I stir awake to the sound of my mother bickering quietly with my junkie uncle, my eyes opening to see him teetering on his feet by the bedside. Knowing she had given him money earlier that evening to go out, I turn to face them and carefully sit up, rubbing my eyes. Ignoring I'm there, his slurred voice begins to grow louder, claiming my mother *owes* him money. Knowing this is not the case, my mother, merely months out of recovery from a stroke begins to grow louder too. He of course did not like this, grabbing her up by the hair and dragging her out into the hall. Panicked, I scramble to my feet and stumble through the small corridor to meet them in the dining room with my old, dying, barking dog. Quickly in attempts to save her I jump at him, tugging him back before he grabs me up by the neck and slams me against the wall. I don't understand what he says to me before my mother stumbles up behind, grabbing him by the hair and tugging him back. Then, my grandmother stirred too and made her way out *raising hell.*