“I can’t bear it any longer,” I said, my voice shaking.

“Please don’t do something you’ll regret,” Hamza said softly.

“I just want to free him from this pain,” I said, tears still streaming down my face.

With my heart breaking, I gently placed the pillow near Levine’s face, my hands trembling. He had been begging for relief from this agony — and I never imagined our reunion would end like this, forcing me to make the hardest choice of my life.

His heavy breathing felt ...