I am h*cking back. I haven't updated in like a year. sorry. but here it is (:
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(Vic's pov)
"Victor Fuentes?" My head shoots up at my name, the rest of my body following. I hold my breath without any conscious effort, anxious about what news the nurse has to share. Smiling slightly, she motions for me to come over to her, and I oblige slowly. Quietly, she says, "Your brother, Michael, is awake; a little drowsy and slow, but awake. You're all signed in, so if you wish to see him, I can walk you to his room." I nod feverishly in response.
My mouth and throat collectively dry up as I follow her through a hall, past rooms full of sick people. Some of those people are dying, and they won't be able to get help, they won't ever live to see their families again... I'm so relieved that Mike is actually okay; if he wasn't, I don't know what I would do. I know it's a selfish thought, comparing him to everyone who won't be walking out, but consider it a coping mechanism. As we finally make it to his room, she pushes the door open without making a noise, motioning for me to go ahead in.
I step in slowly, unsure if I even want to see Mike in his current state. Even thinking about him lying on a hospital bed, high on medications that are keeping his blood flowing disgusts me to the point of throwing everything I ate back up. I stand beside his bed and tears well up in my eyes at the sight of him, but mostly the IVs in his arms and tubes in his nostrils, flowing down his throat. His eyes are shut, but the rising and falling of his chest is steady, to my relief.
I grab his hand, despising the lack of warmth it brings to my own, and swallow down the lump in my throat. His eyes open and I let out a small sigh, watching as he painfully tries to smile. "Hi, Mike," I say, barely above a whisper. "I know it's kind of a stupid question, but how are you feeling?" The smallest, bitter chuckle leaves his lips and his hand tightens around mine.
"Like shit," he responds, his grip loosening once more. He yawns and sits back slightly, closing his eyes. "I know what you're thinking, by the way, and I don't want to hear it." I gnaw on my bottom lip, figuring he won't want a lecture in his current state. "I'm not going to make any excuses, either. The doctor can tell you everything," he continues, slowing down at the end. His breathing slows as he nods off to sleep.
I nervously glance around at my surroundings, hoping to spot somebody who can explain what happened. The nurse returns to the small room, holding a glass of water in her hand. She smiles apologetically at me and steps closer to Mike. "He fell asleep," I inform her in a mumble. I sniff quietly and ask her where a doctor is, thanking her after she replies. I follow her simple instructions of just waiting for the doctor to come check up on Mike, sitting down in stiff a chair relatively close to his bed.
The doctor, a woman with long, light red hair and pale skin, approaches me with another one of those apologetic smiles, nodding for me to stand up. "Victor?" she inquires. I nod in reply, shaking her hand. "I'm Dr. Victoria, it's nice to meet you. This is your brother, yes?" she questions, pointing the back of a pen at Mike.
"Yeah, we live together," I reply. She nods, a sympathetic look on her face. "I'm not exactly sure what happened, either. I was running errands and when I came home he was on the floor, passed out," I explain, shame creeping into my voice. "So I brought him here, and that's all I know." It's not entirely true, but also not far enough away from the truth for them to hold me if push comes to shove.
"Well, in the time he's been here, we were able to get him on some medication, but it wasn't easy. He had an extreme allergic reaction to the heroin in his bloodstream, and you're lucky he even lived through it. There were other drugs in his system, as well, so we had to pump his stomach. As of now, he's better, just very tired," Dr. Victoria explains, flipping through pages attached to a clipboard in her hand. "My only question is where he managed to get a hold of such heavy drugs." The look she gave me could have shattered diamonds, and it probably didn't help that I genuinely had no clue what she was talking about. Mike isn't the best kid per se, but he isn't a druggie, right?
"What did you mean by other drugs?" I inquire curiously. "What else was he taking?" Dr. Victoria takes a breath, slowly letting it out in a drawn out sigh.
"Well, there were some prescribed pills, strong ones, but I don't believe they were prescribed for Michael," she replies, shaking her head. "You do realize that abusing those pills and being in possession of the heroin is illegal, correct?" I nod slowly, letting her words sink in. I actually hadn't even thought about the law until now, and the anxiety the thoughts bring me certainly won't be missed once this all passes.
"Although, I don't believe the hospital is going to get you in any trouble, considering our job is to help your brother instead of hurt him further," she continues. I let out a breath of relief, thanking her. "Just be warned that if the police find anything, you will both undoubtedly be put behind bars." A more worried look surfaces. "So I suggest you and your brother get your acts in order."
"Yes, I know," I say quietly. I run a hand through my hair before speaking again. "How long does Mike have to stay here before he is allowed to go home?"
"Another day or so and he should be ready to leave," she responds to my question, offering a tiny smile. "I advise that you go home and rest while your brother gets some rest as well. I know how tiring all of this can be, Victor."
"Thank you." I turn to the unconscious Mike, frowning slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mike," I say quietly, even if he can't hear me. I leave the room and then make sure everything is in order before I begin my journey home.
I begin the drive to the daycare I left Copeland at for the time being, smiling when I see the grinning baby. I'm absolutely pissed at Kellin for keeping that goddamn box, especially in a place where Mike could easily get to it; but I can't be mad at his sweet daughter. I make sure she's all checked out before placing her in her car seat and driving home.
Kellin should be home, or at least on his way home, and I'll have some choice words with him once Copeland is down for a nap or occupied with some of her toys. I don't particularly want to voice my anger in a violent way, because I know all too well what it's like to be on the receiving end of the pain. Not like I would ever hurt Kellin...He just found a way to truly piss me off, and what happened is absolutely ridiculous. I just want him to be fully aware of what he's done.
• • •
"There you are!" Kellin yells, quickly getting up off the couch and rushing over to me. "I was starting to get worried since literally nobody was home and there was no note left for me." He stops rambling and takes Copeland out of my arms, bouncing her slightly in his own, and cooing to her in a high voice. He kisses her cheek as I remain silent, scared that if I speak, nothing positive will pass my lips. He glances up at me and I offer a fake smile before walking away towards the kitchen.
Of course, that doesn't work, and he follows my relocation. "Hey, are you feeling alright?" he asks, stepping close to me. "You seem angry, or sick." I shake my head, grabbing a water bottle out of our fridge. When I close the door, Kellin is still staring at me. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Kellin," I insist, walking over to the table. He follows me like a dog at my heels, curiously observing my actions. "Will you stop following me?" I snap as I sit down, beginning to get annoyed with him. He makes a confused face and sits down at the seat across from me.
"Let me just skip the bull; why are you being a dick?" he questions, apparently forgetting about the baby in his lap with his choice of words. I flash him a confused look before opening my water and taking a sip, reattempting to ignore him. Yet, I don't think that's really going to happen, since he obviously can't live without having attention. What a fucking baby. "Seriously, Vic, what's your problem?" he urges.
"Nothing is my problem," I say, getting back up. "And watch what you're saying in front of your daughter, she might end up being very talkative," I snap before attempting to walk away from him yet again. Go figure he follows me, holding his daughter to his chest as I walk upstairs. I sit down on the bed and begin taking my shoes off, annoyed when Kellin stands over me, continuing to watch every little action I make. "Kellin, stop staring at me," I say, tossing my shoes towards my closet.
"What's wrong with me looking at you? You know I think you're attractive," he says, stepping a tad closer to me. "I just wanna know what your problem is today. I mean, this morning Mike was being a dick, now it's you." I freeze up at my brother's name, pausing my motion of taking off my jacket. After a second, I pull it off quickly, throwing it on the floor.
"I'm not being a jerk," I say, making a big deal out of watching my language in front of Kellin's young daughter. "If you want to actually talk about this, you should wait until your daughter can't hear us, because you clearly aren't understanding the concept of children repeating what they hear." With that, I stand and walk back downstairs, far past the point of being annoyed.
When I get the chance, Kellin is going to be fully aware of what's been happening right under both of our noses.