Letting Him In

Chapter-31

"Oh, I find all my inspiration
Thinkin' about you
I wrote another love song, baby, about you
I've written one for every second without you
It goes like this, oh
It goes like this, oh
I wanna see the whole damn world with you, baby"

-Why Don't We, Love Song.
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Dean

Sitting in the recliner by the hospital bed, Dean narrowed his eyes. He'd been talking to Christian while waiting for Elijah outside the hospital, but it had been cut short when he had arrived. Now, the text his brother had sent him was open on his screen, and it gave him an odd sense of satisfaction to read it. He knew it made him a horrible person, but he couldn't help feeling the way he did.

Chris (3:15 pm): Rick just got arrested for dealing pot to some middle-schoolers.

Rick had been the one to offer Chris his first joint. Rick had helped him resort to drugs instead of asking for help. Rick had been with him when he had overdosed. And Rick had been the one to call Dean.

Even after all that, he had had the audacity to act nonchalant when he had invited Chris to the mall a few weeks ago. It felt like an eternity ago that Dean had threatened Rick. The only thing that had stopped him from punching the guy right there had been Christian pointing out Elijah and dragging Dean over to him.

He didn't know what happened during the time he was talking to Elijah, but am hour later, when Dean and Christian had left to go back home, Christian hadn't said much, other than that he didn't want to meet Rick and the guys again. That had been a relief.

Serves him right. Dean sent the text, and three bubbles popped up on the screen, indicating that his brother was typing.

He looked at Elijah's sleeping figure on the bed. He looked peaceful in his sleep, almost as if he didn't have an IV drip injecting medicine into his veins at the moment. He had fallen asleep ten minutes after Kaeden's mother had set up the drip, and his parents had sat inside for another twenty. In the end, Kaeden's mother had urged them to go get something to eat. They had been hesitant, but Dean had offered to stay with Elijah in case he woke up, and they had reluctantly agreed to go for a bit. Kaeden had gone to talk to his mother, leaving Dean alone in the room with Elijah.

Chris (3:17 pm): you know... you never actually asked me why I said i never wanted to see him again

Dean rolled his eyes. He always found it eerie that he could be thinking about something, and Chris would say the exact same thing not even a minute later.

Nah... I guess I was just relieved you weren't gonna meet him again

You know I hate that bastard

Chris (3:18 pm): he tried convincing me to go smoke a couple joints with him and the guys

Dean swallowed, his grip tightening on the phone until his knuckles were white. He wanted to kill Rick. Hadn't ruining his brother's life once been enough?

I'm killing that fucker if I ever see him again

Christian took a few minutes to respond.

Chris (3:20 pm): you do know that what happened wasn't actually his fault, right? It was my choice, and I let it get too far

That was what killed Dean everytime this conversation happened. Chris blamed only himself. But Dean knew that it wasn't just his brother's, or even Rick's, fault. It had been his own too. He hadn't noticed his brother suffering until it was too late.