BROKEN THINGS

4

Rahul's voice was tiny, impossibly fragile, "Dada?"

Sourav shuddered with relief, "Yes JamJam, Dada,". He gently pushed his hair away from his forehead.

Rahul stared at him unblinkingly, dazed and muted until Sachin shifted him, to hold him better against his chest. Rahul slowly looked up at the movement, peering at Sachin's face. Sachin smiled hesitantly at him. Rahul blinked back owlishly, his shivering eased into complete stillness.

Rahul looked extremely confused, as if unable to understand what was happening. He was looking around the room slowly now, slowly coming back to his senses. Sourav followed his gaze. He was surprised to find that they were not alone; so busy he had been in trying to kill Chappel and then revive Rahul, he had not noticed when they had all come. There was somebody from the hotel, standing looking horrified in the corner. He could recognize the face of one of their logistics guy, there was somebody from their security team standing beside the locked door, a phone in hand. He was rapidly speaking something with someone but Sourav was too distracted to register what. Anil was standing in the far right, over a twitching, groaning body. Chappel. A wave of spiteful fury filled him. He couldn't even see the man alive. He had genuinely wanted to kill the fucker. And had Anil not stopped him he would have. Had Rahul not needed him.

He looked back at his brother. Rahul was staring at Chappel too, his half lidded eyes unblinking. He didn't look alive. Sourav covered his line of vision and moved infront of his eyes, making him look back into is eyes. Rahul blinked once, a droplet of blood inching down his eyebrow very near his lashes. Sourav wiped it away. In that second, Rahul snapped back into the real world.

"Wha's happenin?" his words were slurring, Sourav couldn't tell if it was because of the swelling on his jaw or the bumps on his head. Sachin was running his hand through his scalp, looking for any other injuries. Rahul tried to sit up, head swiveling everyway confused "W'as goin on?" he looked at Sourav, frowning heavily, "Why are you here?"

Sourav tried to not feel stung. Rahul was not in his senses.

"Are you okay?"

"Am okay," Rahul frowned and tried to free himself from their grip, trying to sit up on his own. As soon as he sat up, he doubled over gasping, clutching his abdomen and nearly fell back to the floor had they not caught him.

"Check under his shirt. He must be hurt there," Anil spoke up from behind him.

Rahul tensed up at the words, still clutching his abdomen, "Am fine,".

Sachin, who was holding him from behind to prevent him from collapsing, tried to lift it, "You are not fine. We need to see what all injuries are there so we can list them better at the hospital,".

Rahul held his shirt down and started trying to escape their hold, "No. No hospitals. Am fine,". The shivering which had disappeared only minutes ago was back in full force. Rahul was trembling, looking like a wild cornered animal. On another day Sourav might have felt bad for him but he was in no mood for fucking tantrums. He grabbed Rahul's wrists and pulled them away.

"We'll be the judge of that," he hissed as Sachin tried to lift his shirt again.

"NO!" Rahul thrashed, eyes back to wide blown panic. His breathing was quickening again to an unsustainable pace.

"Rahul stop! You will hurt yourself!" Sourav snapped, trying to keep a hold on his hands. He instantly regretted snapping as Rahul bodily flinched back from him, terror clear in his eyes. He was about to apologize when Sachin, finding an opening in Rahul's terror, tugged his shirt up to his neck.

Sourav's words died in his throat, his breath caught in his chest as he stared at the sight infront of him. Around his ribs, there seemed to be another swelling, his entire stomach area was covered in angry purple bruises. It seemed like he had only caught the very end of Chappel's assault for Rahul's torso had been physically painted into a splotchy canvas of blue, purple and green.