Letting My Brother's Best Friend Take My V-Card

HARD CHOICES

THE NOW

JOSH

288 ¡Vouchers.

The doctor's office felt too small, too quiet. The walls were painted a neutral beige, but they might as well have been closing in on me. The clock on the wall ticked softly, but each second felt like a hammer against my skull.

Laura had been in the hospital for THREE months. Ninety-two days. I knew because I counted them, each one dragging on like a lifetime. Every day, I sat by her bed, talked to her, held her hand, and hoped prayed-for some kind of sign.

It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest all over again just sitting here, waiting for the doctor to tell me something, anything, that might change the trajectory of this nightmare.

"If it wasn't for Jess and Luke, I wouldn't even know where to start," I muttered to myself, my voice barely audible.

They were home with Asha. My little girl. God, she was so small, so innocent. Too young to understand why her mother wasn't there. Jess had stepped in like a second mother to her, and Luke... well, Luke was Luke. The steady rock we all needed but rarely deserved. The doctor finally spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"So, Joshua. Your wife-Laura-she's been stable for a few

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HARD CHOICES

288 Vouchers

which is good. There haven't been any infections, and

nodded, clinging to

and my stomach

we want to discuss moving her to the long-term

him, trying to process

designed for patients who require extensive rehabilitation and monitoring. In Laura's case, she needs physiotherapy to prevent muscle atrophy and ensure her body remains strong while her

the rest of his explanation. The words "long-term wing" echoed in my mind like a death

to die," I said flatly,

and there are things we can do to keep her body healthy and prevent complications. But... we

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HARD CHOICES

is... we just wait," I

waiting. Familiarity can help-things like music, photos, personal touches in her room. Studies have shown that these can have a

my thoughts spiraled. They were giving up. They were saying she wasn't going to wake up, and this was their way of softening

her own yet?" I interrupted, my

spontaneous breaths, but the ventilator is still doing most of the

My jaw clenched.

also discuss

my seat, my