I am waiting outside of the hospital for Kate and her kids. I am going to make sure that she is put on the approval guest list of visitors for Eddie. If she wants to see her brother, I shouldn’t be able to stop her. I guess I realize now that she and his other half-siblings are just as much Eddie’s family as I am.

“No, stop!” I hear Kate’s voice shouting, “I said hold my hand!”

I chuckle; she’s in mom mode. I turn around to look towards the walkway that leads away from the parking deck, and I feel a slight discomfort in my stomach. There is a whole damn pack of them coming my way. Damn! She only showed me pictures of three kids –how many of them are there? I count nine. Nine fucking kids, and I swear, they all look like they have different daddies. This stripper mom could not possibly be any more of a stereotype.

She is pushing a stroller, holding one kids hand, and shooing the other seven into a line behind her. Holy hell, woman! Single mom? How does she manage that pack of animals? The oldest one, Bobby, is carrying one of the younger ones on his hip and holding another one’s hand. “James!” Kate smiles a smile of relief when she sees me standing out front, and I wave her and the kids over.

Much to my surprise, the kids all seem fairly well behaved as they stand around my feet with their hands crossed in front of them nice and quietly. They all seem a bit uncomfortable meeting me for the first time. “James, this is Bobby, Lana, and Jack,” she points to the oldest of the three kids who all are giving me this eat-shit look with their arms crossed, “I showed you their pictures,” she then introduces the younger ones: a nine-year-old named Tommy, seven year old twin girls Julie and Jamie, another set of twins –boys this time named William and Jacob who are five, and the young and sleeping baby named Eddie who is in the stroller.

Once the introductions are over, the oldest boy Bobby gives me this angry stare and asks, “How come they would let you in to see Uncle Eddie but not us?”

“I’m his brother.” I say.

“He’s my uncle,” Bobby says, “But I guess that don’t mean shit.”

Well, he’s a little fucking charmer. He looks like a little punk, and I kind of want to punch him in the face –not that I would. “I’m sure there was just a misunderstanding at the hospital,” I say, “But I’m here to fix it.”

“Be nice, Bobby,” Kate warns her eldest son.

He’s trying to act like a little badass in front of me, but it’s coming off as ridiculous with one of the five-year-old twins on his hip. He has riding gloves on with the fingers torn off and a stupid green streak through his hair. “Whatever.” He says, and I feel a weird parental instinct in me that wants to shout at him not to be rude to his mother, but it’s not my place. He just looks like a kid that would drop out of school.

We head inside the hospital together and I am quick to realize I’m not going to get on the good side of the older kids too easily, so I talk and joke around with the younger kids. Both sets of twins really seem to like me. So does the nine-year-old, Tommy. Kate smiles to see that I am talking to her kids.

Once we’re inside we take the elevator to the floor where the coma patients are, and I speak to the woman at the desk about Kate and have her put on a sort of approved guest list. The nurse points down at the children, “How old are all of they? They can’t come back there if they’re under fourteen.”

I see this absolute look of hate on Bobby’s face, and I worry that he is about to say something and smart off to the nurse. I cut him off and pull the nurse aside to talk. “Look, they came a long way to see their uncle,” I say, “And you’ve seen Eddie. We don’t know what’s going to happen to him. Are you telling me you’re not going to let them back there?”

The nurse presses her lips together, poking them out as she makes this duck-like face and contemplates her next move. “Fine, but so you know, Mr. Mont, but only because you’re here. There is no way I would let someone back there by themselves with that many underage kids. Understand? Make sure she knows that before she tries to come back here.”

I nod, and we wind up heading back to the room where Eddie is being kept. The children all become very quiet when they see Eddie. I have to admit that it’s a scary scene with that bruised and swollen face, the tube down his throat, the bandages, the IV, and the loud beeping machines that are keeping him alive. Kate looks almost ghostly as she approaches Eddies’ bedside and kisses his forehead.

I study each of the children’s faces. The younger ones look sketched out –like they’re afraid of Eddie all of a sudden. That comes from a lack of understanding I’m sure. Lana and Jack are mostly uncomfortable as they put on brave faces and shift their weight from one foot to the other. It’s Bobby’s face that surprises me the most. There is a whole mix of emotions under that natural scowl of his. “So,” Kate turns and looks at me, “what have the doctors been saying about Eddie”

Before I have a chance to answer the question, Bobby suddenly bolts out of the room. Kate jolts, but then she hesitates, obviously not wanting to leave me alone with eight kids while she chased after one. “I got him,” I say in the most reassuring tone that I can muster. I am not very confident in that statement, but she lets me chase after him. I dart out into the hall, but Bobby didn’t go far.

The kid is standing in the hallways, his hands on the back of his head –pulling at his hair. His face is covered in tears, and he seems to be almost hyperventilating over what he had just seen. “I’m not going back in there,” he says, his voice gurgling slightly from his attempt to stifle his sobs.

“Okay,” I say, “But I’m staying out here with you.”

One of his hands come out from behind his head and does an awkward wave towards the door of the room, “is he gonna die?”

I say honestly, “I don’t know.”

His hands are practically shaking when they come down off his head, “This is bullshit, man.” His voice is just as shaky as his hands. “Why is this happening to Eddie? Who the fuck did this? Who would do this?”

“I don’t know,” I say, “But we’re going to find out who.” I stare at the kid. He looks completely broken. “Your mom tells me you and Eddie are close.”

He nods. “I never really had a dad, but Eddie-” his voice trails off.

“What about your stepdad?” I ask curiously, “Your mom told me he passed away five years ago-”

Eddie grunts, “Who? Tony? That drunk asshole beat the shit out of me, and he and mom were only together for like a year before he got himself killed fighting at the club.”

“Geeze, kid.” I say, “You’ve had it rough, haven’t you?”

“Man, shut the hell up. I don’t need your damn sympathy.” He says, his fists suddenly forming at his sides.

“Kid, put those away before you hurt yourself,” I say, “And stop cussing at me, you little brat.” I take a calming breath. “Eddie’s my brother. Don’t think you’re the only one who’s upset about all of this.”

“I know who you are.” He says, “Trust me. Eddie would talk about you like you were something so great. You seem like you’re just a washed up playboy to me.”

Damn. That one hit home. “Fine,” I say, “Think of me what you want. But just so you know, I do care, Bobby. And I’m doing everything in my power to find out what happened to Eddie. Whoever did this is going to pay for it. And I got to tell you, the bastard who hurt Eddie better hope the cops find him instead of me because I just might kill him.”

“Get in line,” Bobby said and let out a loud grunt.

“You don’t have to act like a tough guy with me, you know? Something tells me you didn’t act that way with Eddie.” I offer him a gentle smile, and he sort of half-heartedly nods at me. After some coaxing, I talked Bobby into coming back into the room to continue his uncomfortable visit with his uncle.