10th
NPR 3 min Fiction entry
Daniel’s eyes widened with surprise as I walked in through the doorway of the hospital room.
“Well look who’s decided to visit his little bro..! Come here man, give me a hug..!”
He leaned over from his hospital bed and threw his arms around my body. I was surprised by the strength of his squeeze. His back was wider. His arms seemed massive. He was no longer a boy.
“I thought you weren’t able to come until next week..? Mom said you were backed up with the move?”
“Yeah, well, I was able to get away earlier, besides, I need to be here..”
He gave me a glance of approval, but then a serious expression overtook his face.
“Have you seen dad yet..?
“Yea, this morning when I got in. He’s doing better..”
Speaking softly while glancing over to the red and white metallic wheelchair parked in a distant corner of the room.
“Man, he really scared us this time. I really thought we were going to lose him..!”
“I know..” I said as I softly padded his fore arm with my hand..”
“How about you, How are you feeling man..”?
The question seemed to insight uneasiness, he responded slightly annoyed..”
I’m fine! They thought there might be a blood clot in my leg, but its no big deal, really…”
“I know it’s a pain, but you have to be cautious..”
I could see he was still perturbed with my statement, but regardless, gave a gesture of agreement.”
When I first learned that a roadside bomb had hit his unit, I feared the worst. At that point I had stopped listening to the news altogether. Suddenly, reports of casualties from Afghanistan were transformed from a fleeting momentary concern to a lingering horrific reality. I could see my brother’s face in every number that was reported. Every day was a testament to the fact that I may never see his face again.
He looks at me with a sly expression:
“Are you really making the move permanent.? Leaving your cozy New York apartment and moving back to Cincinnati Ohio..!?
I replied with a smile.
“Yep, that’s right. Moving back to Cincy..”
“Ya sure you want to do that..”
I could tell he was teasing, but there was a genuine gesture of concern in his question.
“Look Danny, Mom and Dad have done so much for us, I can’t selfishly turn my back on them now. I see the sacrifices they made, and I see the sacrifice you made. Its my turn, its time to move back to Cincy.”
He diffused the momentary tension by exclaiming in a playful tone of voice:
“Well, I’m happy you’re back bro! Really happy you’re back home. It’s going to be a blast. Just like ol times!
I held back a momentary surge of tears, a sudden push upon my chest, a dam on the verge of collapsing.
He continued speaking in his enthusiastic tone:
“I’ve been hangin with the boys. They can’t wait to see you, man! We’ve been hitting the park in the afternoons. I’ve been working on my 3 pointer, gonna get it all back.
I forced a slight smile as he continued to speak:
“I got this new chair, this Ergonomic thing, super light weight, U guys gonna have to start calling me BIG WHEELS, cause I’m gonna truck y’all down.!”
He roared in sudden laughter.
I turned around and looked out the window. My vision had become blurred. I started to cry. I forced out a reply with what little breath I had left:
“That’s right Danny, Just like ol times…”
