In the Aftermath

Chapter Two

Chapter Two: In the Aftermath

~~zzz...Who lives in a pineapple under the sea...zzz~~

The TV blasted through the silence that enveloped the Blunt household. A mouth watering aroma of bacon being fried in the kitchen wafted through the air, accompanied by the sound of the sizzling of the frying pan. It was a normal day for Ethan. 

He lived in a medium size house that was too big for his family consisting only of him and his mother. The idea of living in a house that was bigger than necessary did not sit well with Ethan; the empty spaces in the house were like literal manifestations of the voids in his life. Voids mostly caused by his father.

Ethan looked at the clock and saw that it was an hour passed noon. Looks like his breakfast was actually going to be lunch. For a few minutes, he was silent as he ate his poorly cooked meal.

He wondered about the possibilites and the opportunities that the new day could bring. He could look for a  job, maybe find a way to get back to college. Though the boy hated the idea of school, he knew that he will never amount to anything without the education. 

Ethan was daydreaming when a small yellow paper caught his eye, pasted on the fridge.

It was a note from his mother, evident of the familiar scribbles that was a signature of her handwriting. It read: 

"Ethan,

Stop by my work later. Need to show you something. Later!"

He sighed. Guess his day was planned for him... again. The boy quickly washed the dishes, took a quick shower and headed out the door.

***

The parking lot rumbled with the sound of Ethan's motorcycle. Parking the bike did not take him long and a few moments later, he was inside one of the elevators heading up towards the ground floor.

Ding.

As the sliding doors opened, they revealed the familiar, bustling atmosphere of the hospital. Nurses in scrubs were everywhere, trying their best to make sure that every patient was attended to. The patients seemed to outnumber the nurses two to one as a mixture of dread, boredom, and indifference occupied each of their faces. 

In all, it was a fairly busy day for the hospital. Why would mom ask me to come now? Ethan wondered.

He looked around, searching for the familiar white coat that would usually contain his mother. It wasn't long until he found her short black hair and quickly made his way towards her.

"Hey, Ethan!" an older female nurse in pink scrubs, greeted the boy.

He smiled and replied with, "Afternoon, Mrs. Adams!"

A few steps later, he stood right by his mother and watched her deal with a patient. Her capable hands traveled to the places where doctors usually check to figure out if one was ill or injured. Ethan's mother moved with such skill and comfortablity, a gift given to her by her service with the military as a medic.

In fact, Ethan remembered her stories about how she and his father have met in the war. 

The helpless soldier fell in love with his appointed nurse. Classic romance.

As his mother finished with her patient, Ethan approached her. "Mom, I'm here," he said. "What's the matter?"

"Don't run away," she said, a statement that always made him want to run away. "I have a friend who is on his way and he said he could help you find a job."

The boy looked irritated. "I can find my own job, mom," he hissed. "I don't need your help."

Before Ethan could turn away, he was stopped by the hand of his mother holding on to his arm. "Please, you need to do this," she said. " Would you just stay for this last time? If this don't work out, I'll stay out of your way in the future. Just, please."

Fifteen minutes later, Ethan was seated inside his mother's office waiting for this "man" who would shine with brilliance and enlighten his life with a long-deserved sunlight. The office could be any other doctor's office. There seemed to be folders everywhere and the only thing that stood out to Ethan was the family picture his mother had on her desk. It showed the three of them smiling and happy.

But, that was when Ethan was still four. And that was the last time that ever happened.

His ipod was blasting through the headphones when the door suddenly burst open with a loud boom. In came three, black garbed figures, tall and intimidating. 

Surprised, Ethan nearly jumped as he took off his headphones and sat up.

"Who are you?" the boy said, nearly stuttering over the words.

The men had black tuxedos on, black sunglasses and a stern look on each of their faces. Their hair were all slick and glistening with product and they smell of the manly, invasive stench of some cologne Ethan was not familiar with. These men are here for something serious, Ethan thought.

He had met this kind of people before; his father being in the military. But, his father would always be there to deal with them. Why were they here?

"Mr. Blunt?" the man closest to Ethan asked. His voice was low and hard, which only made Ethan more apprehensive.

The boy nodded in response. Whether he liked it or not, he was the son of his father.

"It is imperative that you come with us," the man continued. "We are allowed to use force if you don't comply."

An awkward silence passed. Then, Ethan ran for his life.