Last One Standing (wattys2017) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Men Are From Mars

I was ninety-nine percent sure that Griffin and Lucas had kept something crucial from me.

Driving to the hospital in an UBER gave me enough time to observe the boys behavior. Both of them kept tapping their feet anxiously against the floor, eyes finding something and focusing until a distant look entered them.

Sixteen and a half years with both boys seated on either side of me, I had learned most of their tells and mannerisms. When Griffin was nervous or anxious, his eyes would dart in every direction, as if he were avoiding direction attention to inanimate objects. He would occasionally bite at his lip if he was over thinking; both of which he was doing now. Lucas was a little harder to catch in the act of keeping something hidden. He had a way of keeping his face wiped clean of emotion, his green eyes staring off into the distance the only indication something was on his mind.

I could tell there was more to Jason's story, something they were exactly keen on me finding out. By the time we got to the hospital, I was ready to fall over and pass out, but my curiosity kept a slight surge of adrenaline rushing through me.

We met James and Johnny in the waiting room, both of which had started to doze off until our arrival. Jamie shot up first, yanking me by the arm and into his embrace before I could escape it.

"What happened?" I asked, tapping on Johnny's shoulder when he started muttering incoherently under his breath.

"Not a lot. Jace just got into a fight with some ass talking shit about Lucas." to say the look that crossed our oldest brother's face was shocked would be the understatement of the year.

"Any critical injuries?" Griffin questioned, bending over to stretch.

"No. They actually released him officially like an hour and a half ago, but he's been hanging around with some kid up in the pediatric care." James answered, rubbing his face with his palms.

"Then why are you idiots still here?" Luke spoke for the first time, slapping a hand against Johnny's shoulder.

"He asked us to wait down here for you guys. Now that you're here, I think we need our beauty sleep." James added, stretching his arms out in front of him.

I was about to speak, but the remainder of the triplets before me planted a kiss on either temple before heading for the automatic doors behind us. We all watched after them in silence, my hands falling limp at my sides.

"Evan." I said what we were all thinking quietly, "He's up there with Evan."

Lucas nodded, but realization didn't register. Griffin wrapped his arm around my waist to support me as my brother got our visitation passes. "Everything's fine, Alex. You couldn't possibly think you'd have him all to yourself forever."

"I didn't want him to be corrupted by the rest of our brothers." I whispered, leaning into his embrace as we boarded the elevator. Lucas squeezed in between us with a satisfied look on his face as we went up a floor. When we exited, Griffin made immature, childishly faces behind my brother's head until a genuine laugh left me.

I quickened my pace so I could catch up with both of them, "Wait for me! Sorry I'm not a giant!" I muttered.

They both stopped and waited until I had stepped between them to continue on. The three of us paused outside Evan's room, eyes trained on the scene inside.

Jason was standing beside Evan's hospital bed, waving one of his football's in the air, his head thrown back in laughter. He showed no more than a bandaged nose and black eye as an indication that he had been in a fight a few hours ago.