, his body temperature had risen considerably.
Reaching the basement floor sent a shiver up through his legs and into his body. He closed his eyes while the fur on his neck bristled, allowing the sensation to take him over. He stood for a moment, listening to the sounds of the house.
Footsteps paced back and forth above him. The house creaked as the morning sun fell upon it. The faucet in the kitchen dripped at a rate of one drop every two seconds. Each one fought for dominance, growing louder the tighter Legosi shut his eyes and the longer he held his breath. Seconds compiled, and nearing the minute mark, the wolf felt himself stumble.
His arms shot out in front of him to stop the fall. Legosi finally reopened his eyes, seeing that he was now leaning upon the only sheet of drywall that had been installed. His claws were sunk into the material, and as he pulled them away, little pieces of drywall fell from the holes he'd created. He stared at the wall, his vision blurring.
Am I really this tired?
Using his last bit of remaining strength, Legosi turned himself around and began the short but perilous journey from the stairs to the bed. He tip-toed around the construction materials and equipment, nearly losing his balance as he stepped over a case of hardwood flooring.
Legosi sat himself down on the bed, no longer caring about the dust and debris that covered it. His body shook, not from cold, but from weakness. He flopped sideward, his head falling perfectly onto the center of the only pillow at his disposal. He tried to roll onto his back but found himself unable to. His breathing slowed, and before long, the already dimly lit room faded to black.