Seth was pale, thin as an old, starving man. His body had given up way before Dom’s did, even though it was Dom who had let the illness loose in Seth’s body. And as Seth’s cool hand slowly relaxed and slid from Domenico’s fingers, the heart rate monitor flatlined, with the most horrifying of sounds.

Domenico stared at his peaceful face and gently petted the bony jaw line. He had been ready for this for a long time, and yet watching his beloved deteriorate and suffer for such a long time had been the most horrific experience. Now at least, he was not in pain anymore.