Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3

It was a Friday evening, and Derek was getting prepared for work.

He was still stuck doing Q&A because the pay was too good and no matter how many times Carl said he wanted a small ceremony, Derek was sure that whatever they planned to spend, it would at least double in the end.

It was a goddamn wedding; hence things were supposed to blow off proportions at some point. That’s just how they work.

Derek was adjusting his shirt when the smartphone rang on the notes of "Night on Bald Mountain", the pre-set ringtone for unknown numbers.

"Derek Esposito, who is it?"

"Mister Esposito, this is the Saint Joseph hospital." The female voice sounded worried. This together with the word "hospital" sent him a shiver down his spine.

"Is Carl Esposito your brother?" Derek could almost hear her biting her nails.

"Yes, what happened?"

"He was involved in a car accident and is in serious conditions. You should come here as soon as possible. The doctors need you since you are his healthcare proxy and the patient in unconscious."

"A car accident?!?" Derek yelled while rushing out of the door and looking for a cab.

"We don’t have any fuc**ng car! What the hell happened?"

"I’m sorry, I am not at liberty to say. The doctors will explain it..." Derek hung up on her. He had no time for useless babbling, only for a goddamn cab.

Every second in the traffic was torture, and when he finally arrived it was too late.

The surgeon and a police officer explained to him that Carl had been run over by a drunk driver. The culprit had run off and the police was still looking for him.

A bystander had immediately called 911, but because of the traffic jam caused by the accident it took hours for the ambulance to arrive. _{ƒreewebηoveℓ.com}

So, when Carl arrived at the hospital he was already in critical conditions. He had multiple fractures, ruptured spleen and internal bleeding, requiring immediate surgery.

Derek had been called while Carl was just entering the OR.

They had done their best to save him, but Carl had lost too much blood, so there was nothing they could do. They offered Derek their condolences, but all he could hear was white noise.

"Let me see my brother." He begged.

The body was covered by a sheet, only the head visible. Derek could still see traces of blood on the face of his little brother.

Derek left his number to the police officer to be kept updated about the investigations, and then returned home.

The culprit was quickly apprehended thanks to the traffic cameras. It turned out to be a kid, barely seventeen years old, that had stolen his old man’s car and then got drunk and high with his friends.

Derek lived the months before the trial in anguish. The damned DA had decided to prosecute him as a minor, and the even more damned judge had granted him house arrests. All while his little brother, his Carl, was dead because of him.

"How could they do such a thing?" Derek would yell and argue with anyone willing to listen to him. "Why all this talking about the rights and the future of that little sh*t? What about my brother’s rights? What about his future? Carl has none because of him! What kind of justice is that?"

Derek visited multiple times the DA office, expressing his outrage and demanding them to ask for the maximum sentence. They were always kind and accommodating, and promised him that they would not forget about Carl.

When the day of the trial finally come, Derek’s world died one more time.

The DA and the defence attorney had come to a settlement.

Since Chris Wainright, this was the name of the murderer, was still a minor and that was also his first offense, he had accepted to go in rehab and do six hundred hours of community service. If Chris would complete his rehab program and did not commit crimes in the next three years, then he would be a free citizen with no criminal record.

Derek was too dumbfounded to even be angry. When the session was over, he just walked to the DA and asked a single question with muffled voice.

"Why?"