Step-Brothers

~Chapter Thirty~

Mrs Mell snaps her head to look at him.

"M-Michael, gising ka ba?? Makipag-usap sa akin, anak na lalaki, mangyaring!" Michael makes a noise and clenches both hands.

"Michael, Michael please," he wants him to wake up so badly. He makes another strangled sound and slowly opens an eye. Jeremy might cry again.

"Michael!!!"

"Quit yellin... My head hurts..."

"Oh Michael, oh my baby, thank God! I've got to call your brother, oh dear." Jeremy squeezes his hand. Mrs Mell kisses his hand and gets up to call Sam. Michael looks at Jeremy. Jeremy had forgotten about what had happened between them. But it hits him.

"Michael.... I'm so sorry..."

"... I forgive you." Jeremy doesn't think he should. Not after what he did.

"Really? Even after I made you do this?"

"You aren't the only factor in this decision. I did this. Did you get too angry over something that could've been worse? Did you bust my hands up? Did you put that bottle in my hand? No. I did."

"But I'm the one who started it all. I'm the one that made you mad enough to hurt yourself..."

"I was on my rut. Any other time and the worst I'd have done was yell. It was... Bad timing." Jeremy pauses but nods slightly. His eyes watering. He still can't help but think that he made Michael want to off himself. On his rut or not.

"Please.. don't do this again.. don't hurt yourself again..." hypocrite.

"I can't promise you that." he swallows painfully. Jeremy closes his eyes. He's trying not to let the tears fall.

"But I do forgive you. I'm not gonna lose you over this."

"I can't lose you over this...... Michael, could you hear me talking to you when you were asleep?"

"Occasionally."

"What..... what all did you hear? Do you remember?"

"I remember you saying you'd kill yourself if I died." Jeremy goes quiet. Not looking at Michael. That's the one thing he didn't want him to remember.

"That's the only thing I remember. That's the number one reason I'm still here."

".....I love you Michael.."

"I love you more than you'll ever know, Jeremy." Mrs Mell comes back in.

"Samuel is on his way, how are you feeling, Michael?"

"Hurts. My hands, my head, my throat." Jeremy stays next to him. He's barely ever left that spot. He's barely even eaten, Evan had to bring him clothes to shower because he refused to leave Michael's side.

"I feel like I haven't eaten in years. My stomach hurts, my arms hurt."

"Dear, and you're so pale... Jeremy looks the same way, you haven't been eating, have you, love?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine.." Michael looks at him.

"When's the last time you ate?" Jeremy doesn't like that they're worrying about him. Michael's the one in the bed.

"I don't know... 2 days ago?"

"Jeremiah Heere, you need to eat something."

"Don't worry about me Michael. You're the one who's in the hospital bed."

"And you're the one I don't want ending up in one, you need to fuckin eat!"

"Michael."

"I will okay?"

"Okay. Please do." Sam comes in soon after that.

"Michael, bro I'm so glad you're awake."

"That makes one of us."

"Michael Mell."

"Dude.... Mikey..."

"It hurts, Sammy, being awake hurts. It wasn't this bad when I was out."

"It'll get better. You'll get better."

"God I hope so."

"Do you want anything to eat?"

"Yes. Something, anything. And something for Jeremy too."

"Alright. Jeremy?"

"Anything is fine."

"how long... How long have I been out, by the way?"

"Almost a week.."

"Jesus..."

"Yeah. It's been a really rough week for all of us."

"... Sorry."

"It's fine. You're here, you're awake now. It's all that matters."

"Jared and Evan been up at all this week?"

"Yeah, They've been here at least once a day."

"That's nice..."

"Yeah, they care about you a lot."

He sighs. "Told him I did something stupid..."

"He said he knew exactly what you meant when you said that. That's why he was in a hurry to bring me down and all that.."

"God... I feel horrible."

"It's alright. It's all okay." Same comes back with their food. Jeremy isn't excited about it really.

"Thanks. You're amazing, Sam."

"Anything for my little bro." He had gotten them burgers from the hospital cafeteria. It was the closest thing. Jeremy doesn't really dig right in like Michael does. Michael is desperate for something to eat, even if it hurts to wolf it down the way he does.

"Michael, doesnt that hurt?"

"Mhm. A lot. "

"Maybe you should slow down..."

"Nope." Jeremy gives him a stern/concerned look.

"I need to put it inside my body, there's nothing in there, my stomach hurts so fuckin much."

"Just.... don't choke, okay?"

"Mhm." Michael chows down and finishes his burger in no time. On the other hand Jeremy barely finishes half of his.

"Jer, you gotta eat it."

"I'm trying. It's just.. hard to eat when you're not hungry." He's starving.

"You've gotta be hungry, Jer. No food for two days? You've gotta be hungry."

"But I'm just not."

"You still have to eat it. Put food in your body."

"I can't. I can't take another bite."

"Jeremy, baby. Please." Jeremy hesitates. He knows what's gonna happen if he does take another bite. He just sits there a moment. Staring at it.

".....you should have it Michael. You haven't had food in almost a week."

"I've been on an IV, I've been taken care of. You haven't."

"Michael-"

"Jeremy, you're starving yourself."

".........."

"You have to eat. If you can't eat it now, promise you'll eat it later." Jeremy nods. He's gonna try.