She looked up at me with tears still streaming down her face. "I, I'm not sure." Then there was silence. She carried on "He was out with his friends; there was only two of them left. He only left her for a second. Just one. Then they came. I don't know why but they started beating her up. She was on the floor. He came back, he couldn't just stand there, he, he had to help. You know what he's like with fighting and they were a large group. And then this... that's all that I've been told. The police said that they caught it on camera. There were no witnesses and the camera wasn't very clear so no one knows who they were... except his friend." I looked at my brother. He was no good at fighting, it must have been bad. "Where is his friend?" she started crying harder. She didn't answer. Could we not find out from his friend who they were? "She is in a similar state to this." Oh well that explains that one. My mum stood up. "Going to get food. Your dad should be here shortly." Ahh work always came first with him. She left, all I could do was look at him. I wonder can he hear me? I could try what is there to lose? "Dan, Dan. I don't know if you can hear me..." what was I doing? I felt like an idiot. "I love you." What, did is eye lids just flicker? Just then dad walked in. "You should go home. It's late and you have school in the morning." I looked at him in shock.
"You expect me to go to school after this..."
"Yes. And I expect you to not argue. There is enough for me and your mum to worry about, without you adding to it." Bastard he always thought of himself. What about what I'm feeling and what I need? Ok, so now I was being selfish. But did I not count? I started to walk off. "Katie." I turned round. "Yes."
"What's that on your arm?" I looked down and scrawled across my arm was a number written in black marker. I smiled. Ben. "Oh nothing."
I waited in my usual spot outside school for Lucy. "You look like shit." Great just what I needed to hear. Well a brother in hospital and a sleepless night can do that to you. I turned round and gave her a hug. She just laughed at me, and then tried to look all serious. "Where did you disappear off to yesterday? We all thought you'd been expelled." I looked at her shocked. Then spun round and held out my hands. "Well I'm here now aren't I?" I stuck out my tongue and she laughed again. Then her eyebrows were raised while she stared behind me. I looked at her confused, and then turned round to see what she was looking at. Ben was stood there looking at me with a smile on his face which made my heart flutter. I just looked at him. "hey." He just looked back. Then I heard lucky clear her throat. I turned round back to her. I'm gona go in I'll meet you in there."
"ok." Then she hugged me and whispered in my ear. "So that's where you where? You can tell me about it later." She stepped back and waved. I turned back round to Ben, "So this was you then?" I showed him my arm. There was still a number scrawled on it and it was red and smudged. I spent ages trying to get rid of it. He just laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that it's all I had to hand at the time." I just smiled at him. "So do I get to know your name then?" I just looked at him. Then I started to laugh. He didn't know my name yet? Oops.
"errm it's Katie."
"So Katie, what you got now." I just looked at him confused.
"Lesson wise." Shit I couldn't even remember what day it was.
"That depends"
"On what?"
"On what day it is." He just laughed at me. Well I'm glad someone finds it funny. I just looked at him unimpressed.
"You really have been out of it haven't you?"
"Yeah well you would be too." Erm maybe I shouldn't have said that. He looked at me concerned.
"Seen as you don't even know what you're meant to be doing; it wouldn't be so bad if you didn't go would it?"
"I guess not, no, why?"
"Come on then." He just grabbed my hand and dragged me off.
We ended up at the park lying on the grass. Just chatting about everything, and nothing. It wasn't important stuff that we talked about. I didn't mention my brother although it was all that was on my mind. I liked it, he didn't ask personal questions. I think he understood that I didn't want to talk about it. "You want some more?" I looked at him confused. He just laughed at me. "Come on you weren't that out of it." I smiled and took the weed from him. Why did anyone go to school when you could just do this all day, oh maybe it was because some people care how their life ends up. Well in my opinion those people are just missing out. Doing this didn't let me forget what had happened but it sure as hell helped me. I looked at my phone for the time, shit schools nearly finished. I picked up my bag and started to walk off. "Where you off to?" he just looked at me with some sort of sad look on his face. I just waved, "Must you always run off without an explanation?"
"Yes"
I arrived at the hospital after walking there, it helped clear my head. I walked into my brother's room. Dad was there, "aren't you supposed to be at school?"
"Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"I swapped to the night shift so I can be here for your mum and brother during the day." Ahhh to be the favourite. "So your excuse is?"
"Schools finished dad, it finishes at 3.30." I knew he didn't pay attention to me but you'd think he would know something like that. He just nodded.
"So, how is he today?"
"His condition deteriorated over night. If he carries on like this..." he started choking up "...they're not sure how long he will last." I was shocked, but mostly angry. I could feel the anger building up inside.
"Is that what the doctors said?"
"Not exactly but I can see it on their faces. I need to go pick up your Mum, I won't be long. Then we need to have a talk when I get back." Great, I don't even care what he wants.
I went to sit next to my brother, I was so angry at whoever had done this to him. Words could not describe what I felt. The nurse walked in chattering away to herself, "Poor lad, the police are always useless at this sort of stuff, no one gets what they deserve these days." She looked up and saw me sat there. "Sorry love, didn't see you sat there. Erm you should just ignore my ramblings." She gave a nervous laugh then finished checking the machines and monitors then left. She was right, police were no go at these things. "Dan, don't worry I will find out who did this to you. They'll wish they never met you."
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