Status: 10/14/2020 - Currently being revised and a sequel is in the future! Chapters 1-3 are almost completely revised. c:
It's Not All What It Seems...
Brothers
As I stood in the middle of the dilapidated elevator with paint on walls surrounding me chipping off, I could feel my body slowly stop shaking from the previous tremors of fear I was experiencing. My heart rate slowed down at the quiet hum of wires and machinery as they pulled me up to the main floor. The elevator doors dinged and I stepped out, my legs feeling as heavy as a pile of bricks. I walked farther into the hallway and received an earful of quarreling from my right. I looked over in confusion and saw Joseph arguing with Bert in the next room. The second they saw me they stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Bert asked as he came towards me.
“Why were you guys arguing?” I asked as I wiped my eyes as if nothing occurred.
“This asshole won’t let me hire anyone to help me fix this fucking hospital!” Bert shouted as he turned back to Joseph.
“I already told you, it’s not in the budget, you fucker!” Joseph roared as he got in Bert’s face.
“That’s a lie! All you do is lie!”
“Get your head out of your ass! Maybe if you knew how to run a business instead-“
“Whoa guys!” I screamed, pushing them away from each other. I glared at Joseph then Bert. “You guys are brothers; you shouldn’t fight the way that you do! Hug and make up.”
“It will take more than a hug to fix what he has done to me.” Bert said as he clenched his fist.
“It’s just over money problems which can be solved-“
“It’s not just money, Lindsey!” Bert bellowed “It’s more to it than that...”
“What are you doing?!” Joseph screamed as he went straight for Bert.
“Guys! Please!” I said as I shoved Joseph away from Bert. “You need to settle out your differences. This is ridiculous.”
Joseph looked at Bert furiously, fixed his tie than walked into his office. I turned to Bert and saw he was looking the other way blankly.
“Bert, do you need to talk?”
He turned at me and I hated to see those blue eyes look the way they did at that moment. He nodded. I held his hand, took him to my car and drove him to my home.
When we got to my home, Bert couldn’t stop looking at all the photos of my daughter in my living room. “What was her name?” I heard Bert shout from in the living room.
“…Astrid.”
“That’s different.”
“I know.” I smiled.
“Beautiful girl… Very beautiful.” He said as he picked up a picture of Astrid.
“She would’ve loved you.” I said as I served our dinner. “You’re very childish and funny, and she would’ve loved that.”
He put down the frame and walked to the table to sit. “I would’ve loved to meet her. I’m great with kids.” He said as he grinned.
“I bet you were.” I said as sat and smiled back at him. “So... Why were you arguing with Joseph?” I said as I started eating
“Oh uh… It’s nothing to worry your pretty little head over.”
“Bert.”
He sighed and put his fork down. I looked up at him in slight confusion and he looked back at me with the same exact blank stare that I saw before.
“Joseph has, um, changed. He’s not the same person that he used to be… He’s not the person I grew up with. The brother I was raised with… That is definitely NOT him.” Bert said as he shook his head, growing despondent with each word he said.
I looked into his eyes and saw the tears starting to swell up. It was clear to anyone that his brother was most definitely a tough subject for him. With confusion in my eyes, I watched as Bert stood up and wiped the fallen tears from his eyes.
“I’m sorry... I have to go, Lindsey”
“Bert, don’t leave.”
“I have to.”
“Bert, we can talk about something else. I’m sorry-“
“-Lindsey.“
“Bert, don’t go.”
“Don’t make me stay!” Bert cried out as he turned to me. “Let me go!”
I stayed sitting at the head of the table, completely speechless with my jaw agape as I struggled to think of something even remotely coherent. I got up from the chair slowly and I walked away in a way that left everything exactly the way that it was when Bert left. I couldn’t touch anything and I wasn’t exactly sure if I even wanted to. I walked to the bedroom with a loud sigh, wishing that the day would already be over.
“What’s wrong?” Bert asked as he came towards me.
“Why were you guys arguing?” I asked as I wiped my eyes as if nothing occurred.
“This asshole won’t let me hire anyone to help me fix this fucking hospital!” Bert shouted as he turned back to Joseph.
“I already told you, it’s not in the budget, you fucker!” Joseph roared as he got in Bert’s face.
“That’s a lie! All you do is lie!”
“Get your head out of your ass! Maybe if you knew how to run a business instead-“
“Whoa guys!” I screamed, pushing them away from each other. I glared at Joseph then Bert. “You guys are brothers; you shouldn’t fight the way that you do! Hug and make up.”
“It will take more than a hug to fix what he has done to me.” Bert said as he clenched his fist.
“It’s just over money problems which can be solved-“
“It’s not just money, Lindsey!” Bert bellowed “It’s more to it than that...”
“What are you doing?!” Joseph screamed as he went straight for Bert.
“Guys! Please!” I said as I shoved Joseph away from Bert. “You need to settle out your differences. This is ridiculous.”
Joseph looked at Bert furiously, fixed his tie than walked into his office. I turned to Bert and saw he was looking the other way blankly.
“Bert, do you need to talk?”
He turned at me and I hated to see those blue eyes look the way they did at that moment. He nodded. I held his hand, took him to my car and drove him to my home.
When we got to my home, Bert couldn’t stop looking at all the photos of my daughter in my living room. “What was her name?” I heard Bert shout from in the living room.
“…Astrid.”
“That’s different.”
“I know.” I smiled.
“Beautiful girl… Very beautiful.” He said as he picked up a picture of Astrid.
“She would’ve loved you.” I said as I served our dinner. “You’re very childish and funny, and she would’ve loved that.”
He put down the frame and walked to the table to sit. “I would’ve loved to meet her. I’m great with kids.” He said as he grinned.
“I bet you were.” I said as sat and smiled back at him. “So... Why were you arguing with Joseph?” I said as I started eating
“Oh uh… It’s nothing to worry your pretty little head over.”
“Bert.”
He sighed and put his fork down. I looked up at him in slight confusion and he looked back at me with the same exact blank stare that I saw before.
“Joseph has, um, changed. He’s not the same person that he used to be… He’s not the person I grew up with. The brother I was raised with… That is definitely NOT him.” Bert said as he shook his head, growing despondent with each word he said.
I looked into his eyes and saw the tears starting to swell up. It was clear to anyone that his brother was most definitely a tough subject for him. With confusion in my eyes, I watched as Bert stood up and wiped the fallen tears from his eyes.
“I’m sorry... I have to go, Lindsey”
“Bert, don’t leave.”
“I have to.”
“Bert, we can talk about something else. I’m sorry-“
“-Lindsey.“
“Bert, don’t go.”
“Don’t make me stay!” Bert cried out as he turned to me. “Let me go!”
I stayed sitting at the head of the table, completely speechless with my jaw agape as I struggled to think of something even remotely coherent. I got up from the chair slowly and I walked away in a way that left everything exactly the way that it was when Bert left. I couldn’t touch anything and I wasn’t exactly sure if I even wanted to. I walked to the bedroom with a loud sigh, wishing that the day would already be over.