On an early Wednesday morning, Hal wearing a grey shirt and fitted khaki pants just got out of a cafe with a coffee to go on his one hand and looked very tired and depressed. He started walking then saw a couple and the man was wearing fatigue which meant he was an army man having breakfast with his wife and they looked very happy. Hal felt the unfairness in his life thinking that man came back from a mission in maybe more than a year and his life might be endangered yet his wife was still with him even though she must've been worrying and missing him. He watched them from afar still feeling sorry for himself as tears were forming in his eyes. He had enough so he shook his head and then he walked away suddenly looking enraged. He got into his car and placed his coffee at the holder started driving but he was speeding. He then arrived at an average home and aggressively parked right in front of the house. Hal got out looking like he was thirsty for blood, slammed the car door then walked to the house. When he got the front door, he knocked on the door hard. A minute later, someone answered the door and it was Alastair, who seemed like he just woke but then his eyes got wide when he saw Hal wanting to kill him "Hal!" he uttered. Hal then grabbed his shoulder and pushed him in his house then on the ground of the living. Hal then puts his hands on Alastair's neck to strangle him.
"You son of a bitch", Hal said to him, "how could you do this to me?".
"Hal, please", Alastair wheezed from his strangulation.
Hal then let him go, Alastair trying to catch his breath but then Hal began to punch with his right fist on the left cheek and then his left fist on his right cheek and repeats it.
Then Hal stopped punching and Alastair's face was full of bruises and lay on the ground left in pain, "I'm sorry", Alastair wheezed and looked at Hal's eyes to know he messed up "but I love her".
"That's my wife" Hal yelled and continue beating him up then he stood up and Alastair sill lying on the floor and can't even move so Hal started kicking and stomped on him mercilessly. Suddenly, Marie came on the front door and was shocked as he saw Hal hurting Alastair.
"Hal!", she screamed, "stop", but Hal didn't hear her since he was seeing red and kept hitting Alastair. Marie then held Hal's arms to try to stop him. Hal let go of her and shoved, Marie got pulled back but then she grabbed his arm again and then Hal looked at her like an angry bull.
"You", Hal groaned and stopped beating Alastair as he was semi-conscious and moaning in pain on the groaned. Hal turned to her then grabbed Marie's arms so aggressively that he could break her bones like a twig. Marie got scared not knowing what to do, "you either come with me or you'll be sorry". Marie was scared but she got stubborn stood her ground and shook her head at him.
"I love him", Marie cried softly and looked at him in the eyes. Hal's anger turned monstrous, his eyes were glaring furiously, and his teeth were grinding and then slapped her hard until she fell on the ground and landed on her hands. Marie was on the floor, on her knees and her head was down. Hal's rage disappeared and realized what he just did and he was clenching his hands together. Alastair saw what happened and then he was boiling so he stood up and tackled Hal from behind and started attacking him so then Hal fought back. They started to wrestle and Hal's strength was stronger than Alastair so Hal was about to end his life when he started strangling him again and Alastair was struggling but determined to not lose the fight so he reached to Hal's face and try to push him back. Hal then kneed his stomach and Alastair was on the ground again. Hal stood in front of him and looked at him coldly so he grabbed his shirt with his one hand and pulled him up and formed a fist on the other. Alastair had no energy left to fight back so Hal has an advantage. Hal then suddenly has his eyes looking at something behind Alastair, a picture of Hal and Alastair in their teenage years looking so happy back then, so Hal felt hesitant to punch him but his hand was still grasping a semi-conscious Alastair. Marie looked up and saw Hal and Alastair, so she got up quietly and grabbed a small porcelain vase and quietly walked behind Hal, she raised the vase and hit it on him on his neck. As result, Hal fell on the ground and so did Alastair, they both laid on the floor and Marie went after Alastair to his aid and Hal was left alone, he was still conscious and watched the woman he loved ran after to another man then, there were tears ran down on his face as he understood that he really lost Marie then he passed out.
Later on, police cars and an ambulance were surrounding Alastair's house, paramedics carrying an unconscious Alastair and Hal out was placed in a separate ambulance. Marie watching on the side with her right cheek bruised and was with other paramedic checking on her and police questioning her. Hours later, Hal was in the police station having his mugshot and was charged with trespassing, and aggravated assault. the Hal was awake with a brace covering his back in the hospital after to another man then, there were tears ran down on his face as he understood that he really lost Marie then he passed out.
The next day, Hal was still asleep in the hospital, in a private room and he was wearing a hospital gown. His phone was on the side of the hospital bed and the clothes that he was wearing the day before was on a chair. The phone rang and it awakened him, he opened his eyes and his sight was blurry at first then as it got clear, he looked around and got confused. As he was trying to get to his senses, the phone stopped ringing. Hal was lying on the bed then he tried to raise his body but then he cried in pain then a nurse opened the door and entered.
"Oh my, don't get up, your back is still healing", the nurse said to him.
"Where am I?", he groaned.
"In the Holy Trinity Private Hospital", the nurse answered him while writing something on a pad.
"Hospital?" he gasped. Then he looked at a clock that was hanged on a wall in front of him and it was nine o'clock. Hal's mouth dropped then he turned to the nurse.
"How long was I out?", he asked the nurse in a panic.
The nurse looked scared at him," since yesterday", she stammered.
Hal bolted then felt hopeless, "Oh no, my flight", he cried and clenched his two hands together, "I have to go to the airport". He tried to get up again but then he felt the pain on his back like electricity, but he forced himself.
"Sir, please, you should not move from that bed", the nurse pleaded and trying to stop him.
"You don't get it but I have to go", Hal repeated in a panic and got up from his pain and disregard the pain he felt on his back.
"Sir, you can't leave in your current condition", the nurse insisted but Hal was impossible to handle so she ran out. Hal stood up from the bed and was walking unevenly as he got five steps he fell on the ground on his side and cried in pain again but he turned and face down to crawl out. Then orderlies came inside and saw Hal on the ground so they helped him get up but not to get out but to be back on his bed.
Hal was resisting, "you don't get it, I have to go", he yelled at them. As they put him back on the bed while he tried to fight back, the other orderlies held him down and one of them sedate him. Hal suddenly calmed down stopped countering with them but he laid on the bed in tears. Later, Hal became calm from the medication but still in worry then he looked at his phone, he grabbed it and dialed the number of his work. It was ringing and after a few seconds, someone answered it.
"Hello, Mr. Philips", Hal called.
"Jacoby is that you?" Mr. Philips asked.
"Yes, sir it's me", Hal answered.
"Where were you?", Mr. Philips demanded, "You have to be here yesterday but you didn't".
"I know, sir, but... I can explain," Hal begged to him.
"Hal, I'm sorry but because of you, we lost millions", Mr. Philips stated.
Hal got speechless and was in shock and he realized his mistakes, "Sir, I'm sorry but I'll be there tomorrow", Hal begged to him.
"You should've called or answered the phone yesterday," Mr. Philips said to him, "I can't let this happen again".
"What do you mean?", Hal questioned him feeling troubled.
"Jacoby, you're fired, goodbye", Mr. Philips undeviatingly told. Then Mr. Philips ended the call leaving Hal in not only he lost his wife, but he also lost his job. He got angry again with what's been happening in his life then he threw his phone on a wall and it broke and shouted at the top of his lungs.
At the other hospital, Marie was taking care of Alastair who was in bad shape and laying on the bed with a brace on his neck, "I'm sorry that you had to go through this", she apologized to him feeling sorry for him.
Alastair looked deep into her eyes and hold her hand, "that's okay, I understand", he responded with a slightly raspy voice.
"But you don't deserve this", she said to him and tears were starting to form.
"Don't worry about me", Alastair said to her then he holds her face and wiped her tears and saw her wounded face, "he should have not have done this to you".
"I'm fine", she said to him, "this is nothing compare to what he did to you".
"Still, he should not lift his hand on you", he said to her.
"At least it's over for the time being", she sighed.
"Yeah, you're right" he replied.
"I checked on him this afternoon actually", she told him. Alastair was stunned.
"What? why?", he reacted with worry.
"Alastair, relax", she said to him "I just to see how he was doing".
"But why?", he repeated, "Have you forgotten what he did yesterday?".
"I know, but that doesn't mean I don't care about him", she responded.
"You could've waited for me to get better to go with you", he told her with concern.
"That won't be necessary", she explained to him.
"What if something happened to you?", he questioned her.
"Alastair, calm down", she reminded him, "I wasn't there long since he wasn't awake".
"Next time, tell me", he told her, "and that I'll go with you to protect you". Marie didn't answer but looked at him deeply and kissed him on the cheek.
"I will so don't worry", she said to him. Later in Hal and her house, Marie was with Greta again drinking tea. Greta stared at her bruised cheek while Marie was on her cup and looked disturbed.
"What?" Marie asked noticing Greta looking at her.
"I can't imagine Hal did this to you", Greta expressed, "I get that he was not taking the news well but still".
"Well, he did", Marie sighed as she placed the cup of tea on the coater a little hard.
"Poor Hal" Greta uttered feeling pity for Hal.
Marie was taken aback from what she said, "poor Hal?", she questioned.
Greta realized what she just said and gulped, "sweetie, I'm sorry it's just that he's in jail and..." she stuttered.
"You feel bad for him after what he did to me?", Marie asked her feeling upset.
"It's not that", Greta responded, "I just think he wouldn't have done what he did...if you and Alastair... didn't betray him".
"So he has the right to do this to me?", Marie interrogated Greta.
"Marie, I didn't mean that", Greta said to her defensively.
" He has no right to hurt me", Marie pointed out firmly.
"No, he doesn't" Greta shook her head, "are you going to do something about it?".
"I was thinking about pressing charges on him", Marie proposed.
Greta was in disbelief, " what he did was stupid but can't you just file a divorce and move on?" she suggested, "Hal might get crushed but I think he'll move past this".
"He might hurt us again, Greta", Marie pointed.
"Then file a restraining order", Greta stated.
"What can that do?" Marie questioned, "Hal is loaded and might pay it off and also he will violate it".
"I just think maybe he can cool off and it doesn't have to reach to court", Greta explained.
"Cool-off? from hitting me and attacking Alastair?", Marie pointed.
Greta was starting to get annoyed and shook her head lightly, "Okay, do what you think it's best", Greta said to her and drink her tea.
In the hospital, Hal was still in the hospital feeling calmer yet stressed. He then got up from his bed and bring his IV with him and got out of his room. Hal walked around the hospital and saw different kinds of the patient there such as injured and terminally ill, they have a family and other loved ones with them. He continued roaming around until he got to the maternity area where he heard a crying baby, something in him wants to walk and saw that crying baby, then there was a young man with shaggy long hair, with almond eyes and a lengthy nose wearing a buttoned-down checkered shorts and jeans with worn-out sneakers sitting at a waiting area alone carrying that crying baby and he was having a hard time making it stop. "Come on, baby", the man begged, "it's okay, don't cry". Hal stood and stared at that them at a near distance then he took a little closer and saw how the man carrying the baby, he was holding him with no support of the baby's head. He took a deep breath and approach the troubled man.
"Hey", he greeted the man and it got his attention. The man noticed that Hal looked so beaten up and wearing a hospital gown and so it was not much of a good impression to him.
"Hi", the man said not looking comfortable at Hal. Of course, Hal noticed his reaction on him so he gave him a sympathetic smile
"Sorry to go up to you like this but you're holding your baby wrong", Hal explained.
"What?", the man questioned him then the baby cried louder.
"That's not how you hold a baby", Hal pointed then he sat next to the young man, "here, you place one hand under their head and another under their bottom. From there, raise their body to your chest level", Hal moved his hand while he supports the baby's head then placed the man's hand on the head gently then moved his other hand on the baby's bottom. The baby got calmer and didn't cry, he looked at the young man.
"Wow! it worked", the young man expressed, "thank you, I honestly am not very good with kids".
"That's alright," Hal replied, "that happens to a lot of first-time father".
"I'm actually his brother", the young man corrected.
"Oh...I see", Hal understood, "you've been an only child for quite some time".
"Yeah", the young man nodded.
"Are you here alone?", Hal asked him.
"My dad was just filling up some forms at the counter", the young man answered.
"Okay", Hal nodded then noticed that the baby was looking at him, his heart melts just looking at the baby's eyes then gently rubbed his head, "he is very cute, what's his name?"
"Elijah but we call him Eli", the young man said.
"Nice", Hal commented.
"How old are you?", Hal asked him.
"I'm twenty-years-old", the young man answered, Hal was stunned, "I know, I lost my mom when I was his age my dad decided to date again and well... this happened". Hal felt kind of pity with his life.
"I see but how's it going that now that you have a little brother?", Hal asked him.
"To be honest, I thought he will be a handful and he is but then I felt that brotherly connection with him and I want to protect him and teach him everything I know like sports, music and other things", the young man explained, "dad was there for me and now my brother has me and my dad".
Hal smiled that this young man was stepping up to his responsibility to this defenseless baby boy, "your dad is fortunate to have a son like you and your brother will be grateful to have you as his brother".
"Thank you", the young man sincerely said to him.
"Well, I have to go," Hal said to him and he slowly stood up, "just remember, to support his head and bottom".
"Alright, thanks again", the young man responded to him with a smile. Hal then walked away from him. Later he got back to his room and sat on his bed with a smile on his.
The next day, Marie and Alastair were with two policemen questioning them in the hospital where they were staying.
"So tell us what happened on the day when Mr. Jacoby attacked you?", an officer asked Alastair, "tell us from the beginning".
"I was first woken up from the screech of a tier but I didn't give much thought of it since it was morning so I went back to sleep again", Alastair started to tell his side of the story and one of the officers was writing it down in his pad and the other was glaring at him," and I heard someone knocked on my door so loudly so that's when I decided to get up from my bed see who's there, who turns out to be Hal Jacoby,".
"Okay", the officer who was writing notes responded.
"Then I opened the door and saw him stood there, looking at me then attacked me", Alastair stated, "it all happened so fast".
"Alright, just tell me what you remember", the officer said to him then continue jotting down.
"He was punching me then strangled me", Alastair stated.
"You weren't able to fight back?", the other officer interrupted who was just standing behind the other. He asked like he was taunting Alastair.
Alastair looked at that officer feeling annoyed and Marie even noticed something with that officer, "I just woke up that time and like I said it all happened so fast".
"Anyways, please continue", the other officer demanded.
"After that, when I came in and tried to stop my husband for hurting him", Marie interjected, "he did stop but then he grabbed my arm so hard that it left a bruise". She showed her arms to the officer," after that out of nowhere, he hit me on the face".
"That's terrible", said the officer who was writing down his statement.
"Did you heard a noise from your house?" the other officer asked.
Marie was confused about what that officer asked, "no, I lived five blocks from his house", she answered.
"So why were you in Mr. Adriel's house?", the officer asked. That's when Marie figured out what he was trying to do.
"I was just in the area wanting to see a friend of mine who happens to live three houses on the left from him but I heard a noise coming from his home and I thought there was an intruder coming in so I felt like I have to check on him", Marie responded with a fib then glaring at that officer. That officer felt annoyed at her then he had an idea and gave another shot.
"Do you know what his motive as to why he hurt both of you?", the officer asked again.
"I don't know", Alastair lied, "but whatever it is, he still doesn't have the right to attack me at my own house, my daughter was there sleeping her bedroom, I'm just glad she didn't wake up from the noise or else something might happen to her". So the officer failed again so he shook his and felt irritated.
"Alright, we'll look into it," the officer who was writing down said to them, "thank you, Reagan, let's go".
"We'll make sure that you'll get the justice that you deserved" Reagan assured to them, Marie and Alastair suddenly felt worried, Ramsey grinned at them and winked at them to warn them.