A strange feeling washed over me. Pity? Anger? Confusion? I had come to confront him, to yell, to demand. But looking at him now, so weak, so beaten, it felt wrong.
Could he even speak? Would he be able to tell me anything, even if he wanted to? He looked too fragile. My anger started to cool, replaced by a weird sense of emptiness. Maybe this wasn't the right time. Maybe I should just turn away. He was clearly suffering.
Just as I thought about leaving, about stepping back l heard laugh. Not a full, loud laugh, but a choked, breathless sound that was filled with something truly ugly. It was mockery.
My eyes snapped back to him. Despite his pain, a twisted smile slowly spread across his lips. He lifted his head slightly, his eyes, dark and sunken, fixed on me.
"It's all because of you,
