I don't move my hand except to hold his arm just a bit more tightly. He's obviously very upset, and I wish I knew how to help him with something better than whisky and words.

"Did it help at all, in the moment? Because he's your best friend, isn't he? It can't be the worst thing he'd do for you."

I realize I've never told him what Maddie did for me. Exactly how I died.

"It isn't even a bad thing at all. Awkward, at best, but... there are worse things friends can do for each other than offering a bit of comfort in an extreme situation."