It was the day after the two brothers had gotten punished, and they were all in class. There was a project, meaning no one could help the others. The adults could only watch and supervise. But no one had been paying attention to Mercier, not even Mercier himself. So he didn't relize that he had deeply cut himself, and was applying pressure when he felt something burning on his hand, and O'Reilly shouting to him, and to an adult.

Mercier stared in shock, his whole arm shaking rapidly. But Mercier still held the blade in his good hand, and he monotonously began to cut more of the cut. Mercier made the cut longer, than wider, and began to cut deeper, and deeper into the cut. O'Reilly watched his best freind Mercier cut, and he just panicked. O'Reilly started shouting to the adults, as he tried to take away the knife with one hand, and put his other hand, now bloodied hand, over the cut to try and lessen the blood. Mercier just ignored his freinds yelling, as he tried to get the knife.

Peters had now come over, and began to try and take the blade from Mercier's bloody hand as well. Seeing as it wouldn't work, Peters took Mercier's cut hand and held it, while O'Reilly held the other wrist, and tried to keep track of the still held onto knife. Rogers had heard the shouting, and told this.

nodded and made his way over, thinking it was just the boys fooling around. How wrong he was. He just stopped, and stared at the scene he was witnessing. just watched, he couldn't believe it. Mercier, happy-go-lucky Mercier, his happy Mercier did this. No, his little Liam had just done this. O'Reilly's shouting brought him out of his trance, as he ran to Mercier and ripped away the hands. The first thing he saw, was blood. Thick, red, sweaty blood.

The blood had also gotten all over on Mercier's clothes as well, even his pants and shoes. And the blood was on O'Reilly's and Peters hands and shirts as well. just gripped on Mercier's writs, tighter and tighter, untill he looked at Mercier and saw the frightened little boy in him. snapped into action when he heard a whimper, he picked up Mercier bridal style and ran to the infermary with Mercier in his arms.

~~~~~~~~~a days later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mercier woke up in an unfamiliar bed the next morning, with something around his hand. His hurting hand at that in fact. Mercier got up, and felt something warm tickling his hip. He couldn't help but giggle at the feeling, but he blushed deeply when he saw his teacher, , there doing that. And as well, was awake, laughing at Mercier and his face.

Mercier put his face in his hands, turning his face away. sat up and wrapped his arms around Mercier's waist, forcing Mercier to sit in his lap at the same time. put his forehead against Mercier's head, and his smiling lips on the younger boys neck. Mercier was struggling to get out of his teachers grasp, but his teacher only held him tighter.

"Liam. Why would you do that to yourself?" asked, using Mercier's first name, motioning he meant business. Liam bowed his head, tensing up. Liam tried to move the arms, but he was held tighter, in a threatening way. So Liam answer ed shortly, in a whisper, "Punishment." now tensed, why? "Why, for what? Why are you punishing yourself?"

Liam just slumped in Mr Franklin's hold, after being asked the question he knew was coming. Liam looked up to the cracked ceiling and smiled. A short, small smile that soon become tears. And those tears, become sobs. Long, heart renching sobs, that tore from Liam's small, lithe body. But, threw Liam's sobs, he spoke threw chattering teeth and tears, the reason.

"I broke my promise. I lied, I couldn't protect them." Liam bowed his head againg. Not understanding, mouthed, what do you mean, on Liam's neck. So Liam just replied this time, no denying or arguing this time"I said I'd help them, and I'll never turn my back on them. But I guess I lied. They got hurt, they bled, they cried, they screamed. And I did nothing! Nothing! Nothing, at all."

" So, do you think that their mad at you? That they hate you now?" asked, trying to follow up. " Yeah, maybe. Maybe they do. Maybe I think that. But, I think so, that I'm just feeling guilty." Liam stopped crying, but his face was red from crying. And tear marks lined his cheeks as well. But Liam didn't care anymore. And there was no use for crying now.

"They don't. Niether of them hate you. I talked to them, they said that they don't hate you. Both of them told me about how you usually take the punishment for most of them, most of the time. They also told me, you got there late, so you didn't have time to take the punishment in their stead. That is all true, isn't it?" said, knowing that that was the truth, and the missing piece of evidence of why Liam hurt himself.

Liam turned around to look at his teacher in the eyes, and nodded. gave Liam a wide, cheeky grin, knowing that it's going to be fine now. Liam wondered why his teacher was smiling, then relized why, and the reason. Liam gave his teacher an even bigger grin, and wrapped his arms around the other. So the two sat like that for a while, wrapped up in an embrace of would heal, physical, and mentally.

So would the two other boys, they'll just need longer time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~a few hours later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The other boys were in the court together. Liam just watched them from afar, like he was nervous. But then Roger called out, "Look! Mercier's back!" All the boys stopped what they were doing, but on cue, O'Reilly Peters and ran over, all the other boys following them. The boys all surrounded Mercier, cheering and inviting him to play. Liam just went along with whatever, glad that no one is mad. But then, the older boy who was punished came twords Liam.

Mercier closed his eyes, then opening them in sync with a smile on his lips. Mercier reached out his hand to the other boy and said, " Want to play together?" The boys all cheered, happy that the real Mercier was back, and ran to line up. The boy took Mercier's hand, and ran to line up with him.

was watching from a window. He smiled at the boys, they were all such kids. With a smile and sigh on his lips, left to go play with the boys. They were really just too much.