My Sister's Keeper

Two.

Numbness.

That was all Damien had felt.

That was all he could feel.

His feet carried him through the house, but it was as if he was moving on auto-pilot as his mind was a constant blank canvas.

Despite the events that happened the previous night, Regina watched her son with a worried expression as she stood behind the stove. "I'm making pancakes this morning. Would you like some?"

Not finding it in himself to speak, Damien nodded and walked over to sit down at the table. His appetite had vanished the second he'd found out about his sister and hadn't come back since, but he would never tell his parents that as it would only keep more unwanted attention on him.

Anthony walked into the kitchen with a sullen look in his eyes as they'd immediately caught sight of his son at the table. He turned his head to his wife, who shook her head as he walked over to place a greeting kiss on it.

"I'm still disappointed about last night, but we can't let him go on like this, honey. Otherwise, getting high really will be the least of our worries with him," Regina said as she got the pancake mix together.

Anthony sighed as he leaned against the counter. "It'll pass soon. He just needs a bit more time...and better guidance from someone who's not Carter Wright."

Damien clenched his jaw as he stared down at the table.

"She was his twin, Anthony. You know how close they were, this isn't just something that can pass by...Maybe we should take him to-"

"I'm not sending him away to some stranger so they can diagnose him with something and we can lose him too."

"This isn't about you. This is about our son, who just lost his twin sister."

Damien squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his hands into fists.

They were worried about him. Scared for him. He could see it clearly, and it only added to the heartache he had already felt. Their overprotectiveness was understandable, he knew that fully, but their constant need to always be around had quickly become overbearing. Not to mention, he could feel the tension it had caused in his parents' relationship.

Before Denise's death, their parents had barely fought. Now, it seemed as if every conversation they had would end with an argument.

And they were always about him.

Did Damien eat today? How long was he in bed? Why didn't you make him come down? Every question was about what he did, and every answer was filled with disappointment as they'd all end the same way.

He did nothing.

Both twins had been enrolled in the nearest town's college, but Denise had always been the one who wanted to go the most. Without Denise by his side, any wants Damien did have in going to college had vanished entirely, so his parents had allowed him to come back home in the hopes that someday he would find the motivation to attend again.

"You really think a stranger with a piece of paper to their name knows more about our son than we do?" Anthony asked. "He just needs time, Gina. It's only been a few weeks."

"How hypocritical of you to say that about a degree, Mr. Lawyer Man," Regina said with narrowed eyes. "No, I do not expect someone else to know about my baby more than I do, but I am his mother, damn it, and I know when my baby needs more help than I can give him!"

"I'm going for a run."

The couple immediately turned their heads at the sound of their son's voice before Regina frowned as she took a step forward and asked, "Right now? But I haven't even started cooking yet sweetie, why don't you wait a-"