𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 ; 𝘉𝘺𝘭𝘦𝘳

𝟏𝟑.𝟓.

⚠️TW: Alcohol Abuse⚠️

One year ago...

Woodlake Medical | Sat 3:28 PM
Lonnie Byers
(Interlude)

Lonnie has had a lot of low moments in his life, but laying in a hospital bed with a messed up arm, hooked up to life support, and talking to one of his son's boyfriends about his past attraction to men had to be the lowest of lows. Sure, it might've felt a little good to finally get out what had been pushing him away from his family for years, but the circumstances were all too surreal.

Interrupting his conversation with Mike was a nurse. "Hi Mr. Byers, I have some news. Are you comfortable with your son being in the room?"

The statement made him wish his own sons would've come to visit—although he didn't blame them—and he wouldn't have minded if Mike stayed but he didn't, awkwardly leaving the room so that the two adults could talk.

"What is it?" The man turned to look at her, annoyance in his tone.

"Nothing to worry about but you are in the late stages of liver failure and if you don't get a replacement you will die."

The woman's last words echoed in his brain for days after. During his stay. When he finally got to leave. On the drive home. Back at his motel room. Even when he eventually called Joyce over for what he treated as his finally smoke with the woman he's always loved.

"You gonna tell me why you called me out here now or are we just smoking?"

He stared down sadly, a cigarette in between his fingers as he said, "Doctor said my livers failing. So I don't have very long."

"Isn't that kinda dramatic? It's not cancer or anything."

"Well...might as well be. No one wants to replace my liver so I'm just waiting to die at this point."

"Don't talk like that, you'll find someone."

And he did indeed find someone, but the surgeons who were supposed to perform on him accidentally mishandled the organ, dropping it on the ground and making it rupture and split in half. And there was no way to stitch it back together to have it work properly, so once again the man was out of luck.

The universe has decided that it was ready for him to go. He hoped to heaven, but probably a hell. Only Christ knew his love for the opposite sex was an act...and Mike...and Tom of course.

His dying wish was to just have one conversation with his sons where he could apologize, and Jon was more willing to then Will, who looked like he wanted to murder him when he tried to wake him up from his sleep.

That's what really got to him, because from that day forward he kept drinking and drinking, waiting for the sweet relief of death.

Until it finally came a few days ago.

To be continued...

For all of y'all who wanted him dead last book: ArE yOu HaPpY?
Because I don't like Lonnie either but I'm personally sad for my boys :(

[3/10/21 | 523 words]