Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is Optional

She watched the white coated doctors rush around the floor, feeling numb not ready to accept what had happened earlier that afternoon. Her brother was supposed to come home to her today. He was supposed to live happily ever after or at least live now that he had served his four years, but someone else crushed that hope. They will argue that they didn't mean to do it, it wasn't there choice but it was. They chose to drink before they drove; they chose to endanger their lives as well as others.

She had argued with him over his choices as well. He didn't have to serve in the army right then but he chose to. She cried over what he was about to do, threw tantrums and screamed empty threats at his retreating back but he still left, and look at where it got him, no where that he's going to benefit from. It got him a room in the ICU while he sits oblivious to the world protecting himself whilst he's in a coma.

'Alexis,' her mother said trying to get her attention.

She shifted on the hard, orange plastic chair before looking up into her mother's deep, brown eyes. She felt sick; the hospital was abnormally clean and smelt like sanitizer. Every so often patients were pushed by on gurneys, burn victims, wounded bodies, and all in all people who were suffering and depended on the people here, at the hospital to help them.

'He's being transferred,' her mother spoke tenderly.

'Where is he being moved to?' Alexis asked breaking their eye contact as she studied the cracked linoleum.

'New Jersey,' was what she answered.

The toned brunette arms ached, but they were almost done. Only a few more trips to the huge, Jay's moving truck and they would finally have all of their material possessions in their new house.

Alexis's eyes scrutinized the new house as she walked up the cracked, concrete path to the front door. It was smaller then their old house and the paint peeled from the wooden trim around the windows and the front door. It was a single story house but the basement was finished.

She walked through the front door but after only a few steps she ran into her petit mother who was rounding a corner. The box fell to the floor with a thud landing upside down.

'Oh I hope there was nothing breakable in that box,' the small woman exclaimed worriedly.

Alexis squatted as she tilted the box bringing it upright. As she did so the box came open and a pair of skates fell to the floor. Alexis picked them up and threw them back into the box on top of another pair of skates. She took the box into the living room and set it on the floor beside a stack of brown boxes.

Alexis strode once more through the open door towards the almost empty truck, the sun blinding her momentarily. She hurried into the back of the truck and retrieved what seemed to be the last box and scurried back to the house, happy to be finished.

The whole day was spent rearranging furniture and unpacking boxes all around the house. Alexis started with her room, and her mother started on the kitchen, occasionally being called by one another for help.

Surprisingly by the end of the day she wasn't wiped out like her mother, but this was just like a normal workout, well almost. Alexis ran upstairs rummaged through her drawers for some clothes. She ended up with a denim skirt and a striped, white and black tank top. Alexis hurried into the bathroom and took a quick shower. When she got out it was almost nine o'clock. Alexis still wanted to explore the area; after all they were going to be living a few blocks from the center of the city.

'Mom, I'm going out,' Alexis called to her mother who was just finishing in her bedroom.

'Okay, don't get lost,' her mother called back as she headed to where Alexis was standing.

'Can I have a key?' Alexis questioned.

'If I can find it,' her mother responded.

Alexis was lucky to have her mothers trust, therefore she could go out and come in when she pleased. Her mother didn't push her to tell her what she did when she went out, but she was often warning her about precautions she should be taking.

Alexis's mother came back into the room and handed her a key. 'If your drinking remember not to pick up a drink you've left unattended,' she warned.

'I know mom,' Alexis said as politely as she could as she hurried from the house.

She strolled down the road slowly, not in a rush to be anywhere, just thinking and wishing. She wished that her brother could get better, but the doctors had told them that once he was stabilized he may not make a full recovery. There were even chances that when or if he awoke from his coma that he may not even remember his family.

Alexis glanced up to find herself surrounded by shops that either had dark windows or no customers. Then she noticed a different building. It looked like a warehouse, except for the huge sign that took over the front of the building. It was a club, 'The Exchange.'

She walked inside to find it was really popular. There were sweaty bodies everywhere, dancing to the beats of the deafening music. The floor vibrated slightly as Alexis pushed her way through the mass of people heading towards the bar, and attracting quite a few looks from quite a few men. Alexis smirked as she kept walking.

Once she made it to the bar she leaned over it casually as the bar tender neared. She gave him a smile that would bring many boys to their knees. As he stopped on the other side of the counter she leaned forward even further.

'What can I get for you?' he asked returning her smile.

'Shot of vodka,' she replied easily as she had done this before. Act like you belong. He didn't even ask her for identification.

He set the glass down in front of her and she downed it, relishing the feeling as it ran down her throat. She motioned for another as a hand brushed across her back and she felt a presence beside her. Alexis watched him order a beer from the corner of her eyes and as he waited she rested her chin on her hand. The movement caught his attention but Alexis didn't glance over just yet.

The blond bar tender returned with the shot and beer, set them on the counter and then turned away to take a younger girl's order, asking her for ID after she ordered a beer. Alexis downed this shot as well and finally turned to face the attractive boy. He smirked at her and he took a swig of beer.

'Let's dance,' she said as she winked at him and started towards the dance floor.

He set his beer on the bar and placed his hands on her waist as he followed her into the throng of people dancing right onto the center of the dance floor. It was much warmer in the midst of all the other young adults, but that didn't stop her. They started dancing, getting closer and closer as the night progressed, but when this song ended Alexis stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his and he didn't resist.