Fleurs Captives (Joshler)

40. Winged Seeds

My fingers were literally bleeding whilst typing this. That information isn't relevant to the story, but it's important to me that you know that.

Winged Seeds-
meaning-messengers

Start the song. It's Under Giant Trees by Agnes Obel.

Papa just kept getting sicker, and it seemed like Josh was the only one who was frightened by that. Tyler was obviously relieved, and Jenna was mostly in denial. Maddy didn't really know what was going on. Josh knew though. He knew it wasn't going to be fixed any time soon too because Papa asked him to do something he'd never done before after a couple more weeks of illness.

"I need to trust you with something very important," Papa told Josh weakly one afternoon.

Josh was sitting on an arm chair in Papa's room, curled up with a botany book that made very little sense to him but had very pretty pictures. He was still in his pajamas, but that had become normal for all of Papa's children. They no longer had strict rules to follow or punishments to endure when they broke Papa's rules. Papa was always in his bedroom, wasting away in bed while Josh sat loyally in the chair beside him in case he needed anything. Things in Papa's house had changed greatly over the past few months, and Josh lived in constant fear that Papa would die, leaving them stranded here without anyone to care for them.

"You can trust me," Josh insisted, making his dad smile slightly.

"I know I can," Papa replied tiredly. "I need you to go to the store for me today. We must be running low on a great number of things, and I can't go today."

Josh stared at his father in shock. "The store? Without you?"

Papa nodded, looking like he was asleep whenever he wasn't talking. "You remember when I taught you how to drive the van in case of an emergency?" He asked quietly.

"Yes," Josh whispered uncertainly.

Papa nodded again weakly. "Just follow the GPS. Bring Dahlia with you. I don't want you to be alone, and no one will recognize her if she's out in public. My usual grocery list is in the top drawer of my dresser with the keys, my wallet, and the emergency phones. Take one, and bring the other to me."

Josh did as he was told mechanically, collecting the items Papa had told him to without question before bringing one of the phones to his dad. When Papa didn't open his eyes or make any move to take the phone from him, Josh simply set it down on the bed beside his father.

"Papa, I don't want to leave you here when you're sick," Josh admitted fearfully.

The old man let out a soft breath, but didn't open his eyes. "I'll be okay, son. I just need to rest."

It made Josh jump when a harsh cough left Papa's lips. His hands were shaking just as much as Papa's as he pulled the blankets up over his dad worriedly.

"Papa, don't die, okay? I don't know what to do if you aren't here. I need you. You're the only parent I have left, and I'm scared. I'm so scared. I know you brought me here so I could protect the flowers and be brave, but I've never been this scared in my whole life," Josh rambled out shakily as tears began to burn his eyes. "You can't leave me."

Papa nodded just slightly, weakly taking one of Josh's hands in his and kissing it with papery lips. "I won't leave you, Juniper. I never have, and I never will."

Josh sniffled, nodding his understanding. He swallowed hard before asking, "Papa, what happened in the fire?"

Papa's eyes remained shut, and he maintained his weak grip on Josh's hand. "Rowan and Mama burned, baby. You hid under your bed, and I had to pull you out and cover your eyes so you wouldn't see Rowan and Mama. You were so sleepy and so scared. You just kept asking where your brother was, and I couldn't tell you the truth. I brought you all the way out to the garden and kept you there until the ambulance came. You always liked those. Police cars too. You liked the lights and sirens. I don't know how I breathed in more smoke than you, but you were healthy and safe. They took you away then, and they said I started the fire. I didn't though. I suspect your mother did. She always said she'd take you two away from me. She did it. She took you both, but I got you back. You and your big brother. I got you back, just in time."