A sad smile crept across my face as he fell to the floor. Kneeling down beside him, I caressed his face gently and whispered a blessing in his ear. What a waste. He was a handsome man and ever so young, at seventeen he had his whole life ahead of him, but, alas, he had outlived his worth.
"Don't fight it," I whispered softly. "You'll be safer now."
Pulling back slightly to look at him, I smiled kindly as he froze, his pleading eyes fixed on mine. Instantly his expression became serene and his eyelids drooped. I put my hand beneath his chin and tilted his face so that his cheek was but a breath away from my face.
"Sleep," I murmured. Leaning in, I brushed my lips against his cheek and kissed his cheekbone lightly. I watched with a sense of regret as his eyes fluttered closed and his body slumped, lifeless in my arms. Lowering him to the floor I sighed. Whilst I understood that my job was necessary, I never really enjoyed it. As each day passed, I took less and less pride in what I was, what I was chosen to do, and, instead, wished with all my heart that I had suffered the same fate as my assignments centuries ago.
But you're necessary, whispered a voice in the back of my mind and, of course, it was right; I was necessary, but that didn't mean I had to like it. With yet another sigh, I rose to my feet and reached for my phone inside my pocket. Almost automatically, I dialled the office and waited for the phone to connect.
"It's done."