"I know."

She didn't get me that bottle, but she sat with me until I passed out, glass still in my hand and tears streaming silently down my cheeks.

At some point during the night, I woke up. It was still dark outside. Or maybe I'd slept through the day and into the next. There was a tray on the nightstand with a bowl of something, some crusty bread, and a glass of water.

My mouth tasted like something had crawled in there and died, and I had to pee. So, I got up and took care of business and then rinsed my mouth out with some mouthwash I found under the sink. Ignoring the tray, I locked the bedroom door again and crawled into bed, turning my back to the food.

Closing my eyes, I tried to go back to sleep. And when I couldn't, I opened them again. My sister was lying in bed beside me. Her face, so familiar to me, not five inches from my own. I didn't question if it was real or not. I didn't really care.

I gave her a teary smile.

She didn't smile back.