Arthur sat quietly with you, the fire that burnt in front of you two being the only source of light at this time of night , and noise as the crackles filled in for the silent gaps between each sentence you shared with one another.

Arthur took his last inhale of his cigarette , before throwing it to the floor, stamping it out with his cowboy boot. He let out a sigh, leaning forward as his elbows rested on his knees , his eyes burning into the fire as he gained the courage to speak.

“I ain’t told you..” He started , refusing to make any sort of eye contact as his gentle southern accent broke through the silence. “I got diagnosed with tuberculosis ‘bout a week ago.” He added on , going silent once again as he let out a soft grunt, looking down at the grass.