Loving the enemy

Chapter 7

I stand in the corner of the room, watching in helplessness as my brother lies on the bed unresponsive. Tears flow silently down my face as Shane tries relentlessly to get a response from Able. Anything. A moving finger, twitching eye. Any recognition that he can hear us. Torturous amounts of time pass and I tone out all sound, focusing solely on the boy on the bed. His eyes are closed and he seems smaller, broken.

Then he starts shaking.

Liquid comes out of his mouth and I let out a cry of dismay. Shane rolls Able onto his side as my brother vomits onto the floor, his body still shakes. Arms flaying and legs kicking frantically.

"Max!" Shane snaps "Get me a small, sharp, clean knife and a straw!" I hesitate. 'Now!" I run out of the room and collect the items before handing them to Shane. He asks me to try to hold Able still as he lifts up his shirt. I do as I am told but still question his demands. Shane gently touches Ables torso, he looks up at me. "I dont have time to answer your questions. Just trust me." before I can answer the knife pierces Ables torso. I cry out, a sudden urge to slap Shane away. I muffle it down as blood spills out of the open wound. He inserts the straw into the incision and a few seconds later the shaking stops. I slowly let go of Able, looking questionably at Shane. Blood drips from the straw, landing on the floor.

"He was drowning in his own blood." Shane says quietly "this isn't good Max. We need to get him to a hospital, otherwise he won't survive."

"No," I gasp urgently "he can't. We can't ..." I stumble off incoherently, getting lost in my brothers pale, empty face.

"Max," Shane says soothingly, I feel his hand touch mine. "I know this is hard. But there is no other alternative." I flick my face to his, my eyes suddenly wide and hopeful.

"Take him to your pack, make them help him Shane. Please." He slowly shakes his head.

"They won't help a human, and there isn't anything I can do to convince them. They will question me, and no matter what I say they will get suspicious, find you and then kill you both. I can't let that happen." I see the genuine concern and hurt in Shane's eyes.

"If we take him to a hospital I wont ever see him again. They will take him Shane." I search his face for an idea, hoping he has an idea. His gaze adverts to the ground and I break. A loud sob rakes through my body and I hunch over my brother in agony.

"Oh little brother, I'm sorry I wasn't here, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.." I clutch his cold hand, my heart seeming to shatter. "Please wake up, please wake up, we can go outside if you wake up. You can climb run on the dirt and climb all the trees you want. I'll take you to my favourite place. Oh you'd love it Able. Its a beautiful lake and when the moonlight hits it, it looks like something from a dream. You can go swimming." I start talking incoherently, desperate words falling off my tongue. "I know how much you've wanted to see the places I used to talk about. This is your chance little brother. All you need to do is open your eyes. Please Able. I need you. I can't do this without you."

Able doesn't move.

I feel Shane's hand squeeze mine comfortingly.

"Max...." he gently urges. I nod quietly. I lean forward and gently kiss Able on the forehead.

"I love you little brother." I say quietly. Shane picks Able up easily in his arms, holding him carefully as the blood still trickles from his lungs and down the straw.

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Make sure he's safe." I say, as Shane leaves the room. I don't have the willpower to follow. Instead I just slip to the ground, crying into my legs.

Ables gone

And I won't ever get him back

•••••••

Shane's shirt is damp with my tears as we lie on my bed. He's holding me comfortingly as I cry into him. My hands grip him tightly, afraid I'll loose him too. He runs his hands through my hair and down my back, my head tucked under his chin. It seems like an eternity until I stop sobbing, but when I do the room falls into a solemn understanding.

"Please don't leave." I say quietly to Shane.

"Never." he replies, "I won't let anything hurt you." I don't say anything for awhile, I just let his words sink into my bones.

"I should have been with him, Shane. He shouldn't have been hurt. Now he could die and it's all my fault." Shane shakes his head.

"No. You did nothing wrong okay? Those vampires had no fucking right, and I'm going to tear them limb from limb for what they did to you and Able." I move my head from under Shane's chin and look into his eyes. I see nothing but truth. I exhale a small gasp of a mixture of sadness, happiness and awe.

"Thank you, Shane. Thank you for everything."

"I'd do anything for you. I would go to the ends of the world just to make you happy, so believe me when I say I will always be with you. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

"Why?" I say quietly.

"Because you're worth it, Max. You're worth all of it and more."

That's when I kiss him.