Epilogue
As her parents arranged Roy's funeral, Anne had spent her time looking up death records, specifically those that had died while in the military. And there she found the name 'Maes Hughes', who would have been the same age as Roy. It had to be the one Roy had screamed about - there was no other Maes in the military, or in any of the death records in the last twenty years.
She didn't know why she had wanted to look it up, but it made her feel relieved to know that Roy had someone in the afterlife to look after him, as stupid as it sounded. At least he would be happier there than stuck with her family or by himself.
It surprised them how many people turned up to the funeral, most of them being military personell. They were thanked constantly for their attempt to help him, and were often asked to repeat his 'dying words'. Those that Anne asked were also glad that he had Maes to help him on the other side. A woman who said she was Maes' wife told her about Roy's more-than-friendship relationship with Maes, and how they had kept it up even while Maes had been married.
After the funeral, life went, more or less, back to normal. The family got two black puppies, which Anne insisted had to be named Maes and Roy in their honour.
But she still regretted not having the chance to get to know Roy.