Ukrainian Lullaby - Gallavich

21 - Your Brother for Mine

Okay, chapter 20 was the original ending.
Mickey is dead. Terry killed him.

While writing this I wasn't sure how I wanted to end it: with Mickey's death as the ultimate consequenz to Ian's secretive actions or with the ending you're about to read now.

So, if you want to you can end reading here if not - 6 more (relativly short) chapters are waiting for you as alternate ending. 

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21 - Your brother for mine

"Stop!", Lip screamed, "Please, stop!"
The older Gallagher shoved Mandy out of his way and ran over to Ian, putting himself between Ian and the Milkovich with the gun.

"Please, whatever happened, I'm sorry! But it's not Ian's fault it's mine, okay? His, his feelings were legit I- it's my fault, shoot me if you have to but not Ian!", he begged, "Please just- just he just wants to know what happened!"

Ian stood there like paralyzed.
The Milkovich brother didn't budge, he had the gun still pointed at the Gallagher, obviously waiting for Mandy to give him an order.
"What happened?", the girl yelled at him, "You want to know what you fucking did to my brother? He went on a bender!"

Lip noticed the pain in her shaky voice, the Milkovich brother gripped the gun tighter, his hand as shaky as Mandy's voice for a moment. His face scrunched up in anger and distress.

"And then he tried to fight our dad!", Mandy's eyes watered, "He was about to shoot him and he- he fucking told him! He screamed at him and told him!"

Lip looked from Mandy to the brother and back.
"Told him what?"
"That he's gay", the Milkovich brother said, "And that your brother – that he fucked him over and that that's the reason he would try to kill our father now! He told him all that!"

Mandy sobbed, "Dad beat on him", she stared Lip down, who became smaller under her hateful eyes, "Shot him with his own gun! He-", she looked at her brothers, her face full of worry and hopelessness, "He's in a coma and hell knows if he's ever gonna wake up again...", she looked back at him, "And if my brother dies because of you, your brother deserves to die too! So, you finally understand what that fucking feels like! Your brother for mine!"

"No!", Lip yelled and made sure Ian stayed behind him.
"You think I'd have a problem to shoot you both?", the brother growled.

"No, wait! Listen, we- hospitals are expensive, I promise we'll pay all the hospital bills-"
"You think you can use your damn money to buy your ass out of this? My brother is dying as we speak, and you think money can save you? He ain't a fucking property, he's a human being you fucking piece of trash!", Mandy made a step towards him, "He told me how you treated him, you think you're better than us, buy your brother's life free? While mine dies anyways?"

"We know doctors! We'll make sure your brother gets the best doctor in Chicago, okay? I-I promise you, just don't harm Ian!"
The Milkovich brother seemed confused now.

He said some words towards Mandy in a weird language that Lip didn't speak. He guessed it was Ukrainian. Mandy was quiet so another brother said her name again and asked the same question in the foreign language.
Mandy bit her bottom lip and then looked at her brother, she answered in Ukrainian and the brother with the gun seemed to want to protest, but Mandy yelled at him with the aggressive sounding words and the brother let the gun sink.

"You will pay the bills.", Mandy stated.
"Yes", Lip promised.
"And you will get Mickey the best doctor."
"Yes, I'll try."
Mandy nodded, "Okay, Iggy won't shoot you.", she came towards him until she stood directly in front of him, "But if Mickey dies, I'll send him to your house and he will kill your brother – whichever of them crosses his path first, and if it's the toddler.", she said coldly.

Lip swallowed hard.
"Did I make myself clear?"
"Yes.", Lip whispered.

Lip turned around to Ian, "Ian, are you okay?", he whispered.
Ian stepped away from Lip and looked pleadingly at Mandy, "Whe- Where is he? Which hospital?"

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They were in the hospital. Jamie had insisted on coming with Mandy and the Gallaghers to the hospital to protect his sister.

"He is in there", Mandy said, they stood in front of the door leading to the Intensive Care Unit, "You aren't allowed in."
"Let's talk to the doctor.", Lip suggested.
Ian was still numb. Barely hearing and feeling anyways.

He had heard Mandy's description of what happened to Mickey.
He had felt pain and horror while listening to her. Then everything went numb again. In that moment he couldn't care less if the Milkovich brother would kill him or not.

And now he stood in front of this stupid ICU door and he wasn't allowed in. He wasn't even allowed to see the man he loved. The man who was severely injured because of him and fought for his life right now.
Ian couldn't help but think that he needed to go see Mickey, Mickey needed him right now – needed him to be strong for him.

He was like deaf while Lip spoke to Mickey's doctor. Ian couldn't listen to him. He couldn't listen to what the doctor said about Mickey's condition.
He couldn't listen to the brain injuries due to the beatings, to the bullet that missed his brain only by a fraction but left a mark from his cheek to head.
He couldn't listen.

Eventually, Lip finished talking to the doctor. The older Gallagher decided it was time for them to go home.
"Mandy", Ian finally decided to talk when Lip was a meter further away from them, "I- I have Mickey's stuff, his duffle bag in the trunk of the car. The money for you and... his cookbook, he should have the cookbook... and this", he reached into his pocket and gave the picture he had to Mandy.

Mandy took the photo and sighed, she let her delicate fingers trace over the image of her brother.
So far, she had been the tough south side girl who was ready to send her brothers after a toddler, but right now she was just a small, broken girl who was scared, so scared her big brother, her protector, might die.

"I want the cookbook. But I can't keep the money in my house, dad would find it. You need to keep it until Mickey wakes up."
Ian nodded, "I will."