“Thank you,” I whispered, not sure if he could understand. He licked my wrist like he did.

The crew loaded my brother into the ambulance, and one of them told me which hospital they were heading to. I was already in my car before they finished the sentence.

At the hospital, I waited for over an hour. My phone buzzed with texts I didn’t answer. I just stared at the doors, willing them to open.

Finally, a nurse called my name. “He’s awake,” she said with a tired smile. “Still groggy, but he asked for you.”

I walked in and saw him lying there with a nasal tube and a heart monitor beeping beside him. He looked up at me, ashamed.

“I didn’t mean for it to go that far,” he mumbled. “I just wanted to swim out a bit. Clear my head.”