When All Else Fails (A Push of a Button Novella)

Chapter Two

SEB SPENT THE evening in his old room after the doctor left. The man had patched up all the scrapes and fixed the broken bones with the click of a button, but a concussion was outside the scope of his button's healing capacity. So, here he was with Viv sleeping in a chair next to his bed and acting as nursemaid so the doctor didn't have to spend the night.

She was supposed to wake him up every few hours, but so far, he didn't need waking. Dane had stopped in to see him and Viv earlier that evening. She'd sent him a message to say she wouldn't be home because of what happened and that he didn't need to come get her, but he'd still come by, claiming he would believe their story when he saw it. Odd behavior for Dane, but lately, he'd been extremely protective of his older sister, so maybe he just thought they'd sneaked off for some alone time.

Something about the visit had felt off though. Usually, Dane was the jokester in the group. He never took anything seriously unless it came to Seb. Then he was over-paranoid about everything and tried to keep him and Viv as far apart as possible. Honestly, sometimes the man confused him. They'd been great friends as kids. Ever since their teen years though? Dane couldn't seem to stand him. He should've jumped on the idea that Seb had done something bad enough to get him in trouble. Instead, he'd laughed at Viv's speculations that maybe Seb had annoyed someone higher up or something. He'd also totally dismissed the idea that the attack was more than a fluke. Wrong place, wrong time, he'd said, because Seb wasn't annoying enough to get himself killed. Very odd.

In fact, it seemed like Dane had even been a bit irritated, which really made no sense. He didn't have anything to be annoyed about unless he was just ticked off that an acquaintance was attacked. Dane didn't like him enough for that and was more likely to be glad he was out of the picture, so that explanation made little logical sense. Had something else set him off?

Viv stirred and lifted her head to look at him with bleary eyes. "Seb? Have you gotten any sleep?"

"Not really. Hey, do you think Dane was acting weird tonight?"

She frowned. "Well... Maybe a bit. Why?"

"He seemed annoyed. Did he say anything to you before he left?"

Her frown deepened. "No, actually. He looked angry and just stormed out. I figured he was mad about what happened to you."

"Dane doesn't like me that much." He sighed. "Look, never mind. It's the concussion and lack of sleep talking. He was probably just having a bad day."

She bit her lip, a distant look in her eyes. Not a word of what he'd said had made it through. "You think he knows something about the attack?"

So much for deflection. "I don't think so..." Well, he had of course, but it seemed stupid now. "Dane's been my friend since we were kids. Sure, he's been more distant since our teen years, but he doesn't hate me."

"But you--"

He lifted a hand to her face, trying to cover her lips with a finger and hitting her cheek instead. Sky-cursed concussion. "Viv, you don't seriously believe your baby brother's capable of orchestrating an assassination attempt, do you?"

She shook her head, but the worry was no less obvious in her eyes. Something did make her think Dane could've had a hand in his predicament. It might only be the tiniest of doubts, but it was there. Why, though? Should he worry too? Dane didn't seem like the type to turn to murder. Sure, he would probably be the first to get excited about Seb's death, but he wouldn't push it along, would he? He sighed. "Then there you have it. Look, come morning, this will all seem better. Let's just worry about it tomorrow?"

Viv nodded and laid her head back down on her crossed arms on top of his covers. "Yeah, you're right. I'm just keyed up after seeing you all beaten up earlier. It'll be better tomorrow."