I slowly woke up and I took a glance at what seemed to be a doctor and two policemen. One of them was skinny and tall while the other was fat and had a tattoo on his neck. I knew that I had survived, but Alwin didn’t make it. The memory of his death would haunt me. I tried to get up, but the handcuffs on my wrists wouldn’t allow it, I pulled at them in an agitated state.

“Is it alright if we ask him some questions?” One of the policemen asked.

“He was injured so badly we are worried he’s suffering emotional stress. I would wait until he is in less pain before asking him questions. Pain medication makes people incoherent at times,” The Doctor said.

“We can’t wait a very long, we have a murder suspect on the loose and he’s a witness to the animal abuse. We need to try to get answers while the information is fresh,” The tattooed one replied angrily.

“My recommendation as a doctor would be to let him rest, but I can’t stop you if you have a warrant.”

“Say, Doc, do you drink coffee?” The tall cop asked the doctor.

“Yes,” the doctor looked confused as he answered the man.

“It’s important that I make a list of injuries. Can you explain what happened and how extensive the injuries were so we can document them while I grab a cup of coffee,” The taller cop pulled out his notepad and a pen.

“Sure, I have a few minutes to spare before the next patient,” the doctor said.

The tall cop left with the doctor leaving me alone with the officer who had a tattoo on his neck. He pulled up a chair and plopped himself down in it. Pulling out his pad and searching his pockets for a pen I waited patiently for him to start asking me questions.

“I’m here to help you, although, for that, I need you to answer a few questions.” The tattooed cop asked me.

I didn’t respond at all and I turned my head away facing the opposite direction. I didn’t want to answer him or acknowledge the cop. I was mourning the loss of Alwin.

“You are accused of premeditated murder of your father, Markel Handtman and animal cruelty for the horrible killing of stray cats, so you had better start cooperating.”

“He deserved his death, sad the same fate happened to Alwin,” I replied as briefly as I could.

“Are you talking about the cat? Is that who Alwin is? What happened to the cat?”

“He was a good cat, sad he died at the hands of those thugs.”

I felt a single tear run down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away as I didn’t want the cop to see me as weak.

“What about your father, don’t you feel the same guilt for him?”

Grinding my teeth together, I didn’t want to answer him so I avoided his gaze and pretended not to hear him.

“Do you feel any remorse for killing him?”

“He deserved it, that’s all I’m going to mention about him,” For a short moment I remember how he used to torture me and I got filled by anger.

“I tried to be good with you because I felt sad about what happened to you but not anymore. I bet you anything you felt great killing him and excited when you aimed the shotgun at the head of your defenceless father. Later you felt scared and you ran away but you wanted to bring back that feeling back, you couldn’t resist killing, you wanted more of it, so you stabbed that cat time and time again.”

In the fraction of a second, I faced and replied him.

“That’s not what happened!!”

“You are such a scumbag, even for your young age. All you wanted was to try something new so you grabbed that Remington 870 and you shot him three times, one in the back, one in the shoulder and a final blow to the head, just to experiment a new feeling from your boring life.”

I was on fury hearing him and I ended up succumbing to the pressure. I strongly shaked to get myself free while screaming:

“Let me out of here!!!! Bastard!!! Asshole!!!”

“Now you show your cards. As I thought you are nothing more than a killer.”

Immediately the doctor who treated my injuries and the tall policeman rushed into my room. The doctor ordered them to stay out while he was sedating me. I fell asleep and I began to have nightmares about how my father used to torture me and about Alwin blaming me for his death.

I got up next day heavy breathing and sweating, not a good way to start the day. I had to escape and avoid the law forces outside but how I was supposed to do that if I was being restrained by this cuffs to the bedroom. I thought to give up as it was impossible but then I remembered an old trick that at younger age saved me. All I had to do is to grab is to find a shim or a paper clip. Luckily the medic left a file with a paper clip on it, maybe by stretching a bit, I could reach it.

After a lot of effort I somehow managed to get it and with it, I created a makeshift key. By inserting it into the lock and twisting around for a moment I opened one, later by the same method I opened the second one. With one problem solved I had to get rid of the cop. Unfortunately, the fat and tall cop came back with the doctor and I knew I was in deep troubles, I had a few minutes to act but what could I do. Just when they were going to open the door, a few seconds before, I achieved to lock myself back and act as if I was still in coma.

“Is he still in this state?”

“So it seems, I gave him a strong dose so he may stay like it for the next four hours.”

The two policemen seemed to have started a fight.

“Can’t we just force him to open his eyes?”

“Altman, you know it is impossible just let it be.”

“I’m pissed off by this whole situation.”

“Is it because his father was a good friend of yours?”

“Don’t be an idiot, I want to close this case fast, that’s all.”

“Could we leave the patient in peace, for now, gentlemen? Your strong discussion could cause him to forget everything that happened in the past as the brain would tend to...”

“Are you fucking with me just because you are a damn medic? I will do what the hell I want.”

“Just let it be, Altman, we have a lot to do back in the office.”

“We will be right back, if by then he hasn’t awakened, we will forcefully wake him up.”

I felt relieved they didn’t catch me and angry that the fat guy leading the case was the friend of my abusive father trying to incriminate me. But nothing bad comes with a good thing, the guard was gone along with them. It was my chance and nothing would stop me. Fast as a bolt of lighting I left the room and reached the stairs. I almost fell while going stairs down from the third floor.

However that didn’t stop me from rushing down until I got to the parking, I was exhausted but I did it. A few meters more and I would be out of the police sight and I could remain as a shadow through the alleys. Despite all I was in favour, the injuries were still open and I barely made it dragging my legs who stopped responding. Outdoors the breeze caress my face and I said in a lower voice:

”I fucking did it.”

The streets were empty as it was the dawn of the morning so I took advantage of it and in spite of the risk, I slowly crawled away before taking one last look to the hospital. I guess the law forces would be searching for me day and night, so I had to take care from now on and to trace a plan to revenge Alwin and the world for what it did to me.