Rebels

Ch. 43

Lyla couldn't help breaking down in front of her brother.

She could not handle what Luca had told her; the way he had been tortured back at the palace. More significantly, she could not cope with Luca's apology. She had known since the beginning that she had been despised by her parents. Sure, she had been a little frustrated with Luca when her parents would openly criticize her, and Luca would stand by and do nothing. Yet, she had never expected her older brother to apologize. It wasn't his fault Lyla wasn't liked. Still, his apology brought tears to her eyes.

Luca got up slowly, and it was then that Lyla found he was not in control of his balance. Lyla stepped over to her brother, grabbing on to his arm so he could stand upright. When he was in control of his balance, he looked at his sister with blank eyes. It scared Lyla how he was so- emotionless. "When Arin found me, I had been unconscious. I wasn't happy to see Arin at all, but yet again I wasn't in the right state of mind. I couldn't think straight. I still can't think straight. I don't even know why I'm saying all of this. But Lyla, I want to say it now before I forget, as sick as that sounds. I truly am sorry for not being there for you."

Lyla reached up to wipe the unexpected tears off her face. "I forgive you."

Luca was silent for a moment, before cursing under his breath. "They cut you open as if you weren't human."

Lyla sucked in a deep breath. "I-I'm okay. Really, I am. These will just become scars, if anything else."

Luca shook his head no, swallowing with difficulty. "Don't do that. Don't pretend you're okay. You're shaking, Lyla. You need to get some rest. I'll get out of your way. This bedroom's yours."

Lyla didn't want to kick her brother out of the bedroom, but Luca's words slowly sunk into her. She nodded, heading towards the bathroom to take a warm shower to wash her own blood off of her skin.

Luca exited the room, closing the door shut behind him as he went. He found that Arin was gone, and Jack was asleep on the couch. Luca slowly walked over to the counter, his legs about to give up on him.

"You're bleeding."

Luca whipped his head towards the source of the noise, finding Tom standing up from a chair in front of a table in the center of the room. Luca had forgotten about Tom, and for a moment he was confused.

Tom stepped toward him, and it was then that Luca noticed how exhausted the man had looked. Dark circles lie under his eyes, and there was blood that had seeped through his shirt from his shoulder. He was pale, and he looked as if he could just collapse right in front of Luca. "You're bleeding." Tom repeated.

Luca scrunched his eyebrows together. He examined himself, finding crimson red blood had seeped through his shirt from his stomach. He lifted up his shirt, finding that his knife wound from previously had opened up. He thought back to the moment when Arin had stabbed him, and mild anger slowly seeped through him.

"Can't you feel that?" Tom asked, tilting his head to the side.

Luca only shrugged, leaning against the countertop behind him. "I'm numb. I can't feel anything." He took a deep breath. "I've been in worse condition."

Tom scoffed. "You're lucky to even be alive. You were drugged up to the point of no return and you're bleeding, and from the looks of it it looks major. And you say you've been in worse condition."

Luca became frustrated with Tom. He was reminded of how Tom was not as pleasant as Luca came to think. "You know how I got this wound?" Luca asked, stepping towards Tom. He was breathing heavily through his nose. "I was stabbed. I had a bloody knife in my stomach. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even move, let alone speak. I still can't fucking breathe right. This is nothing."

There was a moment of heated silence between the two, before Luca sighed and leaned back against the counter. "Being numb is a gift. I don't have to feel the pain, and it's easier that way."

"Is that why you're addicted to alcohol?" Tom asked, standing his ground.

Luca was a bit shocked by Tom's question. He never expected Tom to ask anything of Luca. "I've messed up a lot in my life, and being numb is easier for me. I've also gained a bad reputation for Lyla and I, and I know about people I shouldn't know about. Please, Tom, I've never asked you of anything. Do not judge me like all of those other people do. I know what's going through your head, and don't think I won't kill you over it because I will. But now that you're a part of this rebellion in a way, you have to be better than your idiotic brain is."

Tom cocked his head to the side. "Okay. I won't judge or anything." It appeared as if Tom was about to say more, when he suddenly lost his balance, having to lean against the chair for support. Luca saw this, and his jaw shut tightly. "You still have that bullet in your shoulder." He stated.

Tom shook his head in denial. "I can take care of myself."

Luca rolled his eyes and headed behind the counter, opening a drawer. He found a pile of rusting spoons and other silverware. He grabbed two spoons and slammed the drawer shut, heading towards Tom. "These are rusted a little, but they'll have to do."

Tom let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. Just be quick." He sat down on the table in front of the chairs, taking his shirt off. Luca fumbled around with the spoons in his hands until he found the right grip. He had never been fond at the sight of blood, but he choked down his uneasiness. Tom was breathing through his mouth, ready for the pain he was about to bear.

"It'll only take a second." Luca said. "Ready?"

Tom nodded, not looking at Luca.

Luca swallowed once more and lowered the spoons into Tom's wound, spreading the hole so he could get a better view. Tom groaned in pain. Blood seeped through the wound, dripping down Tom's arm. Luca swallowed nervously, not liking how much blood there was. He moved around the spoons in the wound, trying to find the bullet. There had been no exit wound, so Luca knew the bullet couldn't have gone too far. He moved his left spoon around through the blood slowly, careful not to harm anything that shouldn't be harmed. His spoon was lifting a small portion of tissue, and Luca began to feel as if he would vomit soon. He suddenly saw something shine through the blood, and Luca knew he had found the bullet. It was quickly covered back with red, and Luca swore under his breath. He knew he would have to grab the bullet by his fingers. Taking a deep breath, he held the spoons with his one hand and with his right, he slowly reached through the blood. He immediately felt the tissue that was above the bullet, and slowly felt around it. His fingertips felt the bullet, and he quickly pulled it out, dropping it to the ground.

It was then that Luca found that Tom was nearly unconscious from the pain. His head was to the side, and his eyelids were almost closed. Slowly, Tom moved his head to look up at Luca. "You couldn't... have gone any faster?"

Luca frowned, setting the spoons back on the counter. They were coated with blood. "You're welcome."