Carrying the slacker silently helps nobody, including them. Have the honest talk early.

Absorbing someone else’s share feels generous and functions as concealment. The work gets finished, the problem stays invisible, resentment builds on your side, and the other person learns nothing is wrong until it surfaces badly and late. By that point the conversation is about weeks of history rather than about one task.

Raise it while it is small and specific, naming the piece and the deadline instead of the character. Ask whether something is going on, and mean the question. Early honesty is a kindness, though it seldom feels like one at the time.