Side By Side

6

Warnings:
-None

Clay's POV

I looked down at the letter in my hands and started reading.

Hello, Clay.

It's George writing :) I've been pretty scared these last few weeks, because I never got a sign of life from you or Sapnap. I really hope you're okay and that you'll receive this message.

I want to thank you. Someone who said they were your sergeant came to take us away from the house a few days ago. It will probably take a while for this message to arrive in America, but I'm in the hospital with Karl and his dad while writing this.

Karl had surgery for his arm since he got shot, but it looks like they didn't hit any nerves or other important things. He can slowly move it, but he needs to rest a lot.

I'm wrapped in blankets and the nurses are giving me a lot of food and water because I was dehydrated and malnourished. Since this leader is still after the Jews, a man here made a fake ID for me :) I'm American from now on :p

Anyway, I can't go back to England or Belgium anymore, I'm not sure where to go... Karl's dad is moving back to America and since I lost my parents, I really hope he wants to take me with him.

I don't know if you will ever receive this letter, I really hope you're still alive. Maybe I can go to your place once we go to America, but I don't know if you would want that if you're there.

I think we will be leaving in a few weeks, I hope I can come with them, but I don't think they will leave me alone anyway. I can visit you as soon as I'm in America :)

Much love,
George and Karl <3

I smiled brightly as I looked at Sapnap who had a similar letter. He finished reading it too and lifted his hand. 'Maybe they will come really soon.'

I nodded heavily and looked at my hands to sign to Sapnap. 'They don't even know we are still alive, I feel bad for them.'

Sapnap nodded slowly. 'But once they visit us, I can tell them what happened.'

~ A Few Days Later ~

I laid on the couch while I was lifting the stump from my half amputated leg up and down to practise mobility. It was very difficult in the beginning and I didn't know how to move it well, but it got better each day with help from my doctor.

Sapnap stood in the kitchen while he was practising making food with one arm as he suddenly turned around. I looked at him with a confused face and he smiled.

'The doorbell is ringing,' he signed as he walked to the back. I turned around to see my dad sit behind me on a chair and I reached my hand out to him while he read the newspaper.

'Hello,' I signed with a smile as he looked up.

'Hi, how are you?' he signed back, grabbing my hand with a smile.

'I'm okay, look!' I signed as I lifted myself up, moving my leg slowly.

'Well done,' he signed back, standing up to hug me. 'You're doing great.'

I nodded happily and leaned back again as Sapnap came back with a happy smile with two people behind him. I lifted myself up as Sapnap started signing to me.

'George and Karl are here with Karl's father,' he signed to me as I leaned forwards and lifted myself down the couch.

I pushed myself forwards and looked up at George with a big smile. George started talking, but Sapnap shook his head and said something to George. George nodded and then knelt down in front of me, waving. He looked up at Sapnap and Sapnap signed what he said to me.

'He is asking you how you're doing.'

'I'm okay,' I signed back, lifting my arms up.

Sapnap said something to George and George leaned forwards, picking me up. 'Hug,' I whispered. He seemed to understand what I said and gave me a tight hug, putting me back down on the couch as Karl walked up to us.

His arm was in a sling and he walked to me on the couch, leaning in to give me a hug too. My father shook all their hands and pointed to the couches.

Sapnap put me down in the corner of the couch, sitting next to me so I wouldn't fall down. Everyone started talking to each other and I silently stared at my hands, feeling sad that they were all talking and I couldn't hear anything.

I wanted to tell them stories too, I wanted to hear their voices. I felt alone...

I eventually lifted myself from the couch, pushing myself to my wheelchair. I lifted myself up into it and pushed the wheelchair away since it had a bar I could push myself forwards with.

I was about to go away as Sapnap ran up to me, kneeling down in front of me.

'What's wrong? Don't leave,' he signed to me.

'Everyone is talking to each other anyway, I can't understand what you're saying and it makes me feel sad and alone,' I signed back, sniffing softly from sadness.

Sapnap smiled shortly and wiped the tear that rolled down my cheek. 'I will translate everything they say into sign language, okay? They talk pretty fast, but I will try to translate as much as I can.'

I got shy because he was so sweet to me and he picked me up again to put me back down on the couch. He signed to me that George was going to sit next to me so he'd sit in front of me to translate everything they said and I didn't have to turn my head constantly.

George sat next to me and held me so I wouldn't fall as Sapnap started to sign to me. I constantly watched his hands with the biggest smile on my face. This meant so much to me and I was so glad to have Sapnap as my friend.

Honestly, I didn't even see him as my friend anymore. I saw him as my brother, my actual brother. He lived with us, I loved him like I loved my family. He wasn't my friend, he was my brother.

1062 words