Levi’s estranged mother, Sandra Bernstein.

“I didn’t notice this before, but that drunk chick who hit you guys had the same maiden name as your last name.” The doctor said, his head cocked to the side. “Do you know a Sandra Bernstein?”

Levi hesitated at the sound of her name, but let out a pained, frustrated sigh.

It was his mother, formerly known as Sandy Strong to his family.

About four years prior, she up and suddenly abandoned him and his stepdad Frank. His biological father died before he was born, but Frank was a good enough of a replacement. However, while things seemed good on the outside as far as their relationship was concerned, Frank and Sandy fell out of love.

Why she decided to leave and not take Levi with her, he still wasn’t completely sure, but it might’ve had something to do with the rich Jewish lawyer she’d been having an affair with before they moved across the state.

Some people just weren’t cut out for motherhood, Levi rationalized. He never really felt that she was a warm and comforting person to confide in when he was having issues in his youth, and wasn’t nearly as devastated as Frank when she bailed on them. However, just about a year ago, Frank passed away from a heart attack, leaving Levi to start working a part-time job after school before he was actually 18 and live in an old duplex that the young man rented from Frank’s older brother, someone he had only met a few times in his life and shared no real connection with.

About six months ago, Levi heard from that same man, in passing, that the lawyer his mom ran away with had died.

He didn’t know how, and he didn’t care enough to ask his Uncle George when it was brought up.

All Levi knew was that his mom had become filthy rich overnight, and being that she didn’t reach out to him after that, he figured that she was too busy living her own life to bring him back into it.

“Well, this is boring.” The doctor said, tossing the clipboard onto Levi’s sore legs. “I’m going to head out now.”

Levi sighed again.

At least when he wakes up, hopefully even his crappy life will have been nothing but a dr-

Before he could finish his thought, the door to his room swung open.

“That’s him, officers!” A nurse shouted, pointing at the doctor. “That’s the doctor who stole all of our morphine!”

“Put your hands in the air!” One of the two officers shouted, both of them raising their guns. “Don’t make us shoot!”

“Jesus Christ…” The doctor sighed and raised his hands. “First of all, I’m not a doctor.”

“Turn around and put your hands on your head!”

“Second of all…” The not-doctor said, not complying with orders. “I’m an engineer.”

“Turn around, put your hands on your head, and get down on your knees!”

“Lastly, and most importantly…” He began, the brought his hands together and reached into one of the sleeves of his white coat. “Finders keepers.”

The man must’ve done something, because he suddenly vanished, completely gone.

The nurse and the cops started freaking out after that, asking where he went, who he was, and how he disappeared.

Levi just wanted everyone shut up so he could go back to sleep and wake up somewhere else, still believing it all to be a hallucination.