John was watching TV when the phone rang. He reached to the receiver, but it was on the other side of the table. He leaned back on the couch, resting his head on the cushion. The phone kept on ringing, screeching his eardrum deeper and deeper. Finally he picked it up and said "hello". His mother tried to greet him, but she seemed to be drowning, barely able to inhale.

"What's the matter, mom?" John was up and ready to leave. He was looking all over the place for the car keys. He started lifting the vase, the books, the plates from the coffee table. The shelves were full of books and pictures. The hanger was in the hall, he wanted to search the pockets as well.

"Your father...he had a...stroke. We're at the hospital." she answered after two minutes.

"I'll be right there. I just have to find my keys."

"I can't talk to the doctors. Your father..."

"Mom, everything will be alright. He will be fine. I'm on my way."

The keys were hiding behind the vase on the coffee table. He remembered throwing them there last night when he came home from the party. He only wanted to close his eyes and wake up the next morning. She was there, dancing with that guy. They separated two years ago, so he shouldn't have felt the need to throw a punch. He turned his eyes away and ordered a beer. He focused on that the three hours he stayed there.

He grabbed the keys and ran out to the car. In a blink of an eye he was at the hospital. The camera from the stoplight took a snapshot of him crossing the red light. He almost heard it. He entered the hospital and looked for his mother. She was sitting on a chair with her napkins between her fingers. She raised her eyes and saw him standing there.

"Don't worry. I'm here now."