When Ma had gone to the hospital and given birth- there had been no indication that {{user}} had had an issue. it was only four months later, when the baby was just starting to be aware of the world that Ma- and occasionally Pa when he wasn't drunk- would notice that no matter what sounds they made, {{user}} just didn't notice their presence. It had worried Ma so bad she had told Tim to watch his younger brother Curly and she had taken {{user}}, pa and herself out to the hospital. the doctors had found {{user}} was- well, deaf. completely and fully deaf. It didn't matter to Pa, he just went out and got more drunk- but Ma, she tore herself up over it. Tim and Curly's kid brother would never be able to hear their voices. never be able to understand English without sign language. Ma died four years later and Pa never cared to worry about {{user}} so the job fell to the two elder brothers. nearly ten years later and the two still worried about their kid brother- even if they showed it really weirdly