A Broken Crew

Chapter 24

Dakota called August. "Hello? Dakota?" "August, you're okay... are you okay? You're sick. Why didn't you tell me." There was silence on the other line. "I'm sorry." he finally said. "I just.. didn't want to worry you guys again. I didn't think it was that bad." Dakota sighed. "You know how worried I was?" August apologized again. "Are you hurt badly? I was worried too. I didn't think you'd be gone for so long." Dakota got quieter. "I'm not going to lie, it's pretty bad. Roman gave me a healing session, but I'm still in a lot of pain. I'm going to need more until I'm better." "I'm so sorry." he said. Dakota sighed again. "It is the way it is." he said. "There's nothing any of us can do to change it. It's not worth feeling sorry about." August sighed back. "I know, I know..." Dakota blinked. "I'm exhausted." he said. "We should both try to sleep." "Okay." Dakota hung up and closed his eyes. He really was exhausted. He feel into a deep sleep in the bathtub.

oman slips back in when he hears silence fill the room. He smiles slightly at Dakota and carefully pulls the water from his clothes and tail, then picks him up and takes him to a bedroom, laying him in the bed gently, laying a blanket over him, then silently leaving. Back in Grey's 'room', Grey is still tormented by memories of Hiro, and hasn't moved from his spot in the corner. Not even Mikko can calm him down right now. Kacey had left the room a long time ago, not being able to bear seeing Grey like this. He is, in fact, sitting in the living room silently watching old videos on his phone.

When Dakota woke up again, it was dark. For a moment he felt uneasy, but he remembered where he was. He tried to sit up, but he heard his back pop and it hurt. He lay back in the bed. He needed help to get up. He glanced at the clock. 2 am. "Is anyone awake?" he called.

There's no answer for a while, but after a bit the door opens a bit and a face peeks in. Kacey. Kacey looks around before spotting Dakota, his ears tilting towards him. "Hi Kota." He slips in and silently closes the door.

"I need help getting up." he said. "My back can't handle the stress. I'm hungry and I'm tired of being in bed. How long was I asleep?" Kacey pauses. "Most of the day. Zi brought you here around noon." He moves to the side of the bed to help Dakota. "Just tell me what to do!"

"Just support me because I don't want to pop my back again." He put his arm around Kacey. "Be careful, I'm heavy." Kacey grins and giggles softly. "I'm stronger than I look!" He helps Dakota from the bed, staying at his side just to make sure he's OK.

Dakota stays where he is for a moment, trying to get his composure. He takes a small step and winces. "I think I'm mostly okay." Kacey nods, not quite believing him, so he still stays by Dakota's side. "We were starting to get worried you wouldn't wake up." He off-handedly remarks.

"I was just tired. It's not like I'm sick or anything." Dakota limped out into the hallway. "It's hard to sleep when you're stuck under a dumpster with spikes poking in your back. Not exactly the most comfortable sleeping position, you know?"

"Yeah." Kacey's voice is suddenly quiet, reflective. He follows Dakota out, shutting the door so it won't blow around and wake up the others. He headed into the kitchen. "You want something? Mom- I mean August's Mom doesn't care what gets eaten."

Kacey shrugs. "Sure."

Dakota pulled out eggs. "I'm hungry for eggs. We don't have any bacon, but I'll fry hotdogs instead." He glanced at the clock and chuckled. "It's 2 am. Yikes." He started heating the stovetop and pulling out plates. He reached for a high shelf and fell on the floor with a growl, wincing. "Dog-gone-it." he said. "Old man must of done a real number on my back. It's never done this."

Kacey tilts his head. "You should have Roman's gramma take a look at it." He kneels beside Dakota. 

Dakota tried to push himself off the floor. His arms were shaking with his own weight, but he managed to stand with the help of a counter. "I don't feel like it. Adults are so full of it. They act like they're so much better and everything. Even parents and grandparents. I mean, for Pete's sake, why do they act like they're so great? The only adult I've ever have and probably will trust is August's mom. Adults ask to many questions and then they try to give me advice that doesn't help and run my life. They're terrible and I don't trust them."

Kacey stands back up, thinking. After a moment he gently, briefly hugs Dakota. After he let's go, he looks down, then up. "Kie eta lo ne te. " His eyes seems to sparkle with a different light.

Dakota watches him for a second, then gives him a pat on the head. "I only speak English and ASL, kid. Now let me cook eggs and remind me not to raise my arms to high or I'll fall on my face." He patted his head again and turned away to the oven. "Let's just hope I don't burn myself or the house down."

Kacey giggles. "I said, 'The path only one can take.' It's an old saying that means there's a path only you can take, and only you can find it. Some people still believe it, like the old days." He hops up on the counter like a kid.

"Huh. Well my 'path' isn't anything special. Lot's of kids go through it. Especially ghetto kids. I think you know that though."

Kacey pokes Dakota. "I'm not talking about what's already happened." He suddenly seems a bit older than he normally does, more serious. "I mean what you CAN and WILL do."

Dakota shrugged. "I'll say it again, my life isn't anything special. I'll live with my Dad until I get enough money to leave or I turn 25 and he kicks me out since I'm not longer under his custody. I think the only difference here is that felines supposedly mature 'slower' so we're kept under the custody of our parents longer. More time stuck with him, but the same pattern. I hide out here, go back home, get beat up and kicked out, come back here. Wash and repeat that cycle and that's my life for the past 19 years, and it will be my life until I'm 25."

Kacey doesn't even hesitate, he hops off the counter and hugs Dakota without saying anything, hiding his face in the other's side. Dakota patted his head again. "Don't feel bad kid, it doesn't really bother me anymore. I'm used to it."

"I'm not." Kacey mumbles. "I'm tired of watching it." He's not lying. He's tired of watching his friends get hurt.