After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan during active war, 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐬. Staff Sergeant Nathan Grimes finds himself on the front lines yet again. This time however, was different. He would've never guessed the wors...
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The vehicles pulled slowly over on the side of the road when Glenn radioed us from the RV. Rick stepped from the car he, Lori, Carol and the two kids shared up ahead. It hadn't been that long of a drive but Jim's suffering took a toll on him quickly.
Miller, Danny and myself were riding in the jeep with Shane. We hopped out and walked up ahead being the last position in the line up.
"He says he wants us to leave him here." Rick said softly as he exited the RV after seeing Jim.
Lori gave a dumbfounded look. "Here on the side of the road?"
"He's in pain, he doesn't really care where. He just wants it to be over." Miller tried to make her feel better about the situation but she couldn't see it in any other light. "It's wrong. He's a human being."
"Lori, it was wrong to bring him with us in the first place. He's dying and fast. If he were to go and people just assumed he was asleep, he could come back and hurt them. Then we'd lose a lot more than just him."
My words helped lock in Jim's fate as Rick and I helped him out of the RV. It didn't matter how slow or gentle we were, any move would made would cause him more suffering.
He was pale with a cold sweat coating his forehead and wetting down the hair that stuck to his face. The bags under his eyes were more dominant than before and deep colored veins ran up and down his arms.
Per his request we helped him get comfortable in the grass just barely off to the side of the road. We leaned him up against a tree truck to take off some pressure from his back. Everyone took their own moment to say a farewell.
"Jim," I squatted down to meet him at his level. "We don't really know each other. But if you want me to I can help you. You shouldn't have to do this yourself."
His breathing was severely strained as movement was a torture in itself. "No, I want it to be me. I can do it."
Not being one to take away someone's freedom to make their own choices about what is best for them I stood. "All right." I stepped back letting whoever needed to say goodbye go ahead.
We left him with a pistol that had a bullet in the chamber and let him to give him privacy. He was at peace with his decision saying he just wanted to be with his family.
The gunshot rang out before we could leave the area causing a moment of silence to be given. There weren't anymore stops after Jim. Jacqui had changed the sheets in the RV's bedroom where he once rode that way Carl, Sophia and Jamie could spread out and try and get some rest.
