The Institute ~Completed~

Chapter Twenty-Four: A brother?

Jessica and Jake were sitting on the swing outside the secluded house. Cotton was in between them resting her head on Jessica's lap. "It's nice to just sit here and relax. Instead of worrying about everything. You know?" Says Jake while stroking Cotton's locks gently. "Yeah it is." Jessica agrees. Cotton shifts. An uneasy feeling was forming in her stomach. She felt sick. She quickly gets up and runs to the bathroom. Jessica and Jake worriedly follow her. Cotton's throwing up her guts. "Cotton you okay?" Jessica asks. Cotton looks up but quickly looks down again as another hit her.

"I'm fine now. I don't feel well." Cotton replies wiping her mouth with a blues washcloth. "Aw baby, We'll take you to the doctor." Jake picks her up carefully, because of what Jessica told him the night before. "Okay." Cotton lays her head on Jake's shoulder and shuts her eyes. They went to see the Institute's doctor, which happened to be Lou. He had all the medical credentials and he was the bikers doctor, considering the amount of trouble the bikers get into. "Alright lay her down carefully." Lou orders Jake. Cotton laid on a patient tabel. Lou scans her head with a fever monitor, it read 103.5. "She's got a fever. Does she have any other symptoms?" Lou asks Jake and Jessica. "Her nose has been runny, she's coughed and sneezed a few times, and she threw up in the last hour." Jessica tells Lou. Lou took notes as she did so. "Nothing else correct?" Lou asks. "No, there's not anything else." Jessica informs him.

"Okay, wait here with Cotton I'll be back with some antibiotics and nausea pill.'' Lou says but before he can walk out Jake grabs him by the arm. "What's wrong with her?" Asks Jake. Lou smiles. "I can assure its just a virus. Nothing big and nothing bad. She'll be sick for a few days. It's a good thing you two brought her in when you did or things could have been messy." Jake nods and Lou walks out. "She was perfectly fine yesterday! Why is she sick now!" Jessica says with tears in her eyes. "Calm down babe. She's probably not used to this environment. She probably got some insulation in her lungs thanks to the old house. Lou said there's nothing to worry about!" Jake pulls her close. "But I feel like I let her down. I should have protected her more!" Jessica cries, Jake was trying to calm her down when a slight shuffling sound startled both of them into the wall. Only to look like complete idiots. It was only Cotton. "Where am I?" Asks a sleepy Cotton. "Your in Lou's house well technically its the mini hospital out here." Jessica replies after she recollected herself.

"Oh so what is exactly out here? Besides the hospital and our house." Asks Cotton out of curiosity. "Well the house is where everything is at. But the hospital is disconnected from the house. It's on the left." Jessica says. "What's on the right of the house?" Cotton asks another question. "A warehouse. It holds, weapons, food storage, clothing storage, cars, trucks and toys. It's also where the bikers hangout and put their motorcycles. Across from the house is the bikers home. And behind the house are Kennels. They're holding some of our wolves and dogs. Along with the stables next to it. Also our animals are safely inside the house." Jessica explains the rest. The space seemed like a mini town to Cotton. She wanted to explore it. "To me it sounds like a mini town." Cotton giggles. "It is. It's called Moonlight Hills." Jessica says with a smile. Cotton could tell Jessica was very fond of this place. "Am I able to explore it when I get better?" Cotton asks.

Jessica picks up her daughter and says. "Of course just not the hospital. I don't want you to get sicker than you already are, besides some of the injured/sick bikers aren't so friendly." Cotton nods. "Hmm do you know a biker named Axel?"

Axel? As in Axel Angelo! Why is she asking about him! Jessica's mind started racing with thoughts. ''Um yeah, he's the lead.'' Jessica replies. "Why?" She adds. Cotton smiles. "I hope I see him, it's been awhile since I've seen him." Jessica's thoughts went haywire again. What would she possibly want to do with Axel? I'm so confused. Why does she want to see him! Ugh!

"How do you know Axel?" Jake prompts. Cotton nuzzles Jessica's neck. "He's my-'' Cotton was caught off by Axel himself. "Brother." He answers simply with a dashing smile. "Brother?" Jake and Jessica both say in surprise. Cotton giggles. "Yes brother. How else would I know the dashing boy?" Axel, he was much like Cotton. Brunette locks, grey stunning eyes and a smile you just gotta love. Although he wasn't a small boy, he was small but broad chested and buff. Something Jessica found interesting and likable. "I see where you two are confused. I'm a lot older than her and she's never mentioned me. But I assure you that I'm her brother. You can clearly see that?" Axel walks into a room confidently. Making Jake stiffen as he did so. Jake didn't particularly like Axel in the sense Jessica could be easily taken away by him."Relax boy, I'm not here for your lady. I'm here for the little lady." Axel laughs in a good way. Jake relaxes slightly. "Nice to know." Jake mumbles. "How did you know I was in the hospital?" Asks Cotton when Axel sat down.

"Lou ran past me and I stopped him, I asked him about you and he directed me to the room and next thing you know I'm here with you." Axel explains a good enough answer to satisfy Cotton. "You're still as dashing as ever!" Cotton plays with his raggedy hair. "And you're as beautiful as ever!" He kisses her forehead. "How come you didn't tell us about him?" Jessica asks curiously. ''One, it doesn't matter cause you can't adopt a 19 year old. Two, he's my secret. Three, He is mine." Cotton answers. Kind of in a mean tone. "But Cotton it would have been nice to know? Instead of it being a complete surprise." Jessica says firmly. "She doesn't have to tell you anything if she wishes not to. Besides, Jesy I've known you for almost a decade. It'd be kinda awkward that I'm the brother of the little girl you adopted 8 months ago." Axel snaps. Jessica backed off a bit. Jake just wanted to runaway. He kinda didn't want to be in the situation. But knew he had to. ''Easy Axel, she's my mum." Cotton pulls him back. Cotton knew that Axel's a ticking time bomb. Cotton didn't want to see him explode on someone she cares deeply about. "I know. But she has no idea how hard it is for us." Axel says calmly.

Suddenly, Lou came through the doors with antibiotics and a nausea pill in hand. "Alright, here's the antibiotics for her symptoms and take this nausea pill Cotton it will prevent you from throwing up." Lou hands Jessica the antibiotics and Cotton the pill along with a small cup of water. Cotton swallows quickly. She's not to big on pills and Lou made the antibiotics liquid so Jessica would have to inject them. ''I don't understand? Do we have to inject her with these?" Jessica asks holding up a needle. "Cotton prefers liquid over pills. Cotton has a difficult time swallowing pills as well. So I decided to do it this way. It's better for her." Lou explains.

Jessica smiles. "But how do you inject her? I'm not entirely sure.'' Lou rolls his eyes and takes the needle. He makes his way over to Cotton. "I'll demonstrate." He pulls Cotton's arm up. She's got three round scarrings, from past injections so this shouldn't be no different or trouble for her. "You just poke and press the nozzle down and it will inject her. It's simple." Lou says and hands Jessica back the needle. ''Why does she have so many scars there?" Asks Jake he was referring to the scars on Cotton's forearm. "Severe injections." Lou simply states and walks away. "Also you lot are free to go." Lou smiles and walks away.

Severe injections? What the hell does that mean? Jake thought.