Brothers

If ever there were a time that your family needed you, this was it. The terrible thing that happened to Kenny tore all of you apart, and now that your mother is dead you have decided to try and make things right; maybe this tragedy can bring you back together.

You accept your fathers offer and move back in.

Things are difficult for a while; much as you expected them to be. Your father is still drinking quite heavily, Mikey is stoned more often than not, and Kenny is almost completely introverted.

After you've been in the house for a week, you decide that it is time to talk to your father about his drinking. You're certain it's not going to be an easy talk, but realize that it has to happen.

You meet him in the kitchen as he is cracking open a beer.

"Dad," you say; "we need to talk."

"Okay," he says, sitting at the table; "let's talk."

At first he denies that he has a problem, denies it even as he swallows from the can. But he starts to come around when you explain that you are coming to him from concern, and not to try and control him. You bring up the finances that his alcoholism consumes; bring up his sons who want to have him back. You bring up how introverted Kenny is and how fucked up on drugs Mikey has become.

When you mention the drugs, your father gets angry with Mikey; but you explain to him how similar Mikey's problem is to his own and that seems to really open his eyes to the situation.

In the end your father is overcome by a fit of tears; tears he'd been holding back all these years. Tears from the helplessness he fealt over Kenny's abduction and abuse; tears from his wifes withdrawel from life long before she died; tears from the years of neglect to his family.

You get him to put the beer down. You tell him that it's going to be difficult for him to stop drinking, but that you'll be there for him every step of the way. The two of you elect to ween him from his habit rather than quit cold turkey, and he seems commited to this decision.

You go to bed that night quit satisfied with your work. As you lay awake, you realise there are two more people in the house who are in need of your help.

Mikey is smoking pot almost constantly, and who knows what else he's been doing. And Kenny rarely speaks, just sits around the house and stares blankly at everything.

Which brother do you think you should start working on first?

You have 2 choices:

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