Playing Poker [BEING REWRITTEN]

23| Radio

Third Person

"The surgery was successful." The surgeon's words rang out in the hospital waiting room. The hour and nineteen minute wait felt like hours of anticipation. The surgeon gave a small smile but it was obvious to everyone in the waiting room, there was a big 'but' coming.

"But," There it was. "She's still not awake." All of the smiles in the room immediately vanished as they heard the second part of the news. It has been two days since she was first shot and she has still been unconscious because of the initial amount of blood loss. If it wasn't for Blake and his idea to wrap her jacket around her waist, Rayland wouldn't be alive.

Even with this knowledge stuck on the back of his brain, he still blames himself. Why? He couldn't even tell you, he just always wanted to be there for her and he was there, just a little too late.

"Blake, you can't blame yourself for this." Micheal said to his younger brother, Blake sat in the chair with his mouth slightly agape. He never shared his concerns with anyone, especially his eldest brother about how he blames himself that his stepsister was in that hospital bed.

"What?" Was all he could respond with. Micheal smiled a bit.

"I know you better than you know yourself." He admitted, Blake couldn't even deny it.

When they were younger, they were the closest out of all of their siblings because of how similar they used to be. Ever since his mother's death and best friend's disappearance, he started to distance himself from everybody, including his big brother. And Micheal wasn't innocent either, he separated himself from everybody as well.

Even after all the years, Micheal always kept an eye on Blake. They didn't talk like they used to but Micheal could always read him like a book. After all, they were more similar than they thought. At least, they used to be.

He didn't respond, just looked at the front of the room waiting for the attention to shift from him and to his luck, it did. The surgeon who was still standing there cleared his throat and told them they could go back into the room. Everyone hurried into the hospital room except for Blake. Micheal noticed his absence and stayed behind as well.

"What's going on, bud?" He sat next to him, Blake scoffed.

"Bud? You haven't called me that since I was nine." Micheal had a guilty look on his face, realizing he messed up. He didn't have any words that would make what he did better.

"I don't think I've had a genuine conversation with you since I was nine." He was right, Micheal had a talk right before Francesca died. "Honestly, I don't think I've had a genuine conversation since I was nine." After he stopped talking for a couple of years, it was true.

"I want to change that, Blake. Just give me a chance." Micheal pleaded, Blake crossed his arms and rolled his eyes in response.

"Why wait six years? You feel guilty now?" He snapped.

"Yes, yes I do feel guilty now. You were my little brother and- and I let you down." Blake directed his attention to his brother after hearing the emotion in his voice. "But I am willing to make it up to you, just please let me."

"Rayland was my best friend." He blurted out, his brother wasn't surprised at the confession but surprised he confessed it in the first place. Micheal was going to comfort him but Blake continued.

"Ever since preschool, she was a pain in the ass but she was my pain in the ass... Okay that sounded weird but she meant everything to me and then- and then she left." He tried to hold in a sob but the tears started flowing.