Control Alt Delete (A BH6 crossover)

Chapter Thirty Two: I can't do this anymore.

It was dark by the time Hiro finally opened his eyes again. His headache had changed to a less intense throbbing above his ears and temples, though it still hurt. At least it didn't feel like someone was stabbing him anymore. It was nice to just lie there, though his bedding was, once again, twisted.

He had no idea what time it was, and part of him didn't even care. But another part of him said there was somewhere he was supposed to be, though he couldn't remember where. And that bothered him. In fact, everything felt rather bland, like someone had erased something important that he needed to know. He just didn't know what.

"You awake?" Tadashi asked in half a whisper as he moved into view. "How you feeling?"

Hiro groaned as he turned onto his side to better look at his brother. "I've been better. How about you?" Despite the low light, he could still see the discoloring around Tadashi's eye.

Tadashi carefully settled on the edge of the bed. "I'm okay," he answered. "You've slept most of the day away. Though I'm pretty sure you needed it."

That comment brought Hiro to a sitting position in a hurry. "What!" He scrambled to untangle himself from the bedding as images of the showcase shattered through the numbness he'd felt only moments before. "I gotta get to the showcase! They're expecting me! I gotta stop-"

The pressure of Tadashi's hand on his shoulder stopped him from giving away too much. "You're not going anywhere," his older brother admonished. "Besides, I already told the committee you couldn't make it."

"What!" The look in Hiro's eyes was almost frantic as the implications set in. "Why! I need to go to the showcase! I have to give my presentation!" As he spoke, he broke free of his brother's grasp, his gangly legs flailing in agitation. "I gotta stop the fire!"

Before he could get too far, though, Tadashi had grabbed him around the middle and pulled him back onto the mattress. "Hiro, you can't."

Hiro sobbed in his brother's arms, too worn down to apply the proper care to his thoughts or words. "But I gotta protect you! I have to keep you from going into the fire! I can't lose you! I can't lose you! Not again!"

Despite the fear that clenched his heart, Tadashi remained calm. "There isn't any fire, Hiro," he said. "You're just confused, mixing dreams with reality. But it's okay. I'm going to help you figure this out."

Hiro squirmed as the sobs continued to shake his body. All filters were gone now, pure instinct kicking in. "But I have to stop Callaghan!" he protested. "He's going to steal my microbots and set the showcase building on fire! And you're going to run in to save him when he doesn't need saving! And he won't even care!"

Tadashi held his brother more tightly, ignoring his flailing arms and legs. "Shh," he tried to soothe. "Callaghan isn't going to do anything. No one is going to steal your project. And I'm not running anywhere."

The small boy's body continued to shake, though he'd stopped fighting to get free. "But you're going to die! I know you are!" He hiccuped between sobs.

The older Hamada took a deep breath, closing his eyes while he exhaled. "Everyone dies eventually," he said softly, not sure if his brother heard him or not. After all, their parents had died early on. It was all just a matter of time, really. And it wasn't fair for him to promise something he knew would happen eventually. "But I don't plan on dying any time soon," he said, settling on the best answer he could come up with.

"But you will," Hiro said, his voice almost a whisper as the tears continued to flow. He seemed to shiver in his brother's arms, despite still wearing his flannel pajamas. And his breath felt hot against the older Hamada's skin, even though he'd somehow managed to curl up like a pill bug in his lap. His arms had drawn up against his chest, his knees doing the same as he basically sat in fetal position.