Computerized

Chapter Two: A Second Encounter

Hannah gasped in horror, kneeling down beside my brother and looping an arm underneath his. Apparently she wash away if Matthews condition. I did the same on the other side, and despite his pain, we were able to make it out to my car. Matthew lay in back while Hannah rode beside me in the passenger seat.

The hospital was only a five minute drive from our house, but it seemed to drag on forever. The large modern building grew bigger and bigger as we neared. Pretty soon we pulled into the parking lot and helped Matthew out of the car. It was only a few feet to the entry, and we easily got through into the lobby.

A little boy who was sitting on a chair with gauze wrapped around a gash in his hand, probably waiting to be stitched, looked up at Matthew. His small features changed from fear for himself to horror as he stared at the bruises covering Matthew from head to toe.

A few minutes later Matthew was taken away into a room so they could do x-rays, while Hannah and I stayed in the waiting room, filling out a few sheets of paperwork. About an hour later, a doctor came out into the waiting room and gestured for us to approach him.

"Is Matthew okay?" I asked once I was only a foot away.

The doctor nodded. "Yes he will be fine. He has a broken hand and four fractured ribs, but besides that he's just pretty bruised up. We put him in a cast and wrapped his ribs, but that's all we can do. It will be pretty painful for a while, so I'll prescribe some painkillers."

"I need your help though. Matthew won't answer my questions, and I need to know how he got these injuries?"

The question took me by surprise, and not the good kind of surprise where your friends throw you an unexpected party. I looked up towards the ceiling at the blinding hall lights, and then back down to the ground, tears welling in my eyes. I quickly blinked them away. On top of that, a sharp pain shot through my head and down my neck. I cringed slightly but quickly gathered myself before the doctor or Hannah noticed.

I heard Hannah take in a shaky breath. "Our father did it," she admitted, her voice shockingly steady and firm.

The doctor swallowed hard and nodded, scribbling something down on his clipboard. He didn't say anything more, but he gave the both of us a sympathetic look before turning around and heading down the hall.

Hannah and I looked at each other, deciding to follow the doctor back to Matthew's room. We turned to the left, into a simple white hallway with tile floors. A few pictures were scattered along the walls, but other than that, the hallway seemed deserted, boring, and empty.

We turned once more, entering Matthew's room. The doctor stopped at the foot of my brothers bed. He was sleeping soundly, his light snores filling the silent space.

"We're going to keep him overnight, just to be safe, but he will be able to go in the morning," the doctor informed. "I put him in his own room because he seemed to be... traumatized," The doctor settled on the word, giving us a small smile.

"If you need me, my name is Dr. Calvin. Zach Calvin." He turned on his heel and rushed out of the room, most likely busy with other patients. I took a seat in a soft cushioned chair right beside Matt's bed.

"I'm going to grab a coffee. You want one?"

I looked up towards my sister and nodded. It was seven in the evening, but I doubted I'd sleep anyways. Coffee wouldn't have any effect on the matter. Hannah left, leaving me to sit in the quiet hospital room alone.

I was just about to fall asleep when heavy footsteps coming down the hall woke me up. I expected it to be Hannah but a boy passed by. I wouldn't have given him a second glance, but his familiar leather jacket caught my eye. He stopped just outside of our door and turned to look at me. It was the rude boy from the cafe, the one who'd left the note. He stared at me for a little while. It was almost like he was trying to send me some sort of message.

I got up out of my chair and rushed to the door, trying to catch the guy before he left but by the time I got into the hallway he had turned around the corner.

"What are you doing?" I heard Hannah's voice a few feet behind me.

"Um-I, I just thought I saw someone I knew," I lied, sending a sickening feeling through me. Hannah had enough on her plate with Matthew, dad, and her recent breakup. I didn't need to worry her with my problems. Thankfully, Hannah dropped it and handed me a steaming hot coffee.

"Cream and three sugars. Just how ya like it," Hannah said, smiling at me.

"Thanks."

The bed behind me rustled with noise. Hannah and I both turned to look at Matthew, who's eyes had opened a sliver.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Hannah asked. This was one of the first times Hannah had shown compassion or sympathy for my brother. It was so strange but honestly, I loved it. Their constant bickering had always annoyed me.

"Perfect. I'm doing just perfect." Matthew muttered groggily.

"Why didn't you talk to the doctor?" I had been wondering ever since Dr. Calvin had mentioned it.

Matthew looked at me, giving me a cold hard stare. He didn't say anything, instead he went silent. I looked over at Hannah who held the same worried expression I did.

"Matthew, it wasn't your fault. What happened was dads doing, and whatever comes his way he deserves to deal with." I wasn't really sure why my dad freaked out on Matthew, and that worried me. Was it partly Matthew's fault?

"No Rebecca, you don't get it. If I had just- I could have prevented it. I took the motorcycle out for a ride and forgot to pull it into the garage. I left it out in the driveway and someone stole it. He came home furious, and screaming so I got mad at him and then he attacked me. I tried to protect myself, but I couldn't hurt him. I couldn't hurt my father, especially one who saved me from a lifetime of neglect. They kept you and I together Rebecca, and I can never repay them for that. So, I just let him. I let him beat me. He wanted me to fight back and he kept getting angrier that I wouldn't. I just let him win." Matthew broke, tears running down his cheeks. He wiped them away quickly.

My brother isn't someone you'd usually want to mess with. He's 6'4 with a masculine build. His short cut dirty blond hair is always messily spiked upwards and his icy blue eyes could cut right through you when he's mad. So seeing my tough big brother break down, beaten and bruised, laying on a hospital bed really shook me. Hannah and I were silent. I gently wrapped my arms around Matthew, making sure to not hurt him.

Another wave of pain shot through my head and down the back of my neck. I grimaced, falling back into the chair I was sitting in before. This time though, the pain was followed by a strange tingling sensation at the back of the right side of my head and down to the base of my neck.

Then suddenly something bizarre happened. It was like my mind had been hijacked. I couldn't think of anything but the few things streaming through my mind over and over again.

Get Ty Stanton. Find Dr. Belford. Get Ty Stanton. Find Dr. Belford. Tell no one about your surgery.

Hey! It's me! The author.

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Up above is a picture of Rebecca. At least that's how I picture her, but feel free to see her as you like! (Yes I have changed it three times but this pictures Rebecca really well!)