Author's Note: As you have probably noticed, there's been a decrease in the sense and value of my story lately. I can't blame school, I can't blame you guys either, but I've been having trouble for some reason. Anyway, this chapter is another dialogue one basically. A lot of future plot work gets revealed and we figure out some stuff about a few of our main characters. Enjoy this chapter…Happy tenth.

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Chapter 10

Brother and Sister

Four bodies sat silently in the loudest room in the hospital; the waiting room. Sage had excused himself to make a call a few moments ago, and Jack had been missing from the scene for an entire hour and a half. No doctor had explained Roger's situation, so nothing could be done. Nicol supported his sleeping brother on his knees and kept to himself. Earlier, a worried nurse asked him to come with them to examine the cut on his lip, but he refused repeatedly and remained to keep his brother calm. Angela, who was unusually quiet, kept her head towards the ground. Occasionally, she'd take out her compact and mumble something worrisome to herself. Lastly was Ralph. He didn't even know why he'd followed Angela and why SHE followed anyone in the first place. Roger was the person who wanted him dead, so what good did it bring to Ralph to be near people worrying about him?

To occupy himself, Ralph to a look around the room, noticing all types of waiters with the same expression his girlfriend had. Some were crying and others just sat in a stupor, but they were all hurting. I don't even belong here…Another muffled moan from Angela kept him in his seat and feeling just as awkward, if not more, than when they busted through the doors. Six people rushing through a door with an unconscious boy seemed both comical and dramatic at the same time. Either way, Ralph knew he DID NOT want to be there. What are you thinking Angela…?

A man in a long white lab coat passed by them and took a long glance at who waited for his patient. He leaned past the wall beside him and crinkled an eyebrow. What an odd group…The charts attached to his clipboard had the necessary family information, but only two names appeared on the list. None of the four out of the six who'd brought the enervated patient in looked like either of those two people at all. Fortunately, none of them seemed overly apprehensive about the situation and stayed seated through the long hours. This should go over well I pray…

Just as the assured doctor stepped out from his watching spot, the taller blonde man came to sit back down, bringing the miserable looking red head with him. "Okay…" The physician was new to his job and never dealt with a family this big. The other doctors overseeing Roger had told him it wouldn't be a problem, but Dr. Kay couldn't predict what to expect. He adjusted his black and white striped tie and raised his head a bit higher, encouraging himself until he was in their sights. "G…good evening," he stuttered, much to his own chagrin. Get it right…

"Is the young boy alright?" The oldest man asked before the doctor could get anywhere with his broken speech. "Oh! He's alive, with much thanks to this young man," he explained, bowing politely to Jack, "We were able to obtain his medical records from the hospital he's registered at. Some of the doctors are still in the process of examining his brain. You see, um…" The unwavering attention was more than Dr. Kay could have asked for. Everyone's eyes focused on his words and there wasn't a questionable look upon anyone's face. "I don't know how many of you knew this, but your friend has epilepsy."

The first question popped up from Oliver, who'd awoke at the sound of voices. "What's ep…ep…?" "Epilepsy," the doctor finished, "It's a reoccurring condition that causes seizures to occur. Now, there are several things that could have caused this, but he's under control now." Oliver rubbed his eyes sleepily, looking towards his brother to explain it in words he could understand. Nicol was at a lost of words himself, but Jack stepped in to clarify.

"Sometimes, when my friend Roger feels extreme amounts of tension and stress, his breathing becomes…strange. Because of that, his body reacts with spasms, which make his body jitter." The older children immediately understood, but Oliver kept handing out more questions and Jack took each one in the calmest manner he could. "Now I do see indications that he has been prescribed some medication," Kay interrupted in the most courteous way he could after flipping to a few notes. "Can anyone explain that to me?"

Once again, it was Jack who had to answer. "I was supposed to give it to him, but I forgot it when we went for a walk. I could have done more, but I lost track of him. You see, sometimes when the sun reflects off objects like mirrors in a certain manor, the blinking lights bring about the seizures. I guess the sun peeking from behind the clouds triggered something." "Can we see him?!" Angela suddenly broke in with sudden urgency. Kay bumbled a bit and checked his notes a third time. "We're only allowing immediate family to see him. He's in a very fragile state and we don't want him to panic and hyperventilate again. Are any of you related to him?" No one nodded, and all the doctor could do was solemnly apologize. "Until a member of his family comes, you cannot speak with him. I'm sorry..."

Oliver slunk back into his seat and sighed, squirming as Nicol's hand rubbed against his curls. The little boy who'd only seen the "monster in the bushes" once seemed completely enthralled with him. Nicol too wanted to know everything he possibly could because there was something he swore seemed familiar about Roger. "Can I speak to you privately please Mr….Merridew is it?" Kay asked after a long pause, taking Jack down another hallway far from the earshot of the waiting party.

Noticing the growing fatigue, Sage offered to find something for the children to eat, excusing himself again in a bit of a hurry. "Everyone's pretty nervous," Ralph pointed out in an attempt to draw Angela's eyes to him. She just agreed halfheartedly with her focus in the small mirror in her hand. She prevented any further talking by standing suddenly, her heavy bangs covering her eyes. "I'm going to the bathroom. I can't think here." Tired of the way she'd ignored him, Ralph held her back. "What is the matter with you all of a sudden? Ever since we've been with these guys, you've been moping! You should be able to tell me these things…"

Angela let her arm swing limply in Ralph's grip and sucked in her bottom lip. He was more persistent than ever. She could tell by the way he stared straight at her face and waited for her words when SHE was ready to say them. "I'm just having a bad day and I got caught up. Jack's my new friend too, so I wanted to see if he would be okay." As she replied, a small shake began moving her hand and the grip on it grew tighter. "I'm just feeling under the weather! Don't worry about me anymore Ralph. I've told you how I am, okay?" In his own mind, Ralph was still unsure of what she was saying, but he outwardly accepted her explanation and received a small peck on the cheek before letting Angela leave his side.

I guess I shouldn't worry too much…He'd gotten himself so caught up in Angela's feelings that he forgot about Jack. The spot the doctor had taken him to was now occupied by other doctors and patients and Jack's standout features were nowhere in sight. Jack, out of everyone there, was under the most pressure. He himself admitted to forgetting the important medication Roger needed and the ruffian seemed to be in Jack's care. Ralph realized then that Jack had never filled in all the gaps that were punched into his story.

A lot of prying had been done since their reuniting and everyone was holding back the truth. Ralph was the unfortunate middle man forced into the circle of confusion and pathetic manipulation. In fact, now was the first time Ralph actually stopped to think about it! Who knew if Jack was even telling the truth? He did say that he wanted to kill Ralph and he DID worry about Roger when he was dying. "He even said he wanted my help…and then he did…" Roger did the exact same thing! The hidden puppet master…Someone was pulling all the strings. More than one person possibly. "Damn you Jack…" The young boy fled with his distrust down the closest hallway with the determination of confronting his "friend" Jack.

Blindingly rushing past sickness and cries of pain, Ralph turned corners and made his way towards the one he planned on questioning. "Where is h…?" An abrupt brush against the wall led him directly into an equally spirited soul. He quickly shut out his own adrenaline and bashfully helped up the dark haired runner. Long locks of black recovered their positions around the young girl's shoulders and bracing against her back. She gave a slight shake of the head, keeping it low as if she was ashamed. "Uh…Are you okay? Do you need some help?" Ralph uttered and lifted his arm towards the covered shoulder.

The woman resiliently pushed his forgiving words aside and nonchalantly passed by. "Hey! Wait!" He hollered at the dispassionate ghost of a human, but as expected, she never glanced back at him. "What the hell?! I got distracted again! ARG! Forget this!" Disregarding the lack of sense that meeting made, Ralph was off once again.

On the opposite side of the hospital, Dr. Kay reentered the room that his newest patient lay in. The beeping of the EKG machine remained the only constant sign that Roger was living. He hadn't spoken a word to any of the doctors who had entered and exited during the periods of his attack and his current resting period. Kay squinted slightly against the dim lights that had been drawn down by several requests for the sake of their patient. "I'm glad you're back to normal for now. How are you feeling?" He asked with a toothy grin.

Roger's eyes, the only part of his body not overrun with pulsations of ache and vein like wires, traveled to stare at the other side of the room. No one had heard him speak yet, and Kay wanted to try his hardest to be the very one to help. "Well, you have some visitors to see you. A whole mess of them actually." A nearby chair scraped against the floor until it bumped into Roger's bedside.

Auburn dropped against the stubborn patient as the persistent physician bent over him. "Doesn't that make you happy? Aren't you excited to know how many people care about you?" "None of them care about me. I know that even though I don't know who's out there," a hoarse voice replied grimly. Now, the convalescent found no problem giving an unwelcoming glance upward, warning his doctor silently to stop talking. It did no good though, falling on blind eyes and Kay babbled on about the questions and the expressions of despair all because Roger was in trouble.

Listening to the nonsense that pranced around his bedside was just as unbearable as the IV that drove into his veins. On and on! This idiot doesn't even know what he's talking about! I don't even know half the people he's mentioned! The ones I do…Ugh! Those bloody terrors! Jack is probably all over Ralph right now…That filth. And that other boy…The weird one with the number on his arm. He exposed me to the light! It's HIS fault I'm in this mess!

"Honestly! It's a wonder you aren't begging to see them as we speak!" The murky bitterness spreading in Roger's mind gave him a break from the naïve speech. His eyes shut to release the image of the man from his sights, giving the clue that the gloomy patient had no intention of listening further. "I'm sorry; I just want you to be comfortable. You don't seem anything like your friend Jack said you were…" Jack spoke to this quack!? A disgusted snort jutted past Roger's discolored lips and he managed to move his head back and forth once before it rolled back into the mound of soft pillows.

"It's bloody shit doctor and that's the truth. I couldn't care less about the ones who came for me. They only came because they felt guilty." The doctor decided to ignore the offensive word choice and hear out his patient, who would probably keep himself shut up after this. "I bet Jack told you how I love to drink alcohol, any kind at all! And he probably said I smoke like a burning chimney or some rubbish like that! Did he tell you how aggressive I am or the fact that I throw away half the pills for my epilepsy?! DO YOU GET IT?! I DON'T CARE WHAT HE TOLD YOU! HE'S GUILTY BECAUSE HE FORGOT ABOUT ME AND HE'S TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR IT!"

A swell of howling coughs choked Roger's ferocity and concluded his words. Kay would have attempted to pursue a further explanation, but the dilation that added soot to the already coal eyes advised the doctor not to. He just kept his eye on Roger until he seemed to calm down, if only for a second. A knock came at the door, but it opened before the exhausted Kay could reach it. The figure must have known the one in the bed, because it slid into the room with the least amount of light possible. "Hey! You can't be in here!"

"Please don't get yourself worked up Dr. Kay. I AM a member of this wild child's family. I have proof right here." Kay felt a document pushed into his palms carefully. After looking it over, he clarified it as a birth certificate, and the name did match one of the two that had been listed. Handing the paper back, Kay gave a relieved sigh and patted the shadow on the shoulder. "Thank you for coming miss. Your brother is doing a little better, so please do what you can to make him feel better. I'll leave you with that and come back to check up in a few hours."

Upon the shutting of the door, the more visible young woman sat in the spot Kay once took. Her lips pecked against Roger's cheek annoyingly with a shower of kisses until he ordered her to stop. "You think you're so funny!" He shouted, trying his hardest not to smile. "Aw! Why are you always so mean to me? I've done so much for you lately. I even brought this!" Roger forced his eyes to watch the fluttery fingers as they dove into a black leather purse and drew out his one true friend. "Josef…"

Unable to attain the beloved treasure on his own, Roger willingly complied with his sister's folding of his arms. She gently put one over the other and snuck the stuffed animal snuggly in between. After adjusting back in her seat, the young girl spoke again while stroking the sweaty strands of hair on Roger's head. "You're probably mad at me for coming out like this so soon, but I have so much to tell you! You'll listen to me, right?" She implored in a fast manner, guessing he would interrupt as he usually did. Instead, he took the effort to roll his head to face his sibling. "Tell me everything you know sister," he ordered devilishly.

Roger's sister grinned widely, happy to spill the information she'd gained since their last real meeting. "Beforehand, I want to let you know that father is well. He misses you and wishes you'd come home. He goes on and on about your health! Roger this, Roger that! He even…" Impatiently, Roger injected his lack of caring for the subject by sticking out his tongue. "Don't beat around the bush!" "Alright, alright!" The miss's tan hand flew to her raven hair and tossed it about in a smug manner as though she'd defeated her brother for a brief moment. "How are those two…?"

"They're at wit's end brother. I waited for Jack outside of his building as you told me to. He didn't see any of you in me and his trust was easy to get. You were right in suggesting the graves as a place to find Ralph, so I led your friend there. I planted a nice big one on Ralph and Jack took off. Of course, this wasn't new since I'd played around with Ralph like you told me to, though Jack got him in bed first." Roger groaned as his sister gave a small giggle, proving her immature age. "Shut up and tell me more!"

"Well, I pretended to believe that Ralph really hurt himself and that the hickey wasn't a hickey. Hee, he's so gullible! Then I took him into the park just like you asked until I saw you. After we talked, I had to…check my makeup and then I got caught in this whole mess…Once we were here, I acted upset and took off. I knew Ralph was distressed but when I ran into him in the hall later on, I knew he was looking for Jack. I don't know where they are now…so…that's all I can tell you."

The young lady's hair wisped around one shoulder when she looked down, ashamed at the lack of knowledge she could provide for her ailing brother. "It's perfect. It's perfect!" He cried, half mad with the notion of sitting up. Once his company helped him with said task, he looked her directly in the face and a never before seen smile came to his own. "Sister, you did everything I've asked. You put them right where I wanted them!" The stiffness in his arms wouldn't permit him to embrace her, but she caught on and threaded her arms around him. "I'm glad I made you feel a little better brother, right? Didn't I?" "Oh you certainly did."

Roger pulled back to examine his sibling at arms length and he twisted his mouth to one side. "You got rid of all your makeup. You look so much better when you look like me." The arrogant brother observed his younger sister squeal gaily. All she wanted was to please her brother. "Roger, what do we do now that Ralph's confused again? We're back to where we started basically…" She spoke the truth, and everyone involved in the sadist's malevolent plot seemed to have reverted to their original ways. Ralph, clueless and untrusting of anyone, and Jack, torn and naïve. "Yes, but we won't let this go as far as it did the first time. I can tell you that much RIGHT NOW!"

Roger's fingers drummed against the cheap fabric of his hospital bed and he quickly became overcome with thought. His sister felt that she was to blame for not doing her job, and she wanted to do anything to help her brother. Anything. "Roger, we need to isolate Jack and I know just how to do it." The purse that sat in her lap snapped open once again and the small hand reaching into it retracted with a small blade between its fingers. Drawing up the side of it to her face, the girl gleamed evilly with the face of her brother. "I can manipulate Jack into thinking we're going to harm Ralph. He's too weak minded to speak up, so he'll come back to your hide out. You'll be in bed a lot, and you can keep him from leaving. In the meantime, I'll be going back and forth between you two and Ralph."

"One problem," interrupted the second schemer, "Do you plan on revealing both of your identities to them? It could spoil everything." His sister pouted and gave him a little push. "Don't underestimate me. I learned what to do from you. I'll keep wearing the makeup and wig for Ralph. I'll come up with a stupid excuse for my actions today some other time. When I come for Jack, I'll be without my makeup and my regular voice. He's bright, but he won't know the difference. What could be better brother?!"

The girl loyally sitting to his right was the only person who was capable of shocking Roger. The child who had gone along with the plan even before Jack did was coming out of her shell. For Roger, she would pretend to be a bubbly girlfriend of someone she only knew as her brother's incarcerator. The same little girl would hold a knife to his enemies and do whatever he ordered her to. Yet, her only complaint came to be that she "wasn't doing enough" for him. All from this little girl…

"Sister, did I ever thank you for what you did so far…?" The dark haired smiler placed the weapon back into her purse and scooted a little closer onto the bed before nodding. "Of course big brother! That's why I'm helping you. I want you to be happy like…before…" Roger thanked his body for the strength to hold his sister for a bit as he whispered her name gratefully. "Angela…"

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Author's Note: Sorry the whole Angela thing was so obvious by the time she entered the room, but that's just the way I wanted to do it. I wonder if people hate her, cuz that would be kinda cool…She and Roger are quite a pair of siblings…There are going to be a few other of these chapters, and they will all have sub headings to pretty much show that is in the majority of the chapter. I've thought it over, and I've decided to put this story on hiatus. I've been rushing too frequently to update and it's hurting the story. It loses suspense as well, which I can't go without. I'm going to go to AnimeSpiral and attempt to restore some of my work on there to its former glory. Thank you for your support and I hope you'll wait for my return in either spring(if things go well) or summer(if things don't go so well or I decided to wait). All I can say is that I'm glad you all helped me get this far, and I hope I can get even further when I return. Love and Thanks!