Brothers By Design

It was a close game. Kane knew more words than Albert suspected. They had dinner and followed Devin down for his scan. Kane ran the perimeter of the parking lot while it was being performed, then returned to the room to wait for the results. Kane said he would be staying at the hospital. Albert said he would find out about Devin’s bed and pick up some reading material.

The scan showed Devin’s healing had slowed down, which was to be expected and no cause for alarm. The sedative they were administering was being stopped so that he would have a normal sleep of about ten hours before waking. He would be disoriented and confused at first. It would wear off and was also no cause for alarm.

Once Devin was awake and coherent they would be able to determine the full extent of the brain damage. Kane was told again that it should not be severe and may not even be noticeable. He didn’t care; he just wanted his boy to wake up.

Devin felt himself waking up. He didn’t want to. He didn’t hurt, except for a little in his head, and he wanted to enjoy the non-pain. He didn’t have non-pain often. The time with Kane was the longest he could ever remember. Without opening his eyes or moving he tried to remember what had happened.

He was lying in a bed. It had to be a bed. It was too soft for a floor, but not soft enough for a sofa. Didn’t feel like his bed. Didn’t smell like his home, the holding facility, or where he’d been staying with Shyla and Kane.

Kane. Kane had gone for his run. And Shyla had… His eyes shot open at the flood of memory. He had gone to the bathroom. Shyla had been waiting for him, waiting for Kane to leave so she could…could…

“You’re awake! Good!”

A woman’s face came into view. Devin shrank away, trying not to scream, unable to stop the high, thin sound pouring from him. She was gonna hurt him, everybody hurt him. Where was Kane? He needed Kane!

“Devin? Devin, it’s okay.”

Kane’s voice. Devin turned his head towards it. Kane was standing tanding next to the bed, reaching out to touch his face, repeating it was okay. The panic started to recede. Kane was here. He was safe.

“I’m here,” Kane said, moving even closer. “You’re safe. I’m here. It’s okay.”

“Kane...Kane...”

Kane leaned over and embraced his boy, so scared and weak, tiny in the bed, looking to him for comfort. Devin nuzzled into the loose hold, shuddering and whispering Kane’s name again. Kane tightened his arms a fraction, repeated he was there and Devin was safe, everything was all right. He pulled back, petting one cheek.

“She’s gonna ask you some questions. answer as best you can. I’ll be right here. I’m not gonna go anywhere.” He took Devin’s hand and backed away again. Devin watched his every move.

“My name is Dr. Porter,” the woman said. Devin turned to her, holding Kane’s hand like the lifeline it was, reminding him he was safe. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Devin.”

“Your full name?”

“Devin.” Carefully and slowly pronouncing it, frowning. His voice was funny; he would have to be careful so she could understand him. She glanced down at her papers, wrote something and looked back at him with a pretend smile.

“How old are you, Devin?”

“Twelve.”

“When is your birthday?”

He had to think about that. His birthday? At last he said what he sort of remembered hearing.

“November sixth. Only we don’t have a party ’cuz that’s for real people.”

The doctor wrote another note. Devin looked troubled, but Kane winked, so everything was okay. He hadn’t said the wrong thing or messed up. When asked, he recounted what had happened: Watching Kane leave, Shyla waiting in the bathroom, how she said that with Kane gone he was at her mercy.

“I knew you’d stop her,” he told Kane. “When you got back.”

“I shouldn’t’ve gone.” Kane’s hand tightened around his. “I wouldn’t’ve if I’d known.”

“But you didn’t know,” Devin pointed out. “It’s okay, Kane, it is. You can’t stop it if you don’t know, right?” He’d said so himself, back at the start.

“Right. But you come with me from now on.”

“Yes, Kane.” Whatever Kane wanted.

The questions continued. Some were easy. There were some he had no answers for. Kane and the doctor said it was all right, that some of the questions were tricks. He did the best he could, even as he got tired and his head started to hurt worse.

“Last question,” Dr. Porter said. Devin was glad; he was so tired and his head hurt so bad. He wanted to close his eyes and sleep.

“Do you want chicken or lasagna for lunch?”

It was one of those questions, the trick ones he couldn’t answer. He frowned, trying to think if there was an answer. Did he want chicken or lasagna for lunch? There wasn’t an answer. He didn’t like these questions. He scrubbed at his throbbing head and closed his eyes.

“Devin?” The doctor said, insistent. “Chicken or lasagna?”

“That’s one of them trick questions.” He turned toward Kane. “My head hurts.”

“Devin …” The doctor, impatient and angry.

“That’s enough. Let him alone. He said he can’t answer it. Quit hounding him! You done good, Devi. Sleep now. I’m gonna go out in the hall and talk to the doctor; I’ll be right here if you need me.”

“Kay…” He drifted as the anchor of Kane’s hand was removed. Kane would take care of him, wouldn’t let the doctor hurt him. It was safe to go back to sleep.

Kane stepped into the hall, face set in a hard mask. Dr. Porter shut the door most but not all of the way; he could see the foot of the bed. He would have opened it if she’d shut it all the way. He had gotten his boy back; he wasn’t going to let him out of sight any time soon.

“Well,” Dr. Porter began, then hesitated. “We will need to conduct further tests to be certain, but it seems that his ability to make conscious choices has been compromised.”

“No shit,” Kane snapped back. He rubbed his face with both hands. “Sorry,” he muttered. Devin wasn’t the only one whose head hurt.

“Listen, why don’t you go...?”

“I’m not leaving!”

“...take a nap,” Dr. Porter finished. “He only has the one IV now, so you could even climb in with him if you’re careful. The rest will do you good. We can retest him this afternoon and go over the results then.”

Kane nodded. He hadn’t slept well the previous night. Those pull-out chairs they provided were almost as uncomfortable as sleeping on the floor. He turned back toward the room. A nap should help his headache, right? It was nerves and lack of sleep.

He climbed into the bed feeling old, pulled his boy close. Devin murmured as he settled against Kane. He let out a deep breath. Devin was alive, seemed to be all right, and was close. Everything was all right. He closed his eyes, adjusted his arm on Devin’s abdomen and let sleep take him.

He woke when Albert arrived, welcoming him and mumbling his thanks for the books. Devin shifted, frowning; Kane soothed him back to sleep and joined him.

They slept through lunch. Kane sent Albert for burgers for them, assuming he had eaten. Devin was still sleeping, curled against him, IV tube hanging in the air. Kane let him sleep; if talking didn’t wake him, he needed the sleep. Besides, he rather liked holding his boy this way.

Devin stirred. Kane lay still, letting him take his time, not wanting to startle or confuse him. His hair had started growing in already; the sped-up healing would do that.

“… Kane?”

“Uh-huh.”

Devin pulled away, his confusion clear. After a second he put his head back against Kane’s shoulder. That was nice. Hell with fixing Devin’s bed–he was going to ask Albert to get them a big one to share.

“Feeling better?” he asked after a few moments, his hand gently rubbing Devin’s back. Devin ’mmm’d a response he was pretty sure meant ‘yes.’ “No more pain?” His own headache had faded away with sleep, as he’d hoped.

“No.” He still sounded sleepy.

“Good. This bother you?”

“No.” Devin burrowed closer.

“Good. Albert went to get us burgers. You can sleep ’til he gets back if you want.”

“I’m fine.” Still sleepy and content, his puffs of breath warmed Kane’s throat.

“Kane?”

“Yeah?”

“My still your boy?”

“Forever, Devi. Nothing’s gonna change that.”

“Kay.”