Breathe : skephalo

Breathe, it's okay. Chapter four

First-person (Isaac pov)

That was three years ago. The memory still haunts me, and I'm sure it kills Zak. He still blames himself for our parents and sister's death. When he woke up he wouldn't talk or eat for months, the doctors started to think the accident actually caused him brain injury, but after he started to finally speak again he only seemed to have memory loss, which is bad in itself but better than anything worse.

Zak took my car, I stopped dead in my track when I realized that my car wasn't in the school parking lot. "fuck" I mumbled under my breath as I started running. Walking would take 20 minutes, running maybe 15, but that's 15 too much. I stopped when I reached the school gates and pulled out my phone. As I was about to call an taxi a honk from behind me made look away from the phone, stopping me from calling.

A black Camaro stopped beside me and opened the door, "get in Isaac"  Darryl's voice came from behind the door. I sighed in relief and walked over to the passenger side. I sat down in the luxury car seat and put on the seatbelt. "we need to leave now" I said opening the contacts on my phone. I've known Darryl for a few months now so he knew where to drive. As soon as I started talking he started speeding off, going well over the speed limit but that didn't matter now, what did was Zak.

When I found Zak in my contacts I called, but he didn't pick up, not the first, second, third time. "fuck" I mumbled turning off my phone and putting it back in my pocket. "when we get there Darryl please go back to school and I'll explain everything later" I said as we got closer to my house. He hummed in response and started slowing down.

He stopped outside my house, both of us looking at the open door to the car and house. " I'll call you, thank you," I said getting out of the car. I didn't get to hear his response as I closed the door and started running up to the open front door to our house. "zak" I yelled stepping into the house. The house was quiet, the only sound was Tomato from the living room, which sounded like she was crying.

"zak where are you" I shouted once more, as I stepped into the living room. I looked around, stopped when I saw tomato looking at something in the corner behind me, towards the kitchen counter. I twisted my head in the direction where she was starting, to see Zak cramped up, his arms around his knees and his head hanging low, quietly whispering something that I couldn't make out.

I slowly walked over to him, sitting down making sure not to touch him. "zak" I quietly said making sure to keep my hands at my side, even though I just wanted to embrace the last and only family member I have left, the one I was left to take care of, and wouldn't have wanted anyone to take that from me. "zak, breathe with me"

As I counted to ten, breathing in at one, out at two, and so on. " Concentrate on your breathing. Stay in the present" I said making sure to keep my voice soft but clear. " I am proud of you zak. Good job" I cheered as he started doing what I told him. "you can get through this," I told Zak as he was done counting to ten, once more.

After some time of counting, breathing, he finally started calming down somewhat. I let out a sigh of relief, as Zak lifted his head up from his arms. But the air I let out got soon pulled right back in again as I saw the cut on Zak forehead the same with the now forming black eye. "zak. Is it okay if I touch you?" I softly said, knowing well that you should never touch someone under a panic or anxiety attack, but he seemed clam enough.

Zak nodded, giving me consent, making me shove myself a bit closer and wrapping my arms around him, pulling him slowly onto my chest. Rubbing his back, telling him that all this wasn't his fault, a sob made me stop and pull him closer. Putting one hand in his hair stroking it like mom always did, I let him cry into my shirt as much as he needed.

" zak are you okay with me talking you upstairs to treat your wound?" I softly asked when he calmed down, at least stopped crying. He nodded and I took him in my arms and carried him upstairs, into the bathroom and put him down on the toilet seat before getting the first-aid kit out from under the sink. Zak was almost not sitting by himself, his eyes barely open at this point. I cleaned his head wound as quickly as possible, making sure to keep him awake.

Finally patching it up I put the first-aid kit back under the sink and carefully lifted my barely awake brother up, walking out of the bathroom into the hallway that had our bedroom doors on each side of the bathroom door. I walked into Zaks room and carefully put him down on his bed.

Taking a deep breath I took off Zaks clothing, leaving his sweater on not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Folding his pants I walked over to his dresser and pulled out some pyjamas. Changing him into them was hard considering how tired he was, but finally got it on after some failed attempts.

I lifted him up again and laid him down, putting his head carefully on his soft pillow. After laying him in the most comfortable position I could think of I pulled the covers over him packing him in and kissing his forehead, making sure to miss the bandage.

I was about to go when zak grabbed my wrist, surprisingly strong considering how tired he was. "please don't leave me" he said pulling my wrist back towards him and the bed. He didn't need to ask twice for me to lay down beside him. I didn't care that I was still in my jeans or that I had my clothes on, because after what zak had been through today, he needed this, he needed his big brother by his side. Taking care of him.

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Not edited! Needs some work

I'm sorry this chapter wasn't the best it's really late and I can't focus at the moment. I haven't even looked over it yet before posting it, which is a bad idea I know but really need to go for a run even though it's three am lol. Have a great rest of the day/night ❤️. And as always if you enjoyed the chapter make sure to vote;p