Coming Down

Goodbyes

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Chapter Seventeen: Goodbyes

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On the nineteenth night, Michael Jones held Gavin’s hand as tight as he could.

The doctor’s had told him that if Gavin’s heart failed one more time, there was no way to save him.

He wouldn’t be able to be stabilized. He wouldn’t be able to be healed. He wouldn’t be able to be saved.

He had a two percent chance of not having another heart failure.

So it was tonight, with the slow beep in the background, that Michael Jones said his goodbyes to his best friend and boyfriend.

“Gavin Free… You are the stupidest asshole I have ever met. And I wish… I wish that I didn’t have to do this. I don’t want to say goodbye. I want you to wake up, and I want you to live, just like you promised Millie.”

The tears rolled down his cheeks and darkened the blanket that was draped across Gavin.

“And like you promised me.”

He brushed his thumb across Gavin’s knuckles, and placed his other hand on top of theirs.

“You really are an idiot, Gav. I love you so much. And if you can hear me, somehow…”

He took in a shaky breath and began to shake, his whole body quaking as he was suddenly racked with sobs.

“If by some god damn fucking miracle you can hear me, please…”

He leant forward and rested his head next to Gavin’s ribs and sobbed loudly, shaking and shivering with the force of his desperate sobs.

“Please don’t leave me, Gavin Free.”

He hiccupped between his words.

“You can’t just fucking leave me behind. You can’t break two promises. You-You fucking asshole, you can’t… You just can’t.”

The clock above him ticked over to midnight.

“I love you so much, Gavin Free… Good… Goodbye.”

On the twentieth morning, Michael Jones said goodbye to Gavin Free.

~~~~~~~

On the twentieth morning, I opened my eyes. My voice cracked from disuse.

“Mi-cool.”