The visitor

Jackson rolled onto his side trying to ease the pain from his stitches. He had been awake for an hour after his father left and could only listen to the footsteps and pages as he waited to heal enough to leave. As he rolled onto his back again for the twelfth time, he heard footsteps at the door that sounded like they entered.



"I thought you were just going to call in and check on me, Dad." Jackson smiled at his repeated fall into an affectionate tone towards his father today.


"Why would you want to save that drunken jackass?" The voice from the door seemed familiar, but Jackson couldn't place it. The man in the doorway was about 18 years old and had familiar look in his eyes. Something about the eyes disturbed Jackson. They were like his and his mother's, but something dead seemed to be behind them. "I see that brain of yours working, Jackson. Let me help you place me. I'm the only man Andrew Porter wanted less to do with than you."


Jackson took a breath as the image of his mother and father appeared on both sides of the stranger's face. He began picking out features from each until they combined to make the man in the doorway. "William?"



"Impressive. I wasn't certain if you even knew about me. From my understanding, I was pretty much forgotten about at birth. Oh, that looks painful." William pointed to a thin line of blood coming through Jackson's hospital gown. His stitches must have opened some during his shifting. He would have to page the nurse for fresh bandages.

"So you actually did give up a piece of your liver for the old man. That's heroic really. Stupid, but, in some way, heroic. I applaud your efforts, but hosing down a bathroom doesn't mean it's going to start growing flower, brother. You should have let him die. That what we both are really waiting for, the sweet release of death. His death in particular. So where is the old bastard anyways. Save his life and he still leaves you, huh? That's cold."

Jackson shifted up and reached for the nurse's pager before William jumped over and swatted it away out of Jackson's reach. "Let's not interrupt this family affair quite yet. I don't want anyone to know I'm hear including him."

Jackson grunted as he slid back down on his bed. He stared at William fascinated by how much they looked alike and yet how differently they must view the world. "He won't know you're here. He's no longer with us."

William's eye finally perked up. "Did he not make it? Oh, that is fantastic. I mean, it sucks for you to have gone through this and put yourself in such pain during this most joyous moment. When you get out, I'm going to take you out for some champagne. You'll have to buy, of course, but I'll split the cost with you. D-day. Death day. I didn't think it would be this sweet."

"He's not dead." Jackson witnessed the return of the darkness behind his brother's eyes. He did not feel comfortable even knowing William had not threatened him in any way. He had merely slapped the call button away. "He went home feeling great. He's actually putting the place together for me to come see him again. He would likely welcome you too. We could tell him."

William snorts as he reprimands his brother for the confusion. "Don't get me wrong, Jackson. Seeing you has been nice, but I came for one family event today and that appears to not be happening here. One way or another, I'm going to watch that man die."