Another Brother, chapter 5
I paced nervously up and down the hospital hall with my fingers crossed tightly behind my back. Billie went through coffees by the second. Tre hadn't sat still yet and as for Mike, he hadn't spoken a single word. He just stared, he couldn't believe it. He just sat there. Staring at the ground.
"This isn't fair, why take a little girl, why not me?" he questioned under his breath. Talking to no one.
"It's all my fault if I hadn't left her by herself, If I had caught her, she would never off been up that fucking ladder," he continued. Billie sat next to him and placed an arm around his shoulder.
Mike began to sob loudly.
Estella had been in surgery for over 6 hours now. The last we had herd six hours ago was her chances where slim, very slim.
I stared impatiently at the clock. This wasn't how it was meant to happen. Finding Mike was meant to end all these dramas.
I guess, the drama just follows me around.
I new it was my fault. Billie had assured me that no one blamed me, but why did I feel so guilty. If I hadn't gone looking for Mike, I wouldn't of found him. I wouldn't of gotten into trouble, I wouldn't of been in that room, Estella wouldn't of been up that ladder.
Tre had told me to try and blame some thing else. To make me feel better, I guess when you think about it you could blame the fucking mouse. If that hadn't gotten out I wouldn't of killed it, sees having get a new one, then getting into trouble.
I could sit here all night blaming the fucking mouse, but its not going to do any good. A child may die. Blame won't help. Not the slightest bit.
I have to take it like a man, it was my fault, but again, blame doesn't do anything. All that matters is that Estella comes out alive.
The four of us waited. Watching the clock tick by, each second passed, each second Estella could of died by then...
We didn't know what was going on. No one would tell us anything. All the doctor told us before rushing off to surgery was, her chances where slim. That's all we knew.
Then finally at five am. The doctor came out, covered in blood.
"Mr. Pritchard?" he asked looking at all of us. "It's Dirnt," Mike replied. "Mr. Dirnt," he finished.
"Okay, well Mr. Dirnt, may I have a word with you in private?" asked the doctor.
"What ever you tell me in private these guys are gonna hear anyway, so just fucking tell me." Mike spoke in a firm but plain voice.
"Well, the operation. We don't know if it was a success or not. All we can do is wait." He explained.
Mike's face expression didn't change one bit. "You mean she might not make it?" he sobbed. The doctor nodded unhappily.
"And if she does she may never walk again" the doctors words echoed in all our ears.
At that point Mike broke down. He burst into tears. Billie tried to comfort him. But Mike shoved him off.
"You might want to go home, Mr. Dirnt you look terrible, your no good to your daughter like that." The doctor insisted.
"No. I want to be here when she wakes up." Mike sobbed. Wiping the tears from his eyes.
"She's in a deep coma, she won't wake up for at lest another day or two." The doctor persisted.
"Yea, come on Mike, I'll drive you home." Offered Billie. Mike shook his head. He was in no mood for messing around he wasn't leaving.
"I'm staying here." He replied firmly. "You guys go." Mike insisted.
"Oh, and will one of you take the boy." He added.
Billie and Tre glared at me, then back to each other. "You take him," Tre said grabbing me by the arm and shoving me in Billie's direction.
I wish I wasn't so small; every one was always shoving me around because they can.
"Look dude, I promised Adie and the kids no more drama's for a while, after the 'incident' last week." Billie explained.
"You mean how got pissed and...."
"Shhh!" Billie snarled angrily.
"Aw dude, that's weak. Me and my lady where gonna have a little fun toni... " Billie cut him off and gave him a very mean look.
"Fine I'll take him, no idea where I'm gonna put him, but I'll take him." Tre agreed.
We turned away to leave when Mike stopped me.
"Hey bud, remember our deal!" Mike said raising his eye brows I nodded and continued walking.
"Just don't fuck up," I whispered to myself with a sigh.
Easier said then done.
I lay awake that night. UN able to sleep. The scene of Estella falling kept playing through my mind over and over like a broken tape. If only I was that second faster, if only I reached that inch further, she would be fine. I had to do something to clear my head. So I decided to take a walk.
It was about 2am when I left. Dressed in all black and with a hooded jumper with the hood up (Tre` had given me some clothes that fit).
I didn't stop to think for a second that it would be suspicious. Even after I had been arrested two days earlier.
I made my way up the street. Into town, the main street. It began to rain again it had been raining on and off a lot these past few weeks. The rain was heavy and cold. I shivered as I pulled my hood down over my eyes to protect myself from the rain. I had goose bumps up my arms and my fingers had gone blue, my knees shook like an old bridge would in the wind.
But I kept walking, slowly but surly making my way up the street. Trying to think of anything but Estella, but every time I distracted myself, some thing else made me think of her.
Without noticing I passed the pet store. I stopped out front and gazed into the window.
"If it wasn't for that old coot, I wouldn't have been in trouble; Estella wouldn't have been up that ladder. Now she might not survive." I said to my self.
Then some thing caught my eye. A brick, just laying there by my foot.
"The old man has it coming, and I mean its Mike's daughter. He would understand, and its 2am for fuck sake, no ones around. And it's his fault that a nine-year-old girl may die. A smashed window is a small price to pay." I mumbles bitterly.
I bent down slowly and picked up the brick and held it in my hand. I raised it behind my head, rage built up as I was seconds away from throwing it as hard as I could. When I herd a voice.
"Don't fuck up." It came from behind me. I dropped the brick in shock. It landed on my foot digging in deep, bruising it. "Arg, fuck!" I hissed.
I hopped around in a circle, holding my foot in pain. Then I saw who was standing behind me.
Joey? I couldn't believe it. Joey? What was he doing here I had no idea. How did he know about my promise to Mike? I was expecting Mike, Billie, or Tre to be standing there.
"Joey?" I stuttered in confusion.
"Ryan?" he replied mimicking me. "Yea it's me, I came to stop you from doing some thing stupid. Estella told me every thing, the promise with her dad, how she felt bad, about getting you into trouble blah blah blah." He explained briefly.
I nodded. I wasn't really listening to him.
"Why are you here, NOW?" I quizzed.
"I saw you walking towards town, no offence man, but you are trouble I can tell. I knew you'd be up for revenge after you know..." Joey explained. "And besides, Estella would be upset if you got kicked out, that's why she told me to stop you from doing anything stupid if I saw you." Joey went on.
"Ok, what is it with you two? Can you like read each others minds?" I shoved back at him. Still holding onto my foot.
"Ha-ha, very funny, but seriously, don't fuck up." Joey replied. "By the way Tre's looking for you, when he finds you, you realize he's gonna be pissed? Especially if he catches you out side the shop, you got arrested at with a brick. You might not of been living here very long, but seeing your Mike's bro, your like apart of the family now. Whether you like it or not." Joey seemed so mature for an 11 year old kid.
I nodded, it seemed cool that I had come from no one giving a damn, to being apart of a family where even the younger ones looked out for you.
"Maybe we should go?" I asked. Pushing the brick away with my foot. So couldn't be seen. Joey nodded in reply.
We started walking; as I got to talk to the kid he seemed pretty cool. He wasn't any different to any other 11 year old kid, he liked the same stuff that normal kids would. He thought his little brother, Jakob, was a pain in the ass. He hated it when his mum made a fuss about cleaning his room, and like most kids, he hated school just as much as every other kid.
We where about two blocks away from Tre's house when a car pulled up from behind us. We pretended we didn't see it, just in case it was a child rapist or some thing. We kept walking. Then the mysterious car began to follow us slowly. We walked faster, the car went faster. We both refused to look back. He got faster and faster, as did the car. We tried to lose it by going down some different streets, we didn't want them to find out where we lived. So along we went getting faster, the car followed closely behind. We were nearly running when a red flashing light came from the car and a single siren noise sounded. We both turned around instantly to see what was going on. My hart sank, it nearly stopped beating all together.
The car was a police car. We stopped in our tracks. Neither of us could figure out why I police car would have been following us. We hadn't done anything.
The police car rolled next to us, a police man pocked his head out the window.
"Where would you to hoods be going?" he questioned.
I went to answer him, but Joey gave me a shove. He stood forward. "Officer this is the one," he began pointing at me. 'What the hell is he doing? ' I thought. "The one who robbed the pet store, then TONIGHT was going to vandalize the shop. I caught him red handed." Joey said to the police men.
"Thank-you for the tip off Joseph." The police man thanked.
"What the hell Joey! What the fuck are you doing?!" Joey stood back towards the police car as one of the cops got out and walked slowly up to me. Took my arm, and shoved me in the back seat of the car.
"Oh please Ryan, you didn't seriously think that I believed you for a second? She didn't fall I know you pushed her, she's like my sister. I wasn't going to sit back and watch you steal Mike's money, and take away Estella's life. Yea that's right, I know what your after, money. Street kids like you are just that, STREET kids, poor homeless kids that are after money. The adults may have believed you, but after tonight, they will have you locked up until your 36. As I said we are a family who looks out for each other, cuz." he said with a smirk of an evil grin on his face.
"Fucking hell! I didn't push her, or vandalize the fucking shop!" I yelled back angrily as the cop pushed my head into the car so I didn't hit my head.
Joey stood there and watched as I was driven off in the back of a police car once again. My head filled with hatred, anger, confusion, depression all at once, it made me sick. I felt so dizzy I nearly passed out.
The only word on my mind now was revenge.
"This isn't fair, why take a little girl, why not me?" he questioned under his breath. Talking to no one.
"It's all my fault if I hadn't left her by herself, If I had caught her, she would never off been up that fucking ladder," he continued. Billie sat next to him and placed an arm around his shoulder.
Mike began to sob loudly.
Estella had been in surgery for over 6 hours now. The last we had herd six hours ago was her chances where slim, very slim.
I stared impatiently at the clock. This wasn't how it was meant to happen. Finding Mike was meant to end all these dramas.
I guess, the drama just follows me around.
I new it was my fault. Billie had assured me that no one blamed me, but why did I feel so guilty. If I hadn't gone looking for Mike, I wouldn't of found him. I wouldn't of gotten into trouble, I wouldn't of been in that room, Estella wouldn't of been up that ladder.
Tre had told me to try and blame some thing else. To make me feel better, I guess when you think about it you could blame the fucking mouse. If that hadn't gotten out I wouldn't of killed it, sees having get a new one, then getting into trouble.
I could sit here all night blaming the fucking mouse, but its not going to do any good. A child may die. Blame won't help. Not the slightest bit.
I have to take it like a man, it was my fault, but again, blame doesn't do anything. All that matters is that Estella comes out alive.
The four of us waited. Watching the clock tick by, each second passed, each second Estella could of died by then...
We didn't know what was going on. No one would tell us anything. All the doctor told us before rushing off to surgery was, her chances where slim. That's all we knew.
Then finally at five am. The doctor came out, covered in blood.
"Mr. Pritchard?" he asked looking at all of us. "It's Dirnt," Mike replied. "Mr. Dirnt," he finished.
"Okay, well Mr. Dirnt, may I have a word with you in private?" asked the doctor.
"What ever you tell me in private these guys are gonna hear anyway, so just fucking tell me." Mike spoke in a firm but plain voice.
"Well, the operation. We don't know if it was a success or not. All we can do is wait." He explained.
Mike's face expression didn't change one bit. "You mean she might not make it?" he sobbed. The doctor nodded unhappily.
"And if she does she may never walk again" the doctors words echoed in all our ears.
At that point Mike broke down. He burst into tears. Billie tried to comfort him. But Mike shoved him off.
"You might want to go home, Mr. Dirnt you look terrible, your no good to your daughter like that." The doctor insisted.
"No. I want to be here when she wakes up." Mike sobbed. Wiping the tears from his eyes.
"She's in a deep coma, she won't wake up for at lest another day or two." The doctor persisted.
"Yea, come on Mike, I'll drive you home." Offered Billie. Mike shook his head. He was in no mood for messing around he wasn't leaving.
"I'm staying here." He replied firmly. "You guys go." Mike insisted.
"Oh, and will one of you take the boy." He added.
Billie and Tre glared at me, then back to each other. "You take him," Tre said grabbing me by the arm and shoving me in Billie's direction.
I wish I wasn't so small; every one was always shoving me around because they can.
"Look dude, I promised Adie and the kids no more drama's for a while, after the 'incident' last week." Billie explained.
"You mean how got pissed and...."
"Shhh!" Billie snarled angrily.
"Aw dude, that's weak. Me and my lady where gonna have a little fun toni... " Billie cut him off and gave him a very mean look.
"Fine I'll take him, no idea where I'm gonna put him, but I'll take him." Tre agreed.
We turned away to leave when Mike stopped me.
"Hey bud, remember our deal!" Mike said raising his eye brows I nodded and continued walking.
"Just don't fuck up," I whispered to myself with a sigh.
Easier said then done.
I lay awake that night. UN able to sleep. The scene of Estella falling kept playing through my mind over and over like a broken tape. If only I was that second faster, if only I reached that inch further, she would be fine. I had to do something to clear my head. So I decided to take a walk.
It was about 2am when I left. Dressed in all black and with a hooded jumper with the hood up (Tre` had given me some clothes that fit).
I didn't stop to think for a second that it would be suspicious. Even after I had been arrested two days earlier.
I made my way up the street. Into town, the main street. It began to rain again it had been raining on and off a lot these past few weeks. The rain was heavy and cold. I shivered as I pulled my hood down over my eyes to protect myself from the rain. I had goose bumps up my arms and my fingers had gone blue, my knees shook like an old bridge would in the wind.
But I kept walking, slowly but surly making my way up the street. Trying to think of anything but Estella, but every time I distracted myself, some thing else made me think of her.
Without noticing I passed the pet store. I stopped out front and gazed into the window.
"If it wasn't for that old coot, I wouldn't have been in trouble; Estella wouldn't have been up that ladder. Now she might not survive." I said to my self.
Then some thing caught my eye. A brick, just laying there by my foot.
"The old man has it coming, and I mean its Mike's daughter. He would understand, and its 2am for fuck sake, no ones around. And it's his fault that a nine-year-old girl may die. A smashed window is a small price to pay." I mumbles bitterly.
I bent down slowly and picked up the brick and held it in my hand. I raised it behind my head, rage built up as I was seconds away from throwing it as hard as I could. When I herd a voice.
"Don't fuck up." It came from behind me. I dropped the brick in shock. It landed on my foot digging in deep, bruising it. "Arg, fuck!" I hissed.
I hopped around in a circle, holding my foot in pain. Then I saw who was standing behind me.
Joey? I couldn't believe it. Joey? What was he doing here I had no idea. How did he know about my promise to Mike? I was expecting Mike, Billie, or Tre to be standing there.
"Joey?" I stuttered in confusion.
"Ryan?" he replied mimicking me. "Yea it's me, I came to stop you from doing some thing stupid. Estella told me every thing, the promise with her dad, how she felt bad, about getting you into trouble blah blah blah." He explained briefly.
I nodded. I wasn't really listening to him.
"Why are you here, NOW?" I quizzed.
"I saw you walking towards town, no offence man, but you are trouble I can tell. I knew you'd be up for revenge after you know..." Joey explained. "And besides, Estella would be upset if you got kicked out, that's why she told me to stop you from doing anything stupid if I saw you." Joey went on.
"Ok, what is it with you two? Can you like read each others minds?" I shoved back at him. Still holding onto my foot.
"Ha-ha, very funny, but seriously, don't fuck up." Joey replied. "By the way Tre's looking for you, when he finds you, you realize he's gonna be pissed? Especially if he catches you out side the shop, you got arrested at with a brick. You might not of been living here very long, but seeing your Mike's bro, your like apart of the family now. Whether you like it or not." Joey seemed so mature for an 11 year old kid.
I nodded, it seemed cool that I had come from no one giving a damn, to being apart of a family where even the younger ones looked out for you.
"Maybe we should go?" I asked. Pushing the brick away with my foot. So couldn't be seen. Joey nodded in reply.
We started walking; as I got to talk to the kid he seemed pretty cool. He wasn't any different to any other 11 year old kid, he liked the same stuff that normal kids would. He thought his little brother, Jakob, was a pain in the ass. He hated it when his mum made a fuss about cleaning his room, and like most kids, he hated school just as much as every other kid.
We where about two blocks away from Tre's house when a car pulled up from behind us. We pretended we didn't see it, just in case it was a child rapist or some thing. We kept walking. Then the mysterious car began to follow us slowly. We walked faster, the car went faster. We both refused to look back. He got faster and faster, as did the car. We tried to lose it by going down some different streets, we didn't want them to find out where we lived. So along we went getting faster, the car followed closely behind. We were nearly running when a red flashing light came from the car and a single siren noise sounded. We both turned around instantly to see what was going on. My hart sank, it nearly stopped beating all together.
The car was a police car. We stopped in our tracks. Neither of us could figure out why I police car would have been following us. We hadn't done anything.
The police car rolled next to us, a police man pocked his head out the window.
"Where would you to hoods be going?" he questioned.
I went to answer him, but Joey gave me a shove. He stood forward. "Officer this is the one," he began pointing at me. 'What the hell is he doing? ' I thought. "The one who robbed the pet store, then TONIGHT was going to vandalize the shop. I caught him red handed." Joey said to the police men.
"Thank-you for the tip off Joseph." The police man thanked.
"What the hell Joey! What the fuck are you doing?!" Joey stood back towards the police car as one of the cops got out and walked slowly up to me. Took my arm, and shoved me in the back seat of the car.
"Oh please Ryan, you didn't seriously think that I believed you for a second? She didn't fall I know you pushed her, she's like my sister. I wasn't going to sit back and watch you steal Mike's money, and take away Estella's life. Yea that's right, I know what your after, money. Street kids like you are just that, STREET kids, poor homeless kids that are after money. The adults may have believed you, but after tonight, they will have you locked up until your 36. As I said we are a family who looks out for each other, cuz." he said with a smirk of an evil grin on his face.
"Fucking hell! I didn't push her, or vandalize the fucking shop!" I yelled back angrily as the cop pushed my head into the car so I didn't hit my head.
Joey stood there and watched as I was driven off in the back of a police car once again. My head filled with hatred, anger, confusion, depression all at once, it made me sick. I felt so dizzy I nearly passed out.
The only word on my mind now was revenge.
