We Come Alive

Request Letters

Later that Saturday afternoon, Ethan and his sister Ariana were inside the physical therapy building. Ethan was laying on a medical table while his sister was sitting in a chair next to him talking to him.

The physical therapist was working out Ethan's leg since he wanted a head start on getting back on the field. He was holding his sister's hand since he was in pain from the man moving his leg around.

"Where'd mom go?" Ariana asked.

"To get a lawyer." Ethan breathed out. "Ryan's family is suing me for his death. Saying I'm responsible."

Ariana frowned. "He shot you. He had a gun, how is it your fault?!" She asked getting worked up.

Ethan put his hand on the top of her head to settle her down. "It's fine, ari. It's no big deal. They have a right to sue me, I'm just not going to feed into it. We'll go to court, work this out, and come home."

Ariana nodded. "What's gonna happen if you lose?"

Ethan sighed as he looked over to his sister. He shrugged before looking back up at the ceiling. "Worst case scenario I get arrested and I go to jail for life."

"What?!" Ariana gasped.

Ethan chuckled as he shook his head. "I'm joking. Nothing's gonna happen."

The physical therapist chuckled as he let Ethan's leg down on the table and helped him sit up.

Ariana just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at her brother.

~**~

Meanwhile across town, in the Garcia household, 20 year old Sophia walked into the house and dropped her purse down on the table. She walked straight to the fridge and grabbed the gallon of water. She walked over to the cabinets and grabbed a glass cup.

Sophia could hear the clicking of her heels against the tile floor echoing through out the silent house. She was about to sip from her cup when she heard a coughing and choking sound.

"¿Quién está allí? Who's there?" Sophia called out.

All Sophia heard was choking and coughing. She dropped her cup and ran out of the kitchen as she listened to the glass shatter on the floor. Sophia ran as fast as she could throughout the one story home.

"Mama? Papa? Jose? Lillian?" Sophia screamed out looking for who was making these sounds.

Sophia finally ran into the spare room where she found her younger brother laying on the floor face down shaking and sobbing.

Sophia kicked off her heels as she pulled her long dress up so she could get on the floor with him. She pulled Jose into her arms and pulled him over so he was face up.

"Come on, breathe." Sophia instructed. "Deep, slow breaths."

Jose tried but all it did was make the coughing sounds louder. Sophia saw he was trying to fight off the attack, so she let him. She held his shoulders in her arms as he breathed and caught his breath.

Sophia just helped him sit up and he turned so his back was to her. She laid her head on the top of his back and listened to his body begin to breathe easier and his heart beat slow down and go back to normal.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Sophia whispered. "What'd you see?"

Jose reached underneath the ottoman that was in the middle of the spare room for decoration and for storage. He handed her an envelope with papers inside.

Sophia took it and scanned the first page. "It's a requirement to go to the court for Ethan?"

Jose nodded. "I have to take the stand." He answered. "I have to go against him. I have to tell them what use to happen between him and Ryan. I have to try and get my best friend in trouble."