Chapter 16 - Leo’s Anger
Leo became famous on campus.
He hated it.
Students wanted selfies.
Disability organizations invited him to panels.
National media asked for interviews.
He declined most.
Nadia wrote carefully.
Still, strangers knew him as:
The Deaf Student From the Fountain.
He hated that phrase most.
“I’m not a fountain,” he said.
“You are definitely not,” I answered.
He rolled his eyes.
Then one night he exploded.
Not at Bryce.
At me.
“You like this.”
I stared.
“What?”
“You like having a case.”
“That’s not fair.”
“You know what to do when there’s evidence.”
He paced.
“Videos. Reports. Names. Lawyers.”
His voice became uneven.
“But when I say I’m angry, you give me procedure.”
I stopped.
He was right.
Again.
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s procedure too.”
He laughed despite himself.
Then started crying.
He took out the broken blue hearing-aid shell.
“Mom bought this.”
“I know.”
“She should be here.”
“I know.”
“I’m tired of everybody calling me brave.”
That one hurt.
“Then don’t be.”
He looked at me.
“You can be furious.”
“You can hate St. Jude’s today.”
“You can transfer tomorrow.”
“Or stay.”
“You can regret staying.”
“You can change your mind.”
“No one gets to turn this into your inspirational origin story.”
Leo sat down.
Then signed instead of speaking.
I wanted to beg.
I watched.
At the fountain. I wanted him to stop.
He swallowed.
I didn't because cameras.
I moved beside him.
Not touching.
Waiting.
He leaned into me first.
There.
Consent even between brothers.
“I’m glad you didn’t have to be brave forever,” I whispered.
He could hear me through the new device.
He nodded.
That was the night recovery actually started.
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Not when the hearing aid arrived.
When he admitted courage had been partly performance too.
