10 Years Ago Today

Chapter 8

After Hael came back with some clothes for Nate, he walked out of the room as Leon looked up from cleaning up the rest of the bottles he had had lying around.

"You feel better? Do they fit you?"

"Yeah, Hael's pretty good with figuring out measurements. So um... why is Hael a dancer? I never really saw him as the type. I thought he'd be more like a baseball player or a personal trainer... or the manager of a GNC or something."

"Things got complicated with our parents and we kind of just went our separate ways. In doing so, Hael ended up doing whatever was going to make them angry or cause an issue."

Nate watched as Leon picked up some mini bottles around the table.

"And... you started drinking?"

"Yeah... Everyone blamed me for your disappearance. 'Why wasn't I paying attention? Why didn't I try harder? Why did I let you go?'... When anything happened it was always my fault for causing the family to fall apart because you were gone and I was to blame. When Aelan had an episode, your disappearance was the reason and I was the cause. Hael did it to me too but mostly just anything I did, I was an asshole and he's jab about me losing you, but he was nothing compared to Mom and Dad. So, to keep from going insane and letting the grief I already had take over me, I drank."

"A lot."

"Yes, you made that clear last night..."

"Sorry... I just... Everything was still such a blur and I guess I was a little prickish."

"No harm done."

"But, how are you not dead from liver poisoning or functioning?"

"High functioning alcoholic, I guess. It never seemed to bother me. Hael on the other hand..."

"Doesn't that mean that you're so past the point of alcoholism that you just function better with it than without?"

"Not necessarily. I just know that I never lost myself or got completely plastered to the point where I didn't know what was going on. I just... lived. I mean, I'm not Superman, so I'm not immune to everything."

"I'm really sorry, Leon."

"Why? It's done now." Leon said with a smile. "With you being here and alive and well, I have no reason to grieve or to punish myself. Today starts a new day for me... slowly. I mean, alcohol is still a drug so... it'll be slow going but now I won't have to have it with every meal."

Nate watched his brother scrunch a beer can and put it in the trash bag he was carrying. He thought he was insignificant but he guess he wasn't.

******************

Leon pulled up to Sacred Halo and turned to Nate.

"We have to do this a little... oddly. Aelan is at a Level 4, which means he only gets to have one visitor now. I would let you go up there by yourself but I'm not sure how he will react and I don't want you to chain react. I talked with Aelan's nurse and he has agree to help sneak you in with me up there as well."

"Won't we get in trouble?"

"Maybe?" Leon said with a shrug. "We killed a fairy last night so... I feel unstoppable, do you?"

Nate smiled and they drove into the facility parking lot. They went into the building and Leon told Nate to go and sit down while he texted Hama that he was there with Nate and to come get him while he went through procedures. Leon went through the same procedures as last time and by the time he was done, Hama had come back to take him.