Okay, I am so, so so, so SO (a million so's) SORRY! My mom finally got the chapters off her broken laptop's hardrive, but my holidays were totally CRAZY and with schoolwork and other things and life... Heh heh. Yeah. Anyways, she loves ALL you guys. Today she was afraid to write and I told her how many of you there were, how you were all on the edge of your seats... Please keep reviewing! My mom's inspiration is you guys, especially in the dead of winter, when it gets cold and depressing out. Love you all! XOXOXO 3
"Sam, what's the ETA on hospital security?" Dad shouts into his Bluetooth as he cuts across three lanes of traffic. Horns blare.
"Hospital security is tied up with a violent meth addict in ER," Sam says. "Bayport PD is on the way."
I listen to the bug in Joe's room.
"Who's there?" Joe asks.
Silence.
"I can hear you breathing," Joe says.
"You're not calling anybody," Edward says. "Give me that call button."
"Edward?" Joe asks.
"Wow, one guess," Edward says. "Not bad for the dumbest Hardy or as I call you, Joe Hardly."
"I'll kill him," Dad says, as he runs a red light.
"What do you want?" Joe asks.
"Your dad fired me," Edward says.
"What?" Joe asks.
"You should be dead. Didn't call in when I saw you in Frank's car at the graveyard," Edward says. "Figured the bomb would go off, you'd die and I'd take your place."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Joe says.
"You told your dad to fire me," Edward says.
I told Dad to get rid of Edward. Not Joe. Guilt hits me hard.
"No, I didn't," Joe says.
SLAP.
"Hope that doesn't hurt your eyes," Edward says. "Cuz here's the cold, hard truth – you're a body – nothing more. You don't have Frank's brains!"
SLAP
Dad pulls up to the hospital's main entrance. I jump out of the car. I run into the elevator and hit the key for floor 14.
"You don't have your dad's experience!" Edward says.
SLAP
"You're a body! And without your eyes, you're not even that!" Edward says. "I'm taking off these bandages and you're gonna open your eyes! Can you see?"
SLAP
"Can you see?" Edward shouts. "You want me to kill Frank when I'm done with you?"
"No," Joe whispers. "I can't see."
"So you're stupid and blind," Edward says.
SLAP
The elevator doors open. I run down the hall.
"You'll get Frank killed!" Edward shouts. "Just like Iola!"
SLAP
I run into Joe's hospital room. Edward stands over Joe. I grab Edward and pull him away from Joe. Edward crashes headfirst into the wall.
"Frank?" Joe whispers.
"Right here," I say and step between Joe and Edward.
Dad runs into the room, followed by four Bayport police officers.
"I gave you a chance," Dad says, as the police grab Edward.
"You took it away," Edward says.
"No, you did that," Dad says. "I'll make sure they read him his rights and give a statement to the police."
He leaves with the police and Edward.
"Hey," I whisper and kneel by Joe's bedside.
My brother has a bloody nose, cut lip and a bruised face. I could kill Edward.
Joe jerks away when a nurse tries to clean up his face.
"Easy," I say and rub Joe's back. "I'm going to fix you up."
The nurse watches me clean up Joe's cuts.
"Black," Joe says. "Everything's dark."
"What's going on?" a doctor asks. "His bandages weren't supposed to be removed until tomorrow."
I explain.
"How are you feeling?" the nurse asks.
"Tired," Joe says. "Wanna be alone."
"You sure?" she asks.
"Yeah," Joe says. "Wanna sleep."
"You can sleep while I'm here," I say.
"Don't want you watching me," Joe says.
Something feels wrong. Joe hates the dark. Being blind is his worst nightmare. Why is he kicking me out?
"You have to leave," the nurse says.
"He doesn't mean it," I say. "Joe, tell her…"
Joe looks away.
"Got a problem?" a beefy security guard asks.
"This gentleman was just leaving," the nurse says.
"We'll escort him out," a shorter security guard says.
I have no choice. My panic grows as I get farther away from Joe.
Ten minutes later, I've snuck back into the hospital via a truck loading dock.
I walk into Joe's room. His bed is empty. A one word note lies on his bed in his messy handwriting.
Sorry.
A cold breeze ruffles my hair. The window is open. Joe jumped to his death. My brother is dead. I killed him.