The World We Once Knew

Chapter Six

Akoni

"Ian, you have to protect them. Don't let him hurt them. I won't be around anymore to do it. Please, promise me, please." 

"Yes. Yes I'll protect them don't worry I won't let him hurt them." "

Thank you. I love you. Be safe." "You too."

"No! Don't touch them!" Don't hurt him!" Ian! Oh my God, what have I done? Ian! "Don't touch him, please!"

"Akoni! Hey Akoni, man, wake up you're dreaming!"

"What? Where am I?" I ask.

"Hey bro, you're in the hospital. You got shot and they had to do surgery to patch you up." Finn says.

"Ah shit!"

"It's alright. Hey, what were you dreaming about?" he asks with worry in his voice.

"Trust me you don't want to know." I say without looking at him.

Finn just nods. "Oh hey there's someone here to see you."

"What? Who?" I'm confused because my parents wouldn't care one bit. Even if I were to die right now, all they would want to know is if they get money.

"His name is Ian." What?! Ian? How is that possible? Finn gets up and walks out of the room, a couple of seconds later he walks back in with a boy. He is 5 foot 7 inches, blonde hair, blue eyes, muscular build and in perfect uniform. My baby brother is in perfect military uniform. He looks different from the last time I saw him.

"Hey Akoni", he says, "I got told that you were shot and they said that I could see you."

"What are you doing in that uniform." I spit out.

Finn looks back and forth between the two of us. "I'm confused." Finn says, "Do you two know each other closely?"
Without taking my eyes off of the boy in front of me, I say to Finn: "This is my younger brother, Ian."

"You have a younger brother?" Finn says in disbelief.

"Two actually and a little sister." Ian says casually.

Finn stands there baffled.

"I'll ask again Ian, what the hell are you doing in that uniform?"

"I'm in the Army. I have been for three months now." He says not able to look me in the eyes.

"Did they pay?"

"Yes."

I sigh, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"How could I? It's not like I can be like 'Oh hey my brother is here too. Let me go say hi!' really Akoni think about it."

"What did they want the money for?" I ask nervous to know the answer.

"Medical bills." Ian says, "Mom had another baby. A baby boy. His name is Brayden."

I look up shocked, "We have another brother?"

"Yeah, he was born the day before I left to come here." Ian says, stepping closer to me. "But Akoni I'm scared for them. Erik isn't old enough to try to protect them, and you know mom won't stand in the way. Especially if Adam is pissed and goes off." Ian says moving even closer to me and dropping his voice because Finn is still in the room.

I look at Ian knowing he's right, but what can I do? I'm only seventeen and haven't even gotten a real position in the Army yet. No wait, I have! I just don't know what it is yet! And since I'm part of the actual Army... "I'll take them." I say. 

Ian is bewildered; "What?!" 

I look Ian in the eyes; "Since I am a Colonel in the U.S. Army, I am able to get living quarters for a family. Plus someone to watch them while I am at my post. Erik and Kenzie can go to school during the day and the baby can go to daycare or something. Now all I have to do is get custody of them, which should be easy as pie." 

Ian shakes his head; "You do realize that it's a lot of responsibility plus you're only seventeen." 

"If I'm old enough to be in the Army and have a post, then I'm old enough to take care of my younger siblings." I say to Ian.

 Finn clears his throat, I completely forgot that he was here; "But don't you need money and a lawyer?"; my friend says. Shit. I know he's right and lawyers aren't cheap. Looks like I'm going to have to start a savings account. I just hope that Adam doesn't hurt them before I can get custody.

We sit in silence for a while. Then Ian stands up looks at me, squeezes my hand and leaves. I will be keeping an eye on him from now on. Make sure he's doing okay. Finn stays for a while later but he too eventually leaves. Then there's nothing, nothing but silence. The nurses come by every once in a while to check on me. Pretty soon I don't even know if they are there or not. All I can think about is how I haven't even started actual work yet, and already I've been shot, and have just promised my little brother that I would try to get custody of our younger siblings and raise them. Somehow I manage to fall asleep, when I wake there are papers on a table and I'm all unplugged from the machines. I get up and look at the papers, they are discharge papers. I'm free to leave the hospital and take it slow at work; all I have to do is sign. Finn must have been by because there are clean clothes waiting for me. A nurse walks in with a towel and everything I need to shower. She smiles and hands the things to me and picks up the papers I just signed.

I smile and nod in thanks. When she spins around on her heels and walks out, I walk over to the shower. I undress and turn it on. I watch the water come out of the shower head and then step in. I just stand in the water and let it beat down upon me. It feels so nice. Finally I do the rest of the things you're supposed to do in the shower. I wrap the towel around my waist and go brush and floss my teeth. I dry myself off and wrap the towel back around my waist. I walk back into the room with that haunting bed. I get dressed and leave the towel on the bed. I walk outside of the room and Finn is there to greet me. "We got our assignment." He casually says to me. 

"Well what is it my dear old friend?" as I'm curious to know. 

"The Camera Room." He says it so casually as if it isn't a huge deal. 

I stop dead in my tracks and look at him; "Are you serious?", he just nods. "How? We haven't done anything great to earn working in the Camera Room!" 

Finn stares at me with somber eyes; "You getting shot is what got us into the Monitoring Room Akoni."

 "What? That's the reason?" I ask incredulously.

"Yeah, at least that's what they told me." he replies.

"Shit, that's so messed up!"I say. 

 Releasing a sigh my friend looks me in the eyes; "I'm so sorry for not catching that laser shot. I should be the one that got shot not you. Can you ever forgive me?" 

I look at him with disbelief; "You had nothing to do with this. You didn't do anything wrong. Besides I'm not mad at you at all." 

"So are we good?" 

"Of course!" I say, "Let's go to work shall we?" We start off towards the Monitoring Room with our orders in hand.