Terry Gregory sat with his father Tim, as he died.

He sat silently, in the cold and desolate hospital room. The only light coming from the small bedside lamp, the beeps of his heart monitor being the only sound. The beeps grew further and further apart, with each passing second.

He should have been there more. He figured that every kid thought this when it came time to say goodbye, but deep down he knew he should have been there more. As soon as he moved out, the void between them grew and grew and he did nothing to stop it. A phone call on the holidays and that was it. No weekly check-in texts or calls. Nothing.

Terry exhaled a shuttered breath and lowered his face into his palms. He shivered slightly from the coldness of the hospital room. He swiped the tears from his eyes as he returned his focus to his father.

He couldn't remember the last time he spoke to him in person. What was it? Four? Five years ago?

What kind of son was he?

The beeps continued to grow further and further apart. Terry hesitated to look at the time, it felt blasphemous. As if looking would encourage his father's inevitable passing.

So he sat there in the dark as his father drew his final breaths.

And then...

He moved.

The beeps from the heart monitor became faster and faster.

"Holy shit. Dad!?" Stammered Terry.

He pushed himself out of his seat, so fast that the chair toppled over. He grabbed his father's hands.

His father's eyes shot open, scanning the room frantically before locking onto his.

"Dad! It's okay. I'm here. Take it easy okay?" Pleaded Terry.

His father's lips trembled as he tried to speak.

Terry shook his head and patted his father on the shoulder. "No. Don't speak Dad, you're fine."

"I did it." Whispered Tim.

Terry frowned. He fumbled his words, trying to make sense of what his father was saying.

"I did it" Tim repeated. His voice was shrill and frail.

Terry shook his head in confusion. "Did what Dad? What did you do?"

His father's cold and grey eyes locked onto his as he tightened his grip around Terry's hands. Hard enough to make Terry wince, Terry did his best to pull away but Tim wouldn't let go. He could feel his hands growing colder by the second.

"I killed my family all those years ago. I killed my parents, my brother, and my sister. I did it."

The next thing Terry heard was the flatline of his fathers heart monitor.