Chapter Six #3
He desperately wanted to go back there. Instead, when Reed came back, Franklin reached out to take his hand. Reed looked surprised, but he didn’t move away. He sat back down, apparently ready to spend as much time with Franklin as needed.
Franklin didn’t know how long they stayed there, but when he heard his brother screaming, he regretted not insisting on going with him.
He was on his feet in seconds, letting go of Reed’s hand and moving toward the door.
He hadn’t even reached it when it flew open, and a panting Garrett appeared, his eyes wide.
He looked around the room, maybe for an exit, maybe for someone to help him.
Franklin didn’t know, but he moved forward.
Whatever Garrett needed, Franklin would give to him.
But Garrett didn’t allow Franklin to touch him. When Franklin reached him, Garrett cringed back, plastering his back against the wall. Franklin felt like his heart was breaking, but he pushed that emotion away. His focus should be on Garrett right now, not his own pain.
But what could he do? If he reached for Garrett again, Garrett would freak out.
Franklin had no idea what had happened in the back room that made Garrett feel like he needed to run, but he knew it wasn’t the healers’ fault.
They were doing their job. Whatever was going on, it was all in Garrett’s mind.
He seemed to be stuck in the lab, which wasn’t a surprise, but Franklin wasn’t sure how to help him out of that mental place.
“Garrett,” Reed said, suddenly appearing next to Franklin.
Garrett blinked at him. Franklin was relieved when his brother relaxed, even though it hurt. Reed was a stranger to Garrett. He shouldn’t be relaxing with him around. He should be doing that for Franklin because they were siblings.
But this was better than nothing. It was better than Garrett freaking out. He probably didn’t know where he was or who the people around him were. He’d seen Reed only six months ago, though. Of course he remembered him.
Reed tentatively moved forward and reached for Garrett. “Hey. Remember me?”
Garrett hesitated, then nodded quickly. He didn’t seem to be afraid of Reed, even after what Reed had done to him.
“I know you’re scared,” Reed continued just as the healers appeared at the door. When they saw what was happening, they stopped moving and waited. If Reed was able to calm Garrett down, everything would be much smoother.
“But I promise that these people are trying to help you,” Reed continued. “They’re not like the doctors at the lab. They want to make sure you’re okay. They’re going to heal your bruises so you won’t feel pain there anymore.”
It was weird to see Garrett so still. He’d never been still, especially not as a child.
He was the kind of kid who was always on the move, climbing trees and tumbling down, getting back to his feet without crying and trying again and again until he succeeded.
That wasn’t the Garrett standing in front of Franklin.
That Garrett might never come back, and Franklin would mourn him if he didn’t, but he didn’t really care about that.
He just cared about his brother being okay.
“Let’s go back, all right?” Reed offered. He reached for Franklin and pulled him closer. “And this is your brother Franklin. Remember him?”
Garrett didn’t look like he remembered Franklin, but he still turned toward him. Franklin almost started crying. He didn’t know how to reach Garrett. He didn’t even know if he should try. Would that make things worse? Better?
“Talk to him about your shared past,” one of the healers said. “Even if he doesn’t react, it’s going to help him. The memories are there. He just has to remember them.”
Franklin wanted to scream, but he nodded. No matter how much it hurt him, he would do it.
“Hey, Garrett,” Franklin said, stepping forward as the people around them started trying to steer Garrett back into the room from which he’d run.
“I’m sorry Leah couldn’t be here. I know you’ve always preferred her to me, but I guess it makes sense.
You’ve always been together, ever since you were conceived.
I’d always been jealous of that. Remember when the two of you used to have a language of your own, and I tried to learn it?
You guys kept telling me wrong words and giggling when I said them.
I can’t even remember that language now.
I’m sure it would make you feel better to hear it. ”
Garrett was pliant again. The group walked into the room, and Reed gently guided Garrett toward the bed. The healers who’d hovered close by moved forward again, ready to work on Garrett. Garrett didn’t freak out as Franklin half expected him to. He kept watching Franklin.
Franklin went to stand by the bed, choosing to be close to Garrett’s head so that the healers would have the space they needed.
He desperately wanted to touch his brother, but he didn’t dare.
Instead, he continued speaking like the healers had told him to.
“And remember the time that you and Leah decided to cook Mom breakfast? You almost set the house on fire,” Franklin said.
“It was a sweet thing that you were trying to do, though. I wished I’d thought about it, you know? I also wished you’d involved me.”
“I’m sure there were moments in which they did,” Reed gently said.
“Yeah. We used to pull pranks on our dad before he passed away. This one time, all three of us hid. Garrett was in the car, Leah was behind the garage door, and I was in the hallway. Our dad freaked out when Garrett jumped out of the car, tried to run back inside, and then Leah and I jumped out, too. I swear, even the neighbors heard our father scream. It was so funny that Leah almost peed herself.”
Franklin didn’t pay attention to what the healers were doing.
He was afraid to find out. He let them work while he talked about their childhood and anything he could think of.
When he saw one of the healers inject Garrett with something, he suspected it was a sedative.
That was why he wasn’t surprised when Garrett’s eyes started sliding closed.
Franklin wasn’t ready to leave, though, so he continued talking until the healer cleared his throat.
“Thank you for that,” he said. “He’s going to sleep through the night now. We’ll keep an eye on him, but the two of you should go. There’s nothing more you can do here.”
Franklin wanted to argue, but when Reed pulled on his arm, he followed.
He didn’t feel like he had a choice. He doubted the healers would kick him out, but they also wouldn’t be happy with him if he stuck around, and he needed them to like him.
They were going to be essential to Garrett’s recovery, and Franklin would have to work with them.
He walked slowly as he left the room. Before walking through the door, he turned back to look at his brother one last time.
Garrett’s expression was peaceful now, but Franklin suspected that it wouldn’t last long once his brother woke up tomorrow morning.
He’d have to make sure he was here when that happened.
“Come on,” Reed said gently as he pulled on Franklin’s hand.
Franklin felt like he was leaving his heart behind, but he told himself that this was completely different from the past few years.
He knew where Garrett was now. He knew that Garrett was safe and that no one would hurt him.
They might be separated, but it would only be until tomorrow.
Then, once Garrett was healthy enough to be able to leave the clinic, he’d move in with Franklin, and Franklin would never have to worry about his brother again.
He almost snorted to himself. He was sure that the worrying had only started, both for Leah and Garrett.
He and Reed stepped into the waiting area, but while Reed continued moving toward the exit, Franklin froze. He knew that staying here wouldn’t help, but part of him was terrified that he’d lose Garrett again if he went home.
Maybe Franklin wasn’t okay, after all. Physically, nothing had happened to him except that bump on the head, but he was sure that his heart was broken.
He wanted to scream and cry at the same time.
He wanted to run back, but also not to have to see Garrett like that again.
Every time he looked at his brother, he remembered that Garrett had no idea who he was.
And it was mutual. Franklin had no idea who Garrett was now. He didn’t know how to help him.
He didn’t know if he could help him.
* * * *
FRANKLIN SEEMED FROZEN in the middle of the medical center’s waiting room.
His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, as if he was ready to fight someone, but the fight was over.
Reed could see how shaken he was and the way he was holding himself together.
The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and the crash was going to hit him hard.
Reed didn’t think Franklin would want to be here when it happened.
“You should go home,” he said quietly. “Get some rest.”
Franklin turned to look at him, and Reed was startled by the vulnerability in his eyes. He hadn’t expected Franklin to allow him to see him like this, even though they’d grown closer. “I should stay,” Franklin said. “What if he wakes up? What if he needs me?”
“The healers will take care of him.”
Reed stepped closer to Franklin. Even though Reed wasn’t a shifter, he could smell sweat and blood—Garrett’s blood—on his mate, and he knew that Franklin would want a shower at the very least. “You can’t help him if you collapse from exhaustion.”
“He doesn’t remember me.” Franklin’s voice cracked. “He looked at me, but he didn’t recognize me.”
Reed’s chest ached for Franklin. He’d tried to prepare Franklin for what they might find, but knowing something and experiencing it were two different things. “It’ll take time for him to recover.”
“What if he never remembers me? What if I got him out, but I’ve lost him anyway?”