I'd make a deal with god

And I'd get him to swap our places

August 18th, 1983

Michael couldn't move.

Michael couldn't speak.

He couldn't do anything except stare at his brother.

Hanging from an animatronics mouth.

Bleeding out.

And he did that.

He got pushed to the ground as his father pushed past him to reach his son. Michael rested on his knees and stared at the floor. He felt his cheeks getting warm and his eyes stung. He could feel the water leak from his eyes as he let a sob out.

One of his friends walked up to him.
"M-Michael..?" He slowly turned his head to look at him.
"Miles.." he mumbled, his voice shaking. His Chica mask had been discarded on the floor behind him. Miles reached towards Michael's head to take his Foxy mask off. Miles looked at Michael, as Michael trembled. Henry ran up to Michael.
"Michael?! Michael. We gotta go. Are you ok?"

Michael turned his head towards Henry. He shook his head and lunged towards Henry. Burying his face into Henry's chest. He let the hot tears that were in his eyes escape and fall onto his face. Henry held Michael closer to him. Forcing Michael to fix his position so he could breathe. He hiccupped multiple times as he broke down in Henry's arms.

He felt his face go hot as he remembered his friends were standing there watching. He was surprised they haven't ran off yet. He looked in their direction.

Oh.

Well one of them left. He wasn't surprised. He would wanna get out of there too. He looked at the remaining two. They looked back concerned. Michael looked back down and put his face back into Henry's chest. The other two friends walked away. Henry picked Michael up and brought him into his car.

Michael scrunched himself up into a ball the best he could. His sniffles and sobs never stopping.

*

Michael fiddled with his fingers as he sat in the room of his injured brother. His father was.. annoyed, it seemed like. Elizabeth was angry at Michael, and sad because she could potentially lose her younger brother.

A 8 year old with conflicting feelings at the same time was not a fun experience.

At one point Michael was left alone with his brother. He walked up to him.
"Can you hear me? I don't know if you can hear me.. I'm sorry." He couldn't look his brother in the eyes.
"I'd make a deal with god to swap our places. We both know father would like that more." He chuckled weakly, before frowning.

"I love you." He sobbed some more. He kissed his brother's forehead and left the room. He was greeted with his father standing in the doorway.
"How is he?" Michael wiped his eyes and shrugged.
"Good I think."
"What prompted you to do this, Michael?" Michael looked up at him. He thought for a good moment and came up with the answer.

Because he wanted attention.

He wanted love.

But he couldn't say that to his father. No. So instead he shrugged.
"I-I'm not sure." He looked at his feet. His father wouldn't take that as an answer. He attempted to walk away but his father grabbed his shoulder.
"Really?" He asked. Michael shook his head.
"Then why?"
"I'd rather not say." He pushed his fathers shoulder away and walked towards Henry. Who was sitting next to Liz.

"I wish it was you instead," Elizabeth mumbled. Michael heard Her. He thought the same. In fact, he would run up roads, buildings and hills to be in his brother's place.
"Me too." He told her. She turned her head to him with a surprise face.
"What?"
"I wish it was me as much as you do." He raised his voice so he could hear her. He didn't care that Henry was right next to him and was hearing that he wished he almost died. He doesn't care because he does feel like dying. Right now. He just wants to be with his mom. His mom gave him more love in a day then his father had in the past year.