Wes Horton went to see Noah Hays for the last time on a Saturday night, in his home in Charlotte, in a room where everything was too still.
The defensive end for the Carolina Panthers had come to think of Noah, 19, as a brother. They would joke and laugh together and forget the evils of the cancer that burrowed through Noah's body.
On this night, though, Horton could not easily find words. Noah could hardly move, and couldn't speak.
Noah's aunt, Jacquie, saw Horton struggle. She sat on the bed and began to talk to Horton in words she thought Noah would use.