(*. . .*)

[After hesitating for God knows how long, he finally nods at Simon, giving him permission.]

(*🏱︎●︎♏︎♋︎⬧︎♏︎📪︎ ♎︎□︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ ●︎♏︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎❍︎ ♒︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎ ❍︎♏︎📬︎*)

⚐︎✋︎ ☞︎✋︎☹︎☟︎⚐︎ 👎︎☜︎ 🏱︎🕆︎❄︎✌︎!?!?

⬧︎⧫︎□︎◻︎ ●︎□︎□︎🙵♓︎■︎♑︎ ♋︎⧫︎ ❍︎♏︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎.

♐︎◆︎♍︎🙵 ⍓︎□︎◆︎.

(*✋︎⧫︎ ♎︎□︎♏︎⬧︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ ❍︎♋︎⧫︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⬥︎♒︎□︎ ✋︎ ♋︎❍︎. . .✋︎⧫︎ ♎︎□︎♏︎⬧︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ ❍︎♋︎⧫︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎. . .

🕈︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ✋︎ ⬥︎♋︎■︎⧫︎ ⧫︎□︎ 🙵■︎□︎⬥︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ⬥︎♒︎⍓︎ ♍︎♋︎■︎ ✋︎ ♒︎♏︎♋︎❒︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ♓︎■︎ ❍︎⍓︎ ♒︎♏︎—*)

[At Simon's request, he shakes his head weakly.]

☠︎□︎. . .N-No. . .⍓︎□︎◆︎ ♍︎♋︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ ♎︎□︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎. . .

(*✋︎📫︎✋︎ ♐︎♏︎●︎●︎. . .✋︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎🙵. . .

✋︎ ♎︎♓︎♏︎♎︎📪︎ ✋︎ ♎︎♓︎♏︎♎︎ ♓︎■︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⬧︎♋︎■︎♍︎⧫︎◆︎♋︎❒︎⍓︎📪︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎■︎ ✋︎ ♐︎♏︎●︎●︎ ♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎. . .

❄︎♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎🕯︎⬧︎ ♋︎ ❍︎♋︎■︎📪︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ♋︎ ●︎♓︎⧫︎⧫︎●︎♏︎ ♑︎♓︎❒︎●︎. . .

✋︎📫︎✋︎ ♎︎♓︎♎︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎🙵 ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♋︎♐︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎●︎♓︎♐︎♏︎ ⬥︎□︎◆︎●︎♎︎ ♌︎♏︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎⬧︎ ◻︎♋︎♓︎■︎♐︎◆︎●︎-*)

[He shrinks into the wheelchair as the doctor comes into view, shaking his head.]

'm...I'm...♐︎♓︎■︎♏︎. . .◻︎●︎♏︎♋︎⬧︎♏︎. . .

. . .

[He looks to Simon, then back to Vero.

Gently, he takes the ice pack.]

. . .

Thank. . . Thank you. . .

[He sighs quietly, before leaning back in the wheelchair, clearly fading in and out of consciousness.]

(*🕈︎♒︎□︎📪︎ ⬥︎♒︎□︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ?

🕈︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♎︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ⬥︎♋︎■︎⧫︎ ?

🕈︎♒︎⍓︎. . .⬥︎♒︎⍓︎ ♎︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎■︎♎︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ ♒︎♓︎❍︎-*)

! !

[Upon hearing Vero fall, he flinches, and almost immediately after attempts to leave the wheelchair to help her.]

[He snaps back to reality.]

✋︎♍︎♏︎. . .◻︎♋︎♍︎🙵. . . ?

[Sitting on what Vero said for a little while, he nods slowly.]

Y-Yes. . .🏱︎●︎♏︎♋︎⬧︎♏︎. . .

. . . ?

[Just as he's about to give Simon his hand once more, he freezes up.

A...A voice?]

. . .

(*🕈︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎. . .? ⚐︎◆︎⧫︎ ⬥︎♒︎♏︎❒︎♏︎. . .?

🕈︎♒︎⍓︎ ⬥︎♒︎⍓︎ ♎︎□︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎■︎♎︎ ♐︎♋︎❍︎♓︎●︎♓︎♋︎❒︎. . .

. . .

✡︎□︎◆︎🕯︎❒︎♏︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ □︎■︎♏︎ □︎♐︎ ◆︎⬧︎. . .*)

! ! !

[He lets out a gasp, attempting to rip his hand away from Simon.]

💧︎⧫︎□︎◻︎! ! 💧︎⧫︎□︎◻︎! ! ❄︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♒︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎⬧︎! ! !

. . .

[He stares at the two for a while, before wearily reaching his hand out to them.

The chain of a small pendant is wrapped around his fingers. The pendant itself, held so tightly and for so long, has cut through his palm, sticking there due to the blood.]

[At the request, he pulls his hand back, keeping it close to his chest. He squeezes on whatever he's holding tighter. He flinches, but tries to maintain what's left of his composure.]

☠︎□︎. . .■︎□︎. . .✋︎🕯︎❍︎. . .♐︎♓︎■︎♏︎. . .

. . .

[He reaches out with both hands, shakily taking the blanket.

Blood starts to stain it.]

❄︎♒︎♋︎■︎🙵. . .⍓︎□︎◆︎. . .

➦❶⑨⑥⑨ঞ. . .

[He's not thinking straight. He tries to move in the wheelchair, even trying to leave at one point, only for the pain to settle him back down.]

👎︎□︎■︎🕯︎⧫︎. . .⬥︎□︎❒︎❒︎⍓︎. . .♋︎♌︎□︎◆︎⧫︎ ◆︎⬧︎. . .

✌︎❒︎♏︎ ⍓︎□︎◆︎. . .♋︎●︎❒︎♓︎♑︎♒︎⧫︎. . .?

👎︎□︎♍︎⧫︎□︎❒︎. . .?

[He manages to turn his head a bit, reaching up to Simon as if to brush off concern.]

☠︎□︎■︎♏︎ ♓︎■︎. . .♋︎♐︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎●︎♓︎♐︎♏︎. . .

[The touch makes him flinch hard. His vision is blurring by now, the pain makes it impossible to see straight.

He dry heaves, and then attempts to breathe, leaning back a bit.

In a daze, he turns to Vero.]

➦. . .❶⑨⑥. . .⑨ঞ. . .?

[There's no comprehensive response from the man as he tries with what little strength he has left to keep himself from falling face first out of the wheelchair.

He's muttering... Something, but it's impossible to make out what by now.]

[As soon as he's in the wheelchair, the man quiets down a bit. The pain is still there, but...

He feels nauseous, keeping his head low. He looks ready to pass out.]

❄︎♒︎♋︎■︎🙵. . .⍓︎□︎◆︎. . .

[Even though he had granted permission, every slight movement caused the man to cry out in pain. His free hand clawed at the dirt and rock, desperate for relief.]

🏱︎☹︎☜︎✌︎💧︎☜︎ 💣︎✌︎😐︎☜︎ ✋︎❄︎ 💧︎❄︎⚐︎🏱︎! ! !

[He sobs, and as Vero comes back with the wheelchair, he attempts to crawl over to it.]

☞︎◆︎. . .⧫︎◆︎❒︎♏︎. . .? ■︎□︎. . .⧫︎♒︎♓︎⬧︎ ♓︎⬧︎. . .

[Another wave of pain surges through his body, causing him to cry out again.

He keeps his hand clenched around something, his palm starting to bleed.

He turns to look at Simon.]

✡︎□︎◆︎. . .❍︎♋︎⍓︎. . .

[When the two look outside, they can make out the shape of a man. He's dressed head to toe in funeral attire, and the mourning veil makes it hard to see his face...

He turns his head slightly, reaching a clenched hand out to them. His voice is hardly above a whisper.]

☟︎♏︎●︎. .◻︎. . .◻︎●︎♏︎. . .♋︎⬧︎♏︎. . .

☠︎□︎. . .■︎□︎. . .

[Something- No, someone, grumbles to themselves as they lay on the ground outside. They attempt to pick themselves up, only to jolt in pain and let out a shrill cry.

They fall back down.]

☟︎♏︎●︎◻︎. . .♒︎♏︎●︎◻︎. . .♓︎⧫︎ ♒︎◆︎❒︎⧫︎⬧︎. . .

[There's a low rumbling, coming from...Somewhere. Nowhere? But everywhere?

It starts off slow, and then...

𝘊𝘙𝘈𝘚𝘏!!

Something heavy lands on part of the roof of their home, rolling until it falls and hits the ground with a thud. Shingles tumble on top of it as it lets out a quiet groan.]

☠︎□︎. . .