Redrugen

She watches the numbers decrease once again as they have intermittingly for the past couple of hours. He is dying and she couldn't stop it, not that there was a lack of trying.

It started after her father-in-law died fifteen years ago. No, perhaps it would be better to say it started when her husband was a child. Her father-in-law was a drunkard; often blaming his alcoholism on his family genetics, stress from the job, or insomnia. His excuses changed often, but those were his favorite three.

The alcohol turned her father-in-law into Hyde; violent, terrifying. On the rare occasions when he was sober, he was the perfect husband and father. It was for those moments her husband loved his father; the rest of the time he remained fearful and confused.

Her husband swore to never drink, for he didn't want to follow his father down the same miserable path. A rigid vow he kept until the day the reason for the vow died. Then it was like her father-in-law was raised back from the dead and she was replacing her mother-in-law's role in the story.

Even down to hiding the poison, in hopes the feared Hyde would not show. The liver cancer. These long, final minutes. She even knows what she will say as her husband's heart stops.

I hope you finally find peace, my dear.

She looks to her teary eyed son in the corner of the room before sending up a prayer. Please, don't let him follow.

Word Count: 250 words

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Word's Breakdown:

Redrugen

Re = again

dru = drunk

gen = follow