The Judge

Chapter 1

He could hear everything around him. The hospital machines that controled his heartbeat, the nurses coming in and checking on him every two hours.

“You will wake up soon, Hank” one of the nurses said while she was checking the monitors.

He was there, but somehow, at the same time, he wasn’t. He heard noises, voices, however he couldn’t move.

“I told him not to go. He disobeyed me, he always does. He ruined his brother’s life” Hank heard a voice in his room that seemed to be in a conversation with someone else.

--He ruined his brother’s life—That sentence was stuck in his head, he thought about it so much it gave him a headache. He then quickly realized he was awake, feeling weird and sore in multiple parts of his body, his eyes were looking up to the ceiling, not caring to look around to see where he had woken up, he knew exactly where he was and why he was there.

“Hi. Hi, sweetie. You’re awake” said Hank’s mother as she slowly woke up from her sleep. She spent day and night by Hank’s side, not leaving him but to check on his other son. She, very carefully, caressed Hank’s hair, giving him a kiss on his forehead.

“How are you feeling? How’s your head?” She asked his son while touching his hand and still caressing his hair. “Sweetie..”

“Is Glenn alright?” asked Hank after being in total silence for what in seemed like a year to his mother.

“He’s.. he’s.. fine” she said, taking her hand to her eyes to avoid sheding tears.

Hank turned his head to where his mother was, sitting right beside him, holding his hand. She looked tired, like she hasn’t had enough sleep for days.

“Mom.. is Glenn alright?” he repeated his question.

Hank’s mom was staring intently to his eyes and she couldn’t help but to start sobbing. “ No. With the accident Glenn got his hand seriously injured. He got surgery yesterday, it when well, he’ll be able to move his hand but the doctors said he’s not going to have complete function on it like he used to. Glenn might not..”

Hank knew exactly what followed to what his mother was telling him, and in that moment his head turned again, looking back up at the ceiling. His mom kept talking to him, crying, telling all about what had happened to Glenn but Hank was lost in his thoughts, hearing her voice but like in low volume, his thoughts were louder than his mother’s words.

--He ruined his brother’s life—That sentence again, picking his brain. He knew who had said that when he heard it the first time, and he was right, his father was right, the judge was right..

“I ruined my brother’s life” said Hank outloud, still looking up.