It was like self-amputation. He was cutting off a large chunk of who he was, and he was putting it behind a wall. Slicing off the diseased flesh and praying that it had not already spread to the rest of him.

Everything hurt. It hurt so bad. The bricks and mortar were only barely able to contain him. He was spilling everywhere.

Reinette, I'm so scared.

He could only imagine if he'd dealt with this sooner, it would've been like dealing with a spray of water, rather than a flood.

He was too weak. "I-i-if I don't make it, I need you t-t-to find a way, to get a message---"