Responsibilities

Luis

The thing about amnesia was the headaches. Sometimes Luis felt like his head was being smashed against the wall. Now, he felt like someone was drumming on his head. Luis screwed his eyes shut and tightened his fists.

"Here, drink this." Eduardo's voice sounded far off. Luis opened his eyes at the sound. The image of his brother was blurry, and stars danced before his eyes. Opening his eyes seemed like too much work, so he just closed them back.

"Come on, mate. This would make you feel better. Luis cracked his eyes open again and retrieved the pills from Eduardo's hand. He threw it into his mouth and swallowed. Eduardo handed him a glass of water, which he reluctantly accepted.

Once more, Eduardo helped him get back into bed, plopping him with a dozen pillows to ease the pain.

"You don't think I'm having concussions, right? I don't have to get back under the knife and watch them prick my head with needles, right? Luis whispered. He hated being operated on. Lying on that table and leaving his fate to a bunch of doctors didn't sit well with him. He preferred control over himself at every time, but in there, they always defeated him. He could feel beads of sweat on his forehead as he thought about undergoing another surgery.

"I'm not an expert in that field, Luis, but no, I don't think you have to go back to the theatre for a surgery. I just think you're stressing your poor brain. You keep thinking about your last life, not giving yourself time to heal. You will recall everything. Just let yourself heal. What would Tegasol be without you? We need you to get well." Eduardo begged. Luis could sense the fear building in him.

"To hell with Tegasol." Luis cursed, but it sounded more like a plea because of his situation. "Just let me return to Spain." He whispered.

"That's beyond me, Luis. I'm only the doctor in the family. You're the golden son. You can hardly stand on your own. How do you want to survive all by yourself down there? Mom and dad would never approve." Eduardo reminded him. Luis groaned, but the sound didn't escape from his throat. The muscles in his voice box have lost the strength to produce such sounds.

"Get them to come here, and I'll talk to them myself."

"Mother is already on her way. Don't anger her. She's already on the edge with father's deteriorating health. She needs no more stress. Besides, if you really want to return to Spain, then I suggest you work towards your physical therapy. Get well first. That way, even if they don't give their consent, you'll be strong enough to run away." Eduardo got up and retrieved the glass cup Luis had abandoned next to him on the bed. He stepped out of the room, leaving Luis to his thoughts.

Luis knew his brother wanted what was best for him. He could only hope that his plans would work. If Eduardo thought his physical strength should be regained first, then that was what he was going to do. He wondered what would have become of an amnesiac like him if he didn't have a brother like Eduardo.

The door creaked and opened again. Eduardo marched in holding a bowl and wash cloth. Luis closed his eyes and allowed his brother to take care of him. Soon, he fell asleep.

~~~~~

The orange colour of the fading sun flitted through the windows and into Luis' eyes. He opened them to find the day was already gone. It was evening. Luis slowly got up from the bed, not wanting to feel the pain in his head, but to his surprise, the pain was gone. He fisted his hair and groaned. The sound rumbled through his chest and was quite satisfying.

Luis was pressed. He couldn't pass out the urine because his catheter was full, and it caused an itch in his stomach.

"Who the hell is out there?" He asked angrily. He hated not being able to do little things by himself. The door opened and Eduardo came in. Luis was surprised to find him still around.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, feeling slightly irritated. The anger wasn't directed at his brother. Just the fact that he needed someone to ease himself.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Eduardo chuckled. "What do you want? Food. Hunger was the only thing that could get you to lash out unreasonably."

"You would be unreasonable too if you had this bloody catheter stuck to your stomach. Get it off and fix a new one, damn it. My bladder is so full I can feel the liquid sloshing around in there."

Eduardo tried to hide his laughter at his brother's discomfort, but his smile was still clear. He went through the routine of cleaning Luis up and putting on a new catheter. Luis snarled at him and watched as fresh urine trickled through the pipe and into the bag. He could finally see the sense in Eduardo's words. He needed to regain his physical strength.

"I need a therapist." He announced.

"That hurts, little brother. Am I not doing enough?" Eduardo asked, feigning hurt. Luis rolled his eyes at his brother's charms. The bloke knew what he was talking about. He just wanted him to stew a little longer.

"Jackass."

Eduardo laughed at the insult. "I'm surprised you remember your nickname for me."

"Oh no, brother. I don't need to remember. You really are a jackass. I need a physiotherapist. I can feel my legs and all, but I need to learn how to use my legs again."

"I'll find you one."

"Make sure he's a good lad." Luis asserted.

"What if I find you a good lass instead?" Eduardo asked. Luis gave him a disgusted look.

"I'll send word out and find you the best."

"You owe me they much, jackass."

Both of them settled into a routine. Luis flipped through the pages of the magazine he had bought online about Spain, while Eduardo watched some boring comic on the flat screen.

"Where on Earth are my boys?" Mrs Irene Ortega's voice resonated through the entire house, pulling Luis and Eduardo out of their acts. Luis looked up with his eyes bugging out of their sockets. Eduardo had mentioned earlier that their mother was going to stop by, but Luis had thought it was just another one of his jokes. He didn't really expect his mother to drop by. He pinned Eduardo with a look that suggested he hadn't been expecting the woman. Eduardo shrugged.

"In here, mother." Eduardo got up and opened the door, allowing their mother to come into the bedroom. She smiled fondly at her beloved son and gave him a peck on both cheeks.

"Oh, my poor baby." She let go of Eduardo and sat on the bed with Luis, pulling him close. "How's my baby boy doing today?" She asked, swishing him against her chest.

"I'm okay, mother. Just a little something here and there and I'm as good as new."

"Eduardo tells me you're ready to start your physical therapy." Irene commented. Luis' eyes snapped to Eduardo at once. They had just finished the discussion of the physical therapy just a few moments ago. He wondered when he found the time to tell their mother. He could only come up with one conclusion. Eduardo, being himself, must have expected his need for the therapy and had already run the idea by their parents to make things easier for him. He wondered what he would ever do with his empty brain if he didn't have Eduardo.

"Yes, mother. It would be good for me to learn to her my legs again."

"Do you think you can?" Irene asked. Luis raised his head and looked at her. "Of course you can, my boy. You're only the bravest of us all."

"One more thing, mother. I'd like to return to Madrid when I'm done with my treatment." Luis threw out there. He expected his mother to recoil at his request.

"Of course, my boy. You deserve a vacation." She smiled at him and patted his biceps.

"Not a vacation, mother. I'd like to return to Madrid for a while, if not permanently. I think it would help me regain my memories."

"You would do no such thing." Irene hissed. Finally, the reaction Luis expected. He glanced at Eduardo for backup. Eduardo rubbed his bottom lip for a moment and excused himself.

"I'll just make myself useful." He hightailed out of the room. Luis sighed in disappointment. He didn't know how to deal with their mother.

"Who would take over our beloved Tegasol if you return to that cursed place?" Irene asked.

"That cursed place is our home." Luis pointed out. Irene stood up and smoother out her dress.

"I'm guessing you need a check up too. There might still be a swelling in your brain." With no more words, Irene opener the door and left the room.

Louis didn't know what to make of what just happened. This looked like a bigger problem than he thought.