Heartbeat

Hey brother!

Heartbeat chapter 18

Joe's POV

December 14- 9:30 am

The night was full of emotions for me. I cried like a baby last night feeling all that maternal love that Andrea showed me. It's so unfair that mom never hugged us in that way… maybe she never loved us and had us just because of the company, to have descendents, and this brokes me into a million pieces.

And now I have this situation with my brother. No one has heard about him in a long time and I'm about to call the police to look after her.
I'm getting home and I see someone pushing hard the interphone of one of the apartments, seemingly desperate.

I get out of the car and my breath stops.

– Josh?

The man looks around and a wave of relief invades my soul.

For the first time in 3 years I'm looking at my brother. He cautiously walks in my direction.

– Joe, please help me– That's all he says before broke into sobs, falling to his knees. I close our distance and help him to get up and hug him. When he calms down a little I open the gate and drag him to the elevator. He's clearly weak and severely dehydrated. Maybe he ran away a few days ago judging his hygiene. He has coldburns in his hands and cheeks, but at least he doesn't seem hypothermic.

– You are at home now, Josh, I'm going to help you. Let's take care of you, uh?

– Hungry…– he mumbles and I nod.

– Of course, but before you eat something we need to change these clothes. You have cold burns and this jacket is full of melted snow. 

– I'm freezing.

– Do you need help to take a bath?

He nods.

– My legs are weak… I've been walking the last 3 days. Marriage would be today, I can't Joe.

I see he has a slow speech, which is probably for the lack of food and water.

– Shh, don't need to explain anything. Save your energy. Look, I'll get you some warm clothes and help you with a bath, and then give you a hot soup.We can talk when you are back to your old self.

He just nods to me and I quickly grab a towel and a pair of soft warm clothes for him. It's a bit awkward for me to bathe him, but he's my little brother and is sick, so I'll just shake my discomfort off for his sake.

I feel my phone blinking with a text but I can't answer now. Probably Taylor's text, but she's going to understand and she's also busy with her family.

I put a chair under the shower so he can sit and change his clothes.

– let 's go, man.– I say to a half asleep Josh. I want to scream to the rooftops with my parents to make him go through this shit.

He barely groans while I carry him to the bathroom. I sit him and push down his trousers and boxers, throwing them in the trash basket before doing the same with the t-shirt.

– Aaaaah, I'm freezing!– He yells when he's all undressed, and I turn on the water over him. He can barely clean himself, so I have to help him do it on his legs. That's when I notice he might have rabdomiolisis. Damn, this is bad.

– Josh, you have to go to the hospital, man. Your legs are swollen and painful, you walked way too much and you are dehydrated. I'm going to help you change and head you to the hospital. They will give you food there.

When I finish dressing him I notice he's starting to get a fever. When he's all dressed I grab my phone and text Taylor.

Love, can't see you today, my brother isn't okay. I will call you later to explain everything. At least he's alive.