Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2012 17:25:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Richard Garcia Subject: Darkness Dwindles chapter 1 NOTICE: This story contains adult situations and graphic sexual scenes of natural, unnatural and supernatural variations. If it is illegal for you to be reading this, you should stop immediately. My ass is now covered. DARKNESS DWINDLES Chapter One The cell phone woke him up. He groped. After three fumbling rings, he managed answer before it rolled to voicemail. "Yeah?" he croaked. "Hello, this is Sandra Wilson calling from the Baxter County Hospital Emergency Room. May I speak with Mr. Joseph Miltzer?" It was a woman's voice, brisk and professional. "Umm...yeah." "Is this Mr. Miltzer?" "Yeah." "We have your brother Daniel here. He gave your name as the person he wanted us to contact. We'll need you to come pick him up." Joey sat up. He swept the hair back from his face to look at the clock on the bed stand. It blinked 3:37. "Mr. Miltzer?" "Is Daniel alright?" "He'll be fine. Can you come get him?" "Umm...it may take a while." "Yes, it's a bit of a drive from the city. Don't worry; your brother's resting. He knows it will be a couple of hours before you get here." "I have to take a shower before I leave." "No problem. Do you need directions, Mr. Miltzer?" "Oh. Yeah." "I'll wait while you get a piece of paper and something to write with, okay?" "Okay." Joey crawled out of bed and made his way over to his desk. On the back of a sheet of music he copied the directions the woman gave him. "My name again is Sandy. Ask for me when you get here." "Okay." Joey hung up. He slid the hair from his face and stared at the clock. Three forty-one. Blink, blink, blink...three forty-two...blink, blink, blink, blink...three forty-three. He stood and stretched. Slipping a hand into his sweats bottoms, he checked his underpants. They were crusted and sticky with multiple emissions. A heavy night. He headed to the bathroom to shower. Night was paling to sunrise as he pulled into the parking lot of the Baxter County Hospital. The lot was almost empty. He didn't see Daniel's van. The sliding doors of the ER opened to a brightly lit waiting room and a young receptionist reading a paperback behind a white counter. "Yes, miss?" The man gave him a quizzical smile. "Is Sandy here?" "Oh - sorry, sir." A flush crept across the man's tanned cheeks. "I didn't mean to...you're looking for Sandy? Who are you?" "Joey." "Right. Mr. Miltzer's brother. I'll go get her." The man scrambled to his feet and pushed through the double swinging doors beside the counter. Half a minute later he was back with a middle-aged woman in blue scrubs. On her shirt was a nametag that read SANDRA WILSON, PA. "Joey," she held out her hand, "I'm Sandy." Her grip was firm. Behind wire-rim glasses her eyes flicked over him in quick assessment. "Um, hello." "Come on. I'll take you back to your brother." Joey followed the woman through the swinging doors. Beyond was a room with four alcoves, each holding a hospital bed. Three of the beds were empty. Sitting upright in the fourth was Joey's brother. Daniel was talking with two people in hospital scrubs and an older man in a sheriff's uniform. One of the medics, a younger woman, was regarding him with a familiar bright-eyed look. Even at six in the morning in a hospital ER, Daniel had an entourage. "Joey!" Daniel looked up and flashed him one of his movie star smiles. "You made it! Guys, this is my baby brother." The entourage turned to regard him and, as always, Joey mumbled a hello without looking directly at any of them. "Actually, we're half-brothers," Daniel clarified, intercepting the question that inevitably came. "Same dad, different mom." Joey drifted to a stop at the foot of the hospital bed. He stared at his brother. Daniel was wearing a hospital gown. His left arm was wrapped up to his shoulder in thick bandages. His right arm was crisscrossed with long lacerations, several of which were sutured and painted with antiseptic orange gunk. A bruise was starting to come in on his left cheek. "Daniel, what happened?" Daniel shot a look at Sandy. "What did you tell him?" "Nothing. He didn't ask." Daniel nodded. His gunmetal blue eyes turned back and locked with Joey's. "First of all, I know I look like hell, but I'm okay. Got that?" Joey nodded. "Good. So, in the middle of the night an animal came into my camp. It was making a racket and, stupid me, I got out of the van to scare it off. It attacked me, and I had to fight it off with my hatchet. Then I called 911. "Sheriff Wentworth's men are going to track it down as soon as the sun's up. We were just trying to figure out what the hell it was. Dr. Terrell here says that the bite and claw marks look like a black bear's, but I'm damn sure it wasn't a bear. It moved like a big dog, or a wolf. Something canine." "Prints weren't bear," the sheriff shook his head slowly. "Looked kinda like a wolf's, but too many toes." "So there you have it, Joey," Daniel gave him a crooked grin. "I was attacked by a bear-wolf. Got many of those running around in these parts, Sheriff?" "No," the sheriff answered, "and by tomorrow there'll be one less. I'm glad to see you're doing okay, Mr. Miltzer. Thank you for your help." He nodded toward Joey. "Nice to meet you, son." Half way to the swinging doors the sheriff paused and turned back. "By the way, Mr. Miltzer, we have your van at the station. Come by sometime in the next few days to pick it up and we'll have you review and sign the report then. All right?" "Sure. Thank you, Sheriff. Will you call me when you catch it?" "You mean when we kill it? You bet." It took another hour for the hospital to discharge Daniel. Before they left, Sandy pulled Joey aside. "I'm giving you copies of all the instructions we've given your brother," she said. "Be sure that he takes the medications as directed. Call the wound care specialist to set up a follow-up appointment as soon as you get home." She regarded Joey through her wire-rim glasses. "I know he's your big brother and seems to be quite capable, but he has just survived a traumatic event. I want you to keep an eye on him, okay?" "Okay." "In addition to the wound care referral, I've also written down the name of a psychological trauma specialist. If your brother starts behaving strangely, or has trouble sleeping, call him. Okay?" "Okay. Thanks." "You're welcome. Drive safe." "Um, yeah." The trip home was uneventful. Daniel almost always insisted on driving, even when they were in Joey's Civic. For once, though, he was content to doze in the passenger seat while Joey drove. Getting into the house and up the stairs was more challenging. By then the painkillers were starting to wear off and Daniel needed a lot of help. At six foot one and 185, Joey's older brother was six inches taller and outweighed him by 60 pounds. Same dad, different moms. Finally Joey got him settled onto his bed. Sandy had said that Daniel could have another painkiller when he got home, so Joey gave it to him. Then he went to call the wound care doctor. When he got back Daniel was asleep. Joey pulled a chair up and sat down next to him. The midmorning sun traced white pinstripes through the bedroom mini-blinds across Daniel's cheekbones. The bruise was shaping up to be pretty imposing. Other than that, though, Daniel's face could have been on a recruitment poster for the Marines. Even his wheat-blond hair, which he had recently taken to wearing short, looked almost military. The two-day beard, though, was definitely nonregulation. Joey reached out to place his fingers lightly on Daniel's forehead, checking for fever. Sandy had said he should monitor that. Against his brother's golden brow his own hand looked dusky and frail. His bones were delicate, nothing like Daniel's robust frame. The temperature felt normal. Joey removed his hand and settled back into his chair. Daniel was sleeping peacefully. It was hours and hours away from dusk and whatever the night would bring with it. Joey picked up his clarinet. He could practice while his brother slept. ************* Hi folks! No formal introductions yet, but I do want to say how cool it is to be debuting the first chapter of my first ever Nifty story. Since you showed me yours I figured it was time for me to show you mine! Hope that what you've read so far has piqued your interest. I'll be posting a new chapter every few days. I love feedback, so don't be shy. InvertedBeast@yahoo.com