Deep breath in.

Hold it.

Deep breath out.

Just keep breathing to stop the tears.

Don’t let them see you cry.

You look down at your young daughter and smile. She can’t know how much pain you’re in. It’ll destroy her. You keep one hand pressed to your wound and raise the other to your little girl’s face. She leans into it, crying.

You feel the tears well up once more, so you force yourself to take deep breaths, breathing around the pain. You keep the stupid smile plastered to your face. She can’t see that you’re scared. You know that you’re not going to make it, but she doesn’t. She still thinks that you’re going to be okay.

No one is coming to save you. Once you leave, your little girl will have to go find someone to tell them what happened. But until then, there is nothing either of y’all can do except sit and wait.

Quickly, your senses begin fading and everything becomes fainter. You hear your daughter yell for you, but it is as if you are under water with no way of coming back to the surface.

Deep breath in.

Hold it.

Deep breath out.