EPOV begins...
Chapter 42 - He Regrets
"Sir?"
The sun blinds him. There's heaviness over his chest.
"Can you hear me?"
He doesn't want to wake up. Not now. Not ever.
Let this earth swallow him up. Dust to dust. He's already turned to ashes.
"Sir, can you squeeze my hand?" A nudge.
The beams of the sun have rainbow reflections at the edges. He's used to seeing those when he'd look up between the treetop covering the sun just enough to catch the edge; he'd stare up and catch those visible rays. Now they beam down on him harshly, no trees to shade. Not even a split of his eyelids can let him see past it.
Blinded.
"Get him oxygen," the voice says.
He hears it far away. Then, like the parting of paper adhesive, two parts splitting smoothly, his body does the same. He's above looking down. He doesn't recognize himself. His T-shirt torn; pants worn over splayed dirty boots. The only ones he could find when he was home.
Home.
The only place that felt like home. He left, and maybe it was the biggest mistake of his life.
No rest. No sleep since he's been away from his tent.
It's been a winding road of confusion and bad choices he'd never make months ago. Right now, he would be tuning the radio, cracking open a book and waiting for night to come to sneak into that lake and find relief on a very placid day.
He regrets.
...