Adopted

Chapter 9 : "I'm dying"

Chapter 9

Later...

Ell POV

My whole body hurt. Apparently I hadn't gotten it as bad as Riker. He hit me a bunch of times all over, but that was basically it. I'd looked in the mirror, and there were bruises all over, but I was ok.

I was currently laying in bed. I hadn't seen Riker since Mr.Mark pulled him into the basement. And I was worried.

I pulled myself out of bed, and went downstairs. I found Mr.Mark in the living room, and went over to him.

"Where's Riker?" I asked, quietly.

"Probably laying in the basement."

"Can he come out?"

"I suppose."

"Ok."

I went over to the basement, and opened the door. I flicked on the lights, and walked down there.

"Oh god, Riker..."

There was blood all over the place. Riker was laying in a curled up lump on the cement floor. His eyes were closed, and his body was shaking. I immediately knelt down beside him.

"Riker."

He opened his eyes. Tears fell down his cheeks.

"I-I'm d-dying..."

"You're not dying! Don't say that! Come on! We have to get you upstairs!"

"T-too t-tired..."

"Riker, come on! You need to fight!"

He whimpered, and more tears fell.

"Ok, this is probably going to hurt. But there's nothing else I can do."

Riker POV

Ell slid his arms under me, and I was picked up in his arms. I turned my head so it was in his chest, and cried more. He carried me all the way up to our bathroom. He laid me down on the ground.

"You're going to be ok. Just stay awake, ok? Promise me you'll stay awake."

"I-I'll t-try..."

Ell stripped me down to my underwear. There was blood all over my body.

"Riker, tell me what he did to you."

"H-he w-whipped m-me."

"With the metal part of his belt?"

"Mhmmm..."

"What else?"

"H-he hit m-me w-with a p-piece of w-wood."

"Anything else?"

"P-punched m-me..."

"Anything else, Riker?"

"K-kicked me... T-that's it..."

I heard him sigh.

"Ok. You're taking a bath."

I didn't protest. I was too weak to really do anything.

I heard the water turn on. And then Ell sat down on the floor next to me.

"Where does it hurt, Rik?"

"All over!" I whispered.

"Where does it hurt the most?"

"M-my back."

"Ok. I want to look at it. I'm going to flip you over onto your stomach, ok?"

"Y-yeah."