They had a few beers, and laughed and laughed. Although, Garrett kept insisting she visit the doctor the next day. Carmen was pale, with the wheezing persisting through the night. She swore she was fine, and just wanted to spend more time with him.

At that, he couldn't help but lean in, hoping.

Meeting his hope, Carmen met him the rest of the way and kissed him.

"Let's go to your apartment," she said, eyes shining.

They rode the bus together, holding hands. When a white man flashed a face of disgust at their hand-holding, Carmen ignored it and again turned Garrett's face to meet her lips. The man complained loudly to the bus driver, who then yelled for them to knock it off before he kicked them off the bus.

Carmen held fast to Garrett, not letting him stop. The bus driver stopped the bus along the closest sidewalk and told them to leave, thus forcing the couple to walk the few blocks to Garrett's apartment.

The non-stop activity proved to be too much for Carmen. By the time they reached his place, she could barely climb the stairs to the second floor. Inside, she stripped down to her undergarments. From her dazed eyes and sweaty brow, Garrett reasoned she did so more for utility than for romantic reasons.

Carmen assessed her semi-nude form in the long wall mirror. With her fever, her cheeks were flushed, a blush creeping down to her breasts. She noticed Garrett watching her, and gestured for him to join her.

They made love, with Garrett insisting on being very gentle.

Afterwards, Carmen's countenance was still aglow. Garrett's worry for her health sated, he slept deeply.

Something was laughing at him, hanging over him in the dark.

You killed her, the shadow whispered, sounding far too happy with the outcome.

Suddenly, Garrett bolted awake. The bed was soaked. He looked above, but the drip hadn't been the cause. Then, he checked next to him, and Carmen's entire body was soaked, too. He reasoned that she had peed herself in the middle of the night. He turned her over, and panicked. Her face was slack, the parlor of death. When he put his ear to her chest, he heard the faint rise and fall of her breath. She was barely alive.

Garrett called the second-best person he knew: his sister. He told her how must he cared for Carmen, and that she was sick. He needed help, could she help him? His sister promised to take Carmen to the hospital to avoid scandal.

~*~

For the second time in one night, Garrett awoke suddenly. His phone was ringing.

"Hello?"

"It's me," Grace, his sister said. "She...she didn't make it. I'm so sorry."

~*~

In the morning, Garrett woke. He watered his plants, tidied up. Then, as the sun rose, he shuffled to the bus-stop.