Freddy's face was buried in his palms as he sat quietly in contemplation. His entire body was covered in sweat.
"It was them again, wasn't it?" Kelvin's voice came from the side, jolting Freddy from his contemplation.
"Yeah, did I wake you again?" Freddy replied asking a question of his own.
"Nah, I was about to go take a leak" Kelvin replied to which Freddy glanced at the alarm clock on the desk at the corner.
"It's five o'clock already, d*mn morning came really quickly" Freddy muttered before laying back down.
Kelvin pulled his wheelchair closer to his bed and carefully lifted himself with his hands onto the wheelchair before wheeling himself towards the toilet.
After a while, the gurgling sound of the toilet being flushed sounded from the other side of the corridor, at the same time Kelvin wheeled himself back into the room.
"I'm gonna get me a little more shut-eye before daybreak" he said as he lifted himself back to bed and quickly fell asleep again.
Freddy gave no reply and just laid quietly on his bed. He raised his hand to trace the scar on his eye as his mind wandered back to the past.
"Doctor, How was it? How are my friend and her husband?" a younger looking anxious aunt Lucia rushed towards the doctor as soon as he exited the theatre.
The fluorescent light overhead seemed to hum, casting an unforgiving glare on the doctor's somber face.
Twelve years old Freddy sitting down on the waiting chair with a bandage over his left eye, and some parts of his body gazed on as the doctor shook his head sideways and aunt Lucia burst into tears.
"I'm sorry, but many vital organs were pierced. I'm afraid they didn't make it. My deepest condolences" the oral confirmation from the doctor finally shattered aunt Lucia's shaky composure.
"What about little kelvin? How is he?" She asked amidst choking sobs, trying hard to stay strong.
"The little kid is alive"
"Thank you Lord...."
"However, the piece of iron pierced his lower spine, severing his cauda equina leading to the boy's legs being paralyzed" before aunt Lucia could feel relieved, the doctor dropped another shell of bad news.
She covered her mouth in shock as she broke into another round of sobs, but the doctor just kept speaking.
"The gap between the severed nerves isn't much so they'll heal back eventually, however it may take years or possibly decades for that to happen"
"So you guys must prepare for the worst case scenario, he might possibly be condemned to a wheelchair for life. Once again, my deepest condolences" the doctor said and left.
Aunt Lucia's sobs echo in the hospital corridor as she sat down and hugged the soulless Freddy who sat beside her.
Aunt Lucia's sobs were like a physical blow, shaking Freddy's small frame as she clung to him.
"It's all my fault" Freddy's pale lips parted as he uttered in a low voice.
"Don't say that dear, it wasn't your fault okay. Bad things always happen and we can do anything about them" she gently comforted him admist sobs.
"Now more than ever we need to be strong, for us and for little Kelvin alright?" However Freddy didn't reply and just sat m spiritlessly in her embrace.
"Why am I the one with the least injuries?" He questioned himself again and again in his head.
Beep beep! Beep beep!!
The sudden blaring sound of the alarm clock jolted Freddy from his reverie.
He glanced at the clock and saw 5:30am boldly displayed on it.
"Turn it off pleeasse" Kelvin grumbled sleepily.
Freddy got up with a grin, took the still ringing alarm clock and placed it beside Kelvin's ear.
"Seriously man" Kelvin grumbled and angrily hit the snooze button.
"Get up your lazy bum, it's morning already" Freddy laughed as he started changing his clothes.
He put on jogging outfits and shoes, connected a wired ear-piece which he placed on his ears to his phone and headed towards the door.
"I'm going jogging, I'll be back soon" he said.
"Yeah yeah, just go already" was the only reply he got as he left.
After leaving the house, Freddy jogged through different routes and streets, only returning to the house after the sun was up at 8:19am.
As he had expected, Kelvin was still asleep. Ignoring him, Freddy quickly took a shower and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
It was only halfway in making breakfast that Kelvin sleepily wheeled himself into the kitchen.
"What's for breakfast?" He stretched and yawned.
"I'm making spaghetti and meatballs. Now go brush your teeth and freshen up, we are going to the hospital after breakfast" Freddy said without looking.
"Yeeaah" Kelvin replied sarcastically and left.
By the time he was done with cooking, Kelvin had already freshened up, put on some new clothes and was watching TV in the living room.
Freddy also changed into a black jean pants, a white t-shirts and a white sneakers canvas. After changing, he served the food in the living room where both brothers chatted as they ate.
The TV was currently displaying the interview with the beta testers of Beacon online, one from each of the eight available classes in the game.
"The Gladiator class really sucks, no starting weapon, no class skills, there's literally nothing attached to this class. I wonder why Drenstar Corp added this particular class to the game" the beta testers for the gladiator class spoke during his own interview.
"Thank you player Jungle Justice for the honest review, this will stop many players from choosing a class they are unable to play" the beautiful interviewer responded with a smile.
Beacon online is made up of eight diverse known classes; Swordsman, Guardian, Berserker, Archer, Assassins, Mage, Cleric, and Gladiator classes. And other hidden classes, each unique in their own way.
"For even someone like double J to complain about the Gladiator class, how difficult must it be? And Drenstar Corp even called it a special class" Kelvin said with a mouthful of food.
"That he can't play it doesn't mean others can't, for Drenstar to add the class means there is something in it" Freddy replied at the same time placing his empty plate on the table.
"Right what class are you gonna play" he asked.
"I'll stick with the archer class, what about you big bro, what class are you gonna play?" Kelvin replied, asking a question of his own.
"I told you already, I don't have the strength to spare for the gam. Come on, eat quickly let's go, it's almost ten" he said as he took his empty plate into the kitchen.
"Then I'm not going to play either" Kelvin replied as well before hurriedly eating up his food.
Freddy only gave a wry smile as he heard Kelvin's reply.
Kelvin ate the rest of his meal quickly and returned the plate to the kitchen, after that Freddy grabbed a black leather jacket, locked the door and both brothers left for the hospital.