Connected Lives (a Les Twins FanFiction)

Chapter 10

Five hours after Sarah Ember had booked her flight to Paris, Larry and Laurent's beloved mother and oldest sister, Elodie, had disembarked from theirs. Mama B now had a quaint home in the South of France that her boys had bought for her. They had bought one for Elodie also, so their mama wouldn't be lonely. She had kept her cramped little home in Seychelles though. They were good boys to take such care of her, but she often pined for the familiar faces and familiar streets of her home. She spent most of her time there and visited her mediterranean cottage like one would a fancy vacation home. Much like she had been doing when she received the call about Laurent. She had been unsettled for days, worried for her boys. Then again, it seemed that all she did now was worry for them. So when Elodie had answered her phone and the blood had drained from her face, Mama B knew. She had made her way to a chair and sunk into it, the woven wicker biting her bottom and legs through her thin linen pants.

"...absolutely, yes...yes, right now...thank you Thea, we will be there soon." Elodie ended the call and looked at her mother. "Maman, we need to go to Paris right away." She walked forward and squatted down in front of her, taking her hands, "no one has died mama, don't worry, but..."

"...mon Laurent a des problèmes que son frère ne peut pas bien faire."

"Yes Mama. Thea has a private plane waiting for us." Elodie never ceased to be amazed at her mother's intuition when it came to her children, she thought it might even be psychic.

That's how it happened that she was standing here now watching Thea - such a lovely girl - step out of a sleek, black luxury car with a tight smile and eyes wide straining to hold back tears. She all but ran to her and embraced her tightly.

"I was planning on taking you straight to the boys, unless you..."

"No dearheart, I would go only to my Laurent and my Larry."

In the car Thea told her and Elodie what had happened. She apologized over and over for not calling her sooner, but Mama B reassured her that there is only the right time. She was here now so this was the right time. But as they pulled up to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital she couldn't help feeling afraid for her son and upset that Larry had kept all of this from her. Elodie was incensed at Larry and wanted to get ahold of him. She would have too but for her mother's admonition that it was not her place.

"Mama," Elodie said softly, placing a warm hand on her arm, "we are here."

Mama B gave a simple nod and patted her daughter's hand. Thea led them at a brisk pace through the maze of halls until at last she stopped a door identical to the others save the number 1288 stuck on the wall next to it. She allowed herself a tiny smile. December 1988. She was a woman who sought symmetry, balance. It allowed one to keep perspective. She motioned for the others to stay outside, took a calming breath and pushed open the door. There was a silent moment after she stepped into the room, the length of a breath, where she took in the image of her sons, her beautiful twin souls. Laurent was quiet and still in the bed with Larry beside him eyes closed, gripping his brother's hand and holding it to his forehead. A knot rose from her heart to her throat. She allowed herself that brief moment of weakness before turning her entire being over to healing her sons.

Larry raised his head at the soft click of the door closing. When he saw Maman standing there it was as if a dam broke, letting loose of all that lay behind it. His face, pale with exhaustion, crumpled and a hoarse wail escaped his lips.

"Mami, oh god...Mama...he won't wake up, he won't open his eyes! Mama...please...just wake him up, please..." His desperate sobs filled her ears and she flew to him, gathering him in her arms, hugging him to her breast, letting her heartbeat soothe him. He wrapped one long arm around her soft middle as he cried but never loosened his hold on Laurent's hand.

"Shh, shh, my beautiful son. Shh." she whispered until Larry's sobs had ceased. She moved her hands to his sunken cheeks and pushed him gently back so she could see his eyes. "Now it is time to remember that all bad things have good in them. I am here now to care for Laurent and you sweet son. Tell me what made your brother's spirit this way. Why is he separate from it sometimes?"

Larry rose and had his mother take his seat next to Lau while he pulled over another chair. For a while he watched her hold Lau's hand in hers, stroking his fingers and palm, moving her hands up his arm to his face. She moved her fingers over the planes of his face, along the tubes and tape, tracing his features and brushing back his unkempt hair. She sang to him his favorite Creole song, the one he always wanted to hear as a child. Larry closed his eyes and listened to her wonderful voice. After a time she looked at Larry.

"Tell me what has happened."

He realized that he didn't know how much Thea had told her, so he started at the fight and how he was the reason that Laurent was laying here unconscious. His guilt and sorrow were so deep her could not look at his mother.

"Larry, this is not your fault." He started to protest but Mama B wouldn't allow it, "No, no. You listen to Mami. Laurent was thinking wrong when he made this mistake. It was he, not you."

Larry kept his eyes on the floor as he nodded, "I know Mami, I wish so many times that we couldn't share our thoughts, but this time...why didn't he share himself with me this time?" He paused to gather his thoughts then pressed on. "This new life we have, it seems amazing, but it's not good for us. It's really not good for Lau. He pushes too hard and he won't stop. He doesn't sleep enough and he goes too hard in practice. He got hurt Mama, and I told him he needed to rest, see a doctor, but he wouldn't do any of that. Not until things were so bad. All this fame has hurt him, body and mind. I want our life back Mama, I want him back but I am so scared he won't come back to me."

"Do not worry yourself anymore my son, he will come back and you can heal each other. But now it's time for you to go home, to sleep, to rest, while I care for my other sweet son. Now go, Elodie and Thea are outside." 

With that Mama B had turned her entire focus to Laurent. Larry had been dismissed. Mama was wrong about Elodie and Thea waiting though, he walked out to an empty hallway. He was so beyond exhausted that he just stood there squinting in the bright light, slightly bewildered. Well, I guess I could walk home, it's not far. I think. Or a taxi, that would be good, Thea could call one... Just then Elodie walked up to him. Whoa, where did she come from? Larry loved all of his nine siblings, but apart from Laurent, he loved Elodie the most. And he knew she loved him equally. Except possibly right now, he thought when he saw her expression.

"You idiot," she cried, then threw her arms around his skinny frame, squeezing tightly. "You idiot Larry! I would have been here for you both, always!"

"I know Elodie, I'm sorry for that, for a lot of shit. Our life kind of got fucked up, but Mami says it's going to be okay..."

Her brother looked so young, especially without Laurent at his shoulder. "You know it's true then, Maman does not say those things unless she knows them to be true. Now to get you home, Thea has a car waiting. She told me to make sure you actually go to sleep, so I'll go with you then come back later." She was so matter-of-fact that he just agreed. Once settled in the car he only had one question.

"Where is Thea?"

I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I hand wrote the entire story so will continue to post chapters as I get them typed up :)