text: Jeffrey Allen White My Brother's Keeper 
   
   
     
   
  My Brother’s Keeper 
   
   
  ￼ 
   
   
  by Jeffrey Allen White 
   
   
  Chapter 1 
   
  	Light.  Bright Light.  Shadows passing and then disappearing.  A hollow echo of muffled voices or assorted beeping, pulsating sounds.  It was very bright.  It was hurting his eyes.  Voices.  He heard voices.  Why did he feel so cold?  This was a strange dream he was having.  He wanted to wake up now, right now.  To sit up and open his eyes and let them focus.  His heart was beating so loud he could feel it in his head, in his brain. 
   
  	People were all around him. Someone was cutting his clothes off.  That bright light again.  More beeping.   
   
  	Mark opened his eyes.  He was in pain.  A lot of pain.  “Help Me,” he said but he could not speak.  He did not have a voice.  “Where am I?”  Mark squinted to see beyond the bright light. 
   
  	Mark thrashed about of the table.  The ER doctors were evaluating his status.  “He has a blood alcohol level of two point one,” a nurse said. 
   
  	“Boy was he trying to drown himself in liquor,” another offered.   
   
   
  	Mark tried frantically to get the attention of someone, anyone. 
   
  	“He’s awake, doctor.” the nurse saw his eyes open.  “He’s a lucky man.” 
   
  	“He may be but that other guy isn’t.” a police officer who had witnessed the accident was in the room now.  “This guy just killed a man and doesn’t even know it yet.” 
   
  	“What?  I killed a man?  What is happening?  Can anyone hear me?”  Mark passed out.  
   
   
  Chapter 2 
   
  	Mark had the strangest dream.  Actually, that is what you get for having that seventh drink.  He knew he overdone it this time.  However, after the first four, who cares? 
   
  	Mark rolled over onto his side.  His wrist was caught on something.  He pulled.  He was stuck on something.  He pulled again causing his wrist to hurt. 
   
  	Mark sat up and looked at his hand.  He was cuffed to a bed.  He was in the hospital.  How could this be?  He was just sleeping in his bed a minute ago. 
   
  	“This can’t be real.  This can’t be happening.”  Mark fell back onto his pillow.  He looked around the room.  He was in a hospital.  However, why was he handcuffed to the bed? 
   
  	“Good morning, Mr. Owens.  You’ve been asleep for seventeen hours.”  The nurse took his pulse. 
   
  	“Where am I?  What happened?” Mark was very confused and he had the worst handover. 
   
  	“You’re in the hospital, Mr. Owens.  You were involved in a motor vehicle accident.  Do you know what day it is?” she asked. 
   
  	“Of course.  It is… 
   
   
   
   
   Publication Date: January 16th 2011 https://www.bookrix.com/-stagemanjw