Symphony for the Lost

Searing

When I woke up, I was in a hospital room just like the one from the first time I was attacked. Gilbert was on one side of me and Alfred was on the other next to...
Oh shit.
"Jean?"
"Hey, Dad." Jean-Paul smiled at me. I blinked, confused. Gil and Alfred hadn't met him yet. They weren't ever supposed to.
How did they even contact him?
"Al,"
"Me and Jean-Paul have been texting."
"How-"
"I stole your phone while they were giving you surgery." Alfred set the device on the little table by my bed.
"Al..."
"What? I wanted to talk to your kid. And besides, he's pretty cool!"
I let out a deep breath.
"You shouldn't have..."
"You mean he should have left me in the dark while my father was in the hospital, dying?"
"I wasn't dying..." I looked to Gil, but the German only got up without a word and left the room. I blinked in confusion.
"You almost did. You flatlined and the doctors were about to give up but you came back just in time." Alfred wiped at his eyes. "Gil was ready to murder one of the doctors for making the death call."
"I..." There were no words. I didn't want Gilbert to go through this. "How long was I out?"
"You got stabbed about twenty four hours ago."
"How long until I get to go home?"
"The twenty third." Alfred tilted his head to the side.
"Shit. I need more time..." My mind started whirring, trying to make a plan.
"For what?"
"I need to get Gil something for Christmas."
"Buy him a six pack."
"It has to be better than that." I heard my heart monitor starting to pick up. I was panicking.
"Hey," Alfred took my hand. "Gil will love anything you give him."
"I know. But a six pack? Really Al?"
"Okay, what do you want to get him?"
"I don't know..."
Alfred chuckled. "How much money do you have?"
"Fifty bucks..."
"You earned all that from sucking dick?"
"Gil told you?"
"Of course he did. My little brother was selling himself again. I need to help him."
I groaned, sinking deep into my pillows, shame taking me over.
"Look, I'll buy something for under fifty bucks and then you can pay me back."
"But it wouldn't be the same-"
"I'll FaceTime you when I'm at the mall. You don't need to worry so much." My twin ruffled my hair and Jean-Paul smiled at me.
"Fine. Thanks."
"No problem!"
"Uh..." Gilbert stumbled back into the room, eyes red and focussed on the ground. "I'm sorry for just leaving like zhat."
I threw him a smile and held out my hand.
He returned to my bedside and wrapped his arms around me, sobbing into my neck. I rubbed his back and hushed him until he eventually passed out.
"Oh...uh..." Jean-Paul spoke up. "I'm moving in with you guys after Christmas."
"What?!"
"I already talked with my parents and Gil and they said it was okay."
"But-"
"It'll be good for you, trust me." Alfred said. "Remember how much better you were when you had to take care of Kuma."
I looked over at Gil, who was now hanging off me, snoring and drooling into my thin hospital gown. He probably wanted a family. But I couldn't give that to him.
"Okay, fine. But only if this is okay with your social workers."
"I already checked."
He must really want to stay with us.
A nurse entered the room holding a clipboard. "Visiting hours are over." She said. Alfred sighed sadly.
"Do you want to stay at my place tonight, Jean?"
"Mhm." My son nodded and stood from his chair. I nudged Gil awake and gave him the unfortunate news.
He wiped his eyes and mouth off, looking ready to fall apart. After dropping a long, lingering kiss upon my lips, he whispered a lonesome "goodbye" and followed the rest of my family out of the room.
"Do you need anything else, Mr. Williams?" The nurse asked.
"Um..." What I really needed was to go home, to curl up in front of me tv with Gilbert and a giant mug of cocoa. But that wasn't exactly something the nurse could provide. So I said the closest think I could think of to that distant dream. "Just water, thanks."