brotherly love

Control

Dave never got around to making the appointment for Derek to get his pacemaker. He was too caught up with himself and the wedding and dealing with trying to get a job. He found a flyer as he was walking downtown to meet his wedding planner. He read it inside his head with a great voice. 

"JOIN THE MILITARY. WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE YOU. TAKE A TAB AND CALL US WHEN YOU ARE READY."

Dave pulled the tab from the flyer, looked at the number, and quickly pulled out his cell phone. He dialed the number quickly, almost as if he had known the number by heart. A stern man answered the phone and stated his name and title.

"General Drake, recruiting officer. May I help you"

"Hello, yes, I saw your flyer for recruiting?"

"Ah, yes. What's your name?"

"Dave. Dave Strider."

"Age?"

"22."

"Gender?"

"Male."

"Location?"

"Houston, Texas."

"You're in my town. Meet me as soon as you can."

The recruiting officer hung up and Dave put his phone away. He stared for a moment and looked around for the National Guard office. After a bit of walking, Dave had found it. He walked in and anxiously asked for General Drake. A man appeared from the back of the building. He came from behind the counter, towering over Dave. Dave shook anxiously, displaying his hand to shake the general's hand. General Drake shook Dave's hand firmly and smiled very faintly at him. He asked for Dave to follow him and Dave complied.

He stepped into an office and looked around as the general sat behind a desk. He sat in the chair in front of the desk. General Drake began to speak with the same stern voice Dave heard over the phone.

"I'm glad you called when you did. We need people right now. You'll be shipped off to boot camp tomorrow."

"Tomorro-I mean, okay, sir."

General Drake nodded and dismissed Dave. Dave walked quickly out of the the office and took a deep breath once he stepped outside. Tears began to form in his eyes. He had no idea how he was going to break the news to Derek. He walked to a bus stop and waited for his bus. Tears fell down his cheeks as he sat on the bus. He was excited, but this meant the wedding would have to be postponed until Dave could get back. 

He walked into his home where he was shocked to find that Derek tried to cook dinner. The smell of burning seemed to have slapped him in the face. He looked around and closed the door quickly.

"Derek? Honey? Where are you?!"

Smoke burned his eyes as he made his way into the kitchen. He found a burning pot of spaghetti noodles and burnt sauce. He quickly turned the burners off and put the cookware in the sink and immediately began washing them. After washing the pots out, he turned the kitchen fan on, trying to clear the smoke out. He opened the kitchen window and the smell began to fade. The smoke cleared out and he looked around his house for Derek.

"Babe? Seriously, where are you? I need to talk to you."

He looked in his room and saw a note on his bed from Derek. He picked it up and began to read slowly.

"Dave, if you are looking around for me, I am at my favorite bar. Dinner's on the stove. Love you."

"God fucking dammit he almost burned the fucking house down! I can't leave him on his own. He'd be fucking homeless before I come back."

Dave sighed and sat on his bed. There was clothed everywhere, both his and Derek's. The whole house was a general mess. He had an idea that he would finish in no time.