Welcome to Gaia! ::

Dante's eyes were closed. All he could do was think about everything. His attention was drawn to the sound of a chair moving. He opened his eyes to catch a glimpse of Victoria walking over to the window. He picked up the glass of water and pill that was next to it. He figured he had to take it sooner or later, so why not now? He closed his eyes again as the pill slid down his throat. It was very chalky tasting and left what felt like a residue in the back of his throat. He got out of bed and walked over to the window. Machines started beeping and going off as he stood there. The window was rather large, so he stood a few feet away from Victoria. He could tell that she was mad, and he didn't blame her. He was a douche, a jerk, and everything else that he put in that card. It was a sincere card. It expressed how he felt, but Dante has always been like that. Change won't happen with him over night. A male nurse ran into the room to see what the emergency was.

"Mr. Reynolds you shouldn't be out of bed." the man said as he gently grabbed Dante's arm to lead him back.
"Who said I couldn't? And can't I?" Dante jerked his arm away from him.
"The doctor did. Plus you shouldn't walk around with an iv in your arm."
"I brought over the damn stand, so I'm fine. It's not like I'm seriously injured."
"You could be. You have internal bleeding." the man grabbed Dante's arm a little rougher this time.
Dante just looked at him. "Yeah from drinking. If I'm going to be here for a few days, don't expect me to just sit in bed."
"Well you have to stay in bed for now, Mr. ******** that. Now get your hand off of me."

The nurse pressed a button on his side. It started to flash. After a few minutes, a security guard came in.
"Oh look at this. Got the goon squad now." Dante angrily said.
"He's supposed to stay in bed. He's refusing too." the man told the guard.
He walked over to Dante. "Come on sir. Just listen to the guy."
Dante stared into the guard's eyes. He didn't seem like a jerk or a tough guy. He actually seemed nice. "I'm only going to comply because I'm too high on medication to fight back." Dante said as he jerked his arm from the nurse and went back to the bed.

The two men walked out of the room. Dante sat in bed with anger on his face. He didn't want to be in the hospital any longer. He wanted to be free. Wanted to go out and have fun like always. "Well at least I get a beautiful view from my bed I guess. It'll make things a lot easier." Dante said out loud. His words were kind of directed to Victoria and also himself. It was his way of trying to make small talk with Victoria. Something to ease the tension that he caused between her and him because of the whole flirting with the nurse thing. He looked over in Victoria's direction. "Hey Vicy...why did you take the whole nurse thing so personal?" His voice became weary and his words were a little slurred and drawn out. He started to feel weak and drowsy. He picked up the paper that used to be under the pill that he took.
Take when you start to feel pain. Will also help you sleep. -Dr. Griffin "That was a sedative that was on the table." Dante muffled under his breathe.

Dante's eyes kept closing and opening. He would drift off into blackness but then return. He hated this. Everything about hospitals made him sick. Made him angry and made him depressed. He felt as if he was tricked into taking the medication but he should've read the paper before he took the pill. He glanced over at Victoria and caught her answer. "I thought." Dante paused and looked around. Time felt as if it was slowing down. His reaction time began to be affected. "I thought you didn't feel that way Vicy? I thought you just saw me as a friend." He wasn't sure what he had just said. He wasn't even sure where he was going with it. The words just came out as he went to grab the water. He grabbed it, or so he thought, but his hand wasn't even on the cup. He went for it a second time, and finally was able to grab it after struggling. "What kind of medicine is this?" he faintly mumbled under his breathe. He looked back at Victoria. It felt as if it took him ages to finally get his head turned that way. He slid down the bed and curled into a semi ball. "My brother liked this feeling?" he said to himself as he watched things become weird.

He shifted around in the bed. He felt numb all over. If he had anything causing him pain he surely did not feel it at that moment. He wasn't tired at all. He just felt as if he was falling asleep but he knew what was going on. "But I can't fall asleep. I just...." he trailed off, as he blacked out for a minute. "I keep going somewhere but I know what's being said and done. What did they give me." he said unemotionally. "But do you feel that way because I've been nice?" he asked her as he stared at the ceiling. The dots started to swirl. He was scared. In his whole life, he's never felt like this, but he heard his brother talk about it. He always thought it would be cool to see things, but not anymore now that it came true. "A hero? What do you mean a hero? How could I be a hero?" he said as he tried to sit up. It didn't happen and he didn't feel right to make it happen.

Dante really felt the effects of the medication at this moment. "I nice and sweet? Ha...I'm far from it." Dante chuckled a bit. "Well at least I don't see it." He threw the covers of him. He saw it gentle fall to the bed, but that was far from what they did. He was in sort of a manic happy stage now. Like he became happy all of a sudden. He looked over at Victoria. "A hero huh? I used to be a hero." He got up and sat on the edge of his bed. A nurse at the desk outside looked at him through the open door. "Mr. Reynolds." the woman said in a tone like it was his warning. "I know." he replied back like a kid telling his mother after he was just lectured. He turned his head to look out the window. He looked out at the birds flying. So peaceful, so gentle, and so free...like he wanted to be. He kept looking out the window. "Why are you so far away." he said out loud. It was towards Vicy but also towards himself.

He could remember saying the same thing to his brother. He would stand across the street and shout out to him.
"Jake, why are you so far away?"
"So you can't follow me squirt." his brother told him.
"But I want to come with you."
"You can't you're too young. Plus some things aren't meant for little kids." his brother sheltered him from the truth.
"I'm not too young."
"Maybe when you're older kid. I gotta go. I'll spend some time with you later. Love ya squirt." his brother started to jog away.
Dante went into the house saddened. "Jake wouldn't let me go." he pouted to his mother. "He'll be back. Then you'll have all the time in the world." But that day never came. That night would be the night that his brother overdosed and die.

He came back to reality when he felt the tear slide down his face. He wiped it as a flock of geese flew by the window. "Why are you so far away." Dante silently mouthed the words.

The medicine was taking it's tow on Dante. It was doing it's job, but apparently it came with side effects....weird ones. One minute he's happy, the other minute he's saddened, but now he was in the middle. He titled his head down as he looked at Victoria. "Tell me Victoria." he stopped. He looked around the room. "Tell me what it's like to be free." he said gently to her. He stood up and walked out the room. He went to the nurse's desk and stood in front of her. The security guard from earlier got out of the chair outside of Dante's room and walked up behind him. Dante hadn't noticed the guard sitting outside his room. He didn't notice him standing behind him either. Dante looked at the nurse's name tag. "Jenny." Dante said as he placed his hands on the counter. "Does Dr. Jacobs still work her?" The nurse got a confused look on her face. She was dumbfounded. "Dr. Jacobs? I know of a Director Jacobs. He's the director of the hospital." the nurse nodded her head and the guard went and sat back down. "What's Mr. Jacob' 'first name?" Dante asked the woman. Still confused, she told him, "Charles, why?" Dante was silent. It was the man he was wondering about. "Can you see if Mr. Jacobs is available to talk? Tell him Jake Reynolds' brother is asking." The woman was still confused, but even more confused now, but she nodded her head. "I'll do my best Mr. Reynolds." Dante walked back into the room and sat down in the chair next to Victoria. He was silent.

The man walked over to the bed and sat down. He looked down at Dante. The man was tall even when he was sitting down. He had aged since the last time Dante saw him. He aged a lot. But then again Dante was 9. He scooted over to the edge of the bed and placed his hand on Dante's shoulder. The man could tell that it was Jake's brother. He remembered the last time he saw Jake and he looked exactly like Dante but more built and more aged.

"The nurse told me you wanted to speak to me? I didn't plan on talking to you this soon." the man told him.
"What do you mean this soon?" Dante told him.
"I planned on talking to you Dante, after I saw that you were admitted here. If you didn't know, I do know who's in my hospital. But now I don't have to make a surprise visit."
"See I saved you the hassle and worry of doing so." Dante said quietly.
The man chuckled a bit. "Sarcastic and arrogant, just like good ol' Jake huh? So how are you Dante? So what did you want to talk to me about?" the man said to him.
"Dr. Jacobs." Dante looked up at him. "what do you remember about my brother? he asked him in a soft voice.
Jacobs sighed. He could remember everything about Jake. He should since he was Jake's counselor for years and also the one who broke the news to their mother about what Jake was doing. "He was troubled. Why are we talking about this Dante?" he asked him.
"Because everyone says I'm ending up like him. What exactly am I ending up like?" Dante pleaded.
"No one has ever told you the full story? How your brother was?"
"Nope." Dante bluntly said.
Jacobs shifted in his place. He drew in a deep breathe and exhaled. "Well your brother was a good kid. Troubled but good. I remember when he was the star football player. When he was the best kid in school. Your mother was proud and loved him very much. But he began to hang around with those other jocks." he paused and looked at Dante. "Do you really want to hear this Dante?"
Dante shook his head yes. "It's fine. Don't worry."
"Ok. Your brother began hanging around his fellow teammates. They would all go out and party with friends and be too tired to play the next day. But they had their secret remedy. Cocaine. At first your brother protested this. Hated them, but he got curious. He told me all about what happened. He wanted to fit in. He wanted to be like a true jock. He wanted what came with the life. So he did it, and became addicted. His grades started to drop. He became a hassle for your mother. He lost his spot on the team. He became a junkie like on t.v. So he turned to coke and alcohol to cure this. Your mother and him constantly quarreled. He was never home because he wanted to get high and drunk, but to avoid conflict." he wiped his face with a rag.
Dante looked at him.
"Your brother got caught up Dante. I know you saw something was wrong. I know you saw that he wasn't the same. He tried so hard to hide it from you. He didn't want his younger brother, the one who looked up to him, to know that he was a failure. Eventually it got the best of him. His own friends let him die. He could've lived if they would've got help, but they didn't want to be blamed. Yes there would have been effects from the drugs, but he would be here today." Dr. Jacobs picked up Dante's chart. He examined it. "Your mother was right when she called me. You have his drinking problem but yours is far worse."
Dante was confused. "M-my mother called you about this?"
Jacobs shook his head yes. "Your mother cares Dante. She can't afford to lose another son. She knew you had a problem but it's worse than she knows. You're on the line of death, but you're going to survive." He paused. "Really Dante why do you want to know about your brother?"

Dante was quiet. He wasn't sure. "I mean. I want to know who I'm becoming. I want to know what everyone kept from me. I want to know if he would've still been here. Do you remember the friends?"
Jacobs chuckled. "Dante I know how you are. Your mother told me more than you know. If I tell you, then you'll go and try to kill them. Heck you still can't handle Alex's death, and you want to kill those gang bangers."
Dante looked up at him. "I didn't just lose one brother Charles."
"I know but you're killing yourself over all of it. Dante I'm not sure what you want out of all of this, but it's not worth it. I didn't come here to lecture you. I came here to tell you that your mother is worried that you're going to die." Jacobs caught his breathe. "If I didn't know all of this and if I didn't care about Jake and Amy, and you, I wouldn't be here. I've seen plenty of people like you die the same way you're going to end up without change."
Dante looked up at him. "But then I get to see them again if I do die."
"Dante. You're brother wouldn't want that. I'm only trying to save you because your brother isn't here to do so. You have a beautiful young woman next to you who looks like she cares. She wouldn't be here if she didn't. You have a loving mother who cares. Dante you even have Aria who cares." He paused and wrapped his arm around Dante. "You can't always be the hero Dante. You can't always do things the 'Dante way', even if you think you can. I know you didn't want anything specific. Maybe you wanted help. Maybe you wanted someone to point out what you're too damn arrogant to see. But what ever it was I hope you found it." Jacobs stood up. "Excuse me, son, but I have a hospital to run. Before you leave I'll come back to see you. Oh and I think some people are coming to see you. Don't act a fool because security is right outside this door. I've heard about what happens when you're feelings get the best of you."

Dr. Jacobs walked out the room. Dante didn't know what he felt. He felt anger against those friends that let Jake die. He felt guilty for putting his mom through hell. He felt warm because of Victoria. He felt strong because of Aria. Dr. Jacobs was right, his brother wouldn't want this, but Dante couldn't handle the fact. He placed his head in his hands and wept. He slouched forward in his chair as his body went weak, and cried about everything. When would he stop being the hero, the tough man, the strong willed, and who he was, and be the man that he isn't? When ever this would happen, it definitely wasn't now, because Dante still wasn't on the rock bottom that it would take to do so.

Foot steps could be heard coming down the quiet hallway. Who ever it was had squeaky shoes. Voices began talking outside his room. It was a woman and a man. "Where's our son Dante at ma'am?" the woman voice said as Dante lifted up his head. A woman pointed to Dante's room and the two came people came in. "Mom...what are you doing here?" he said as the woman gave him a hug. Dante looked over his mother's shoulders. He knew who the man was. He hadn't seen him since his brother's funeral, but he could point out that face anywhere. "Dr. Jacobs called me when you were admitted. He also found your fathers number in some of Jake's old medical records. We came as fast as possible." his mother told as she squeezed him. Dante backed out of his mother's arms and stared at the man. Dante's saddened face grew to a hardened face. His eyes were still watery, but the resentment for the man was present in them. "Did you only show up because you knew there's a chance that I might die," Dante took a step forward, "and you didn't want to feel guilty for not talking to your last son before so?" The man stood there strong. He took the words and didn't let them get to him. He was like Dante. Strong willed, arrogant, fierce, and everything bad thing Dante was, and this is where he got it from. "Is that the way you talk to your father, Dante?" the man said with courage. He stood straight as if he was in the military. His voice was prideful, and his posture was fierce. "No that's how I talk to a coward who abandons his family, and becomes a piece of s**t." Dante looked him up and down. The medicine was no longer making him feel happy or sad. Dante's own feelings over powered it. He walked back to Victoria and sat in the chair next to her. He placed her hand in his and quietly said to her, "Vicy. You might want to stand outside the room for a minute while I talk to him." Dante took out his wallet with his free hand. He placed a couple of twenties in her hand. "Here. Maybe get something to eat and a cab home because this might take a while." Dante held on to her hand as he looked over his shoulder at the man.

Amy's, Dante's mother, head followed Victoria out of the room. "She sure has been thru a lot with you Dante. Especially for just meeting the nice girl." his mother went to the chair next to Dante. She placed her hand on lap. "Did Dr. Jacobs talk to you yet?" his mother asked him. Dante looked over at his mother's feet, scared to see the fear and sorrow in her eyes, "Yes."

His father walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. He was on the far end away from the two. He looked at his son up and down. "I see you have my physique Dante. Reminds me of my younger days." His father smiled at the thought of his glory days.
"Yeah I have your shitty look on life too." Dante bluntly said.
"It's not that bad Dante. Plus everyone will fear you." his father told him.
"Yeah and I destroy everything I come in contact with, including my life."
"Get used to it." his father told him with arrogance in his voice.
"Well get used to being hated too." Dante contently said as he looked up at the man.
"Harsh words. Come on Dante, it's been ten years." his father put his hand on his heart in a sarcastic manner.
"Yeah since I saw you. And that was only the third time in my life. Why are you even here?"
"Because I care. If I didn't would I be here?" his father scooted closer.
"Yes you would. You just want to make yourself feel better for abandoning us. You don't care. You never did. That's why you left." Dante began to raise his voice.
His father was silent. He couldn't deny the truth. "I want to at least make it up to one of my sons."
"It's too ******** late for that. I'll never love. You're just a lowlife father." Dante stood up.
His father scooted back. "Can't I just get a chance? I mean come on Dante. Don't you want to have a father-son relationship before you die?"
"No. It's too late, Rick. It's too late to try to make up for lost time. You're not my father and you never will be." Dante took a step towards his dad.
"B-but son, I know I was wrong. And I'm truly sorry. I want to at least get to know one of my sons and that can only be you."

Dante's mother stepped in. "Dante can't you just give the man a chance?"
"Mom you know all too well what he's like."
"But he's taking down his pride. He's humbling himself. He wants to make up for it." his mother pleaded.
"Well maybe he should've thought about that. You can't always get your way in life."

His father took back the control. "No you can't. Dante I know I messed up in life. I know I messed up in your life. But I'm older now. More mature. Can I at least be your friend?" his father was standing up.
Dante looked at the man. He was pathetic. It was just another one of his manipulative games. Dante wasn't falling for it. "I don't make friends with cowards. I'm going to be nice about what I'm about to ask, and it's the only chance that I'm giving." Dante stepped to the side. He calmed down his voice and himself. "Rick. I would appreciate it if you left."
His father took a step forward. He began to walk away, but stopped and turned around. "Dante..please don-"
"Rick what did I just say? Go back to where you came from and don't ever talk to me again." Dante spoke through his teeth.
His father walked out of the room. His head was down as he turned the corner.

"Dante. He's your father." his mother said as she hugged him.
"I don't have a father." Dante said as he stared out the door.
His mother walked him over to the bed. "So how are you doing?"
"Well I was going to go look at condos today, but I ended up here instead. How's it going at home? Any problems?"
"No. I mean there's always someone over at the house. Thanks for having people look after me." his mother said as she picked up his chart and looked at it.
"You don't have to thank me. I did too much to you over the years to be thanked." Dante played with his wrist band.
His mother read all of the tests and charts. She was used to seeing this kind of stuff. She did this everyday at work. But she never thought it would be own son's chart. She shook her head at the information in front of her face. "This isn't good Dante."
"Mom I know. Please it's not the time."
His mother placed the folder back down. She wrapped her arms around him. "I always tried to prepare myself for this. But after your brother died there was nothing more to prepare for. I knew you would take it hard, but things just got worse for you and it became something I couldn't imagine." she put her head on Dante's shoulder.
Dante sat still. He didn't move. It was as if he was a wall. "I couldn't even imagine it would go this far."
"Well it can't get any worse." his mother stood up and went to the window.
"Victoria seems to have taken a liking to you hasn't she? You just met her and already put her through years worth of hell with in a couple of days, and she still hasn't left." his mother smiled at him.
"Eh, must be that Reynolds' charm I guess." Dante chuckled.
"Maybe. So where did you send her off to?"
"I told her to go get something to eat and take a cab home. I'm sure she needs the rest and time to take in everything." Dante told his mother.
"So where's her family?" his mother became curious.
"She has none."
"Well what about friends?" his mother had a worried look on her face.
"I'm her only friend."
"Poor girl. Dante...take care of that girl. If you're going to do anything, then do something for her." his mother smiled at him again.
"I'll try my best."
"Be the person that your father wasn't. I know it's too soon to go that far, since you just met her, but I'm sure it'll happen soon enough." she talked with sincerity in her voice.
"So do you work tonight?" Dante asked.
"Yeah. I'm up on floor ten tonight. I'll try to visit."
"Don't stress it mom. I'll be here for a few more days." he reassured her.
"Cheer up. Well I have to go get ready for work." his mother came over to his bed and gave him a kiss on the head. "Remember what I just told you."
"I will. I'll see ya tomorrow or something." Dante gave her a hug.

His mother smiled and walked out the room. Dante lifted his legs onto the bed and covered them with the blanket. He raised the back of the bed and scooted up his pillow behind his head. He closed his eyes and pictures began to flow. Playing football with friends, sitting by the lake, Alex and him at the park, and finally a picture of Victoria floated in. A small smile grew on his face as he continued to keep his eyes closed. Be the man your father wasn't played through his mind as he sat there, still seeing pictures float by.