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Story Title: Time For A Drink
Chapter Title: Not Worried At All
Story Word Count: 1,046
Chapter Word Count: 1,046
Characters: Manjoume Chosaku, Manjoume Shoji
Genres: Family
LJ Challenge: 5drunkfics: prompt #2, drunk
Rated: PG-13
Notes: Please note that this story presents the older Manjoume brothers as NOT being abusive evil bastards who rape and beat their youngest brother twice a day and three times on Sundays. If Chosaku and Shoji being presented as human beings and not vehicles for their younger brother's angst and woe displeases you, click your nearest back button NOW. Also, this takes place about two years before the main GX storyline, in March of 2002. Manjoume Jun is thirteen, Manjome Shoji is nineteen, and Manjoume Chosaku is twenty-two. While I normally refer to Manjoume Jun as 'Manjoume', because this point of view is his brother's, I will refer to him as 'Jun'. Because that's what they call him.
Summary: Sometimes, you just really, really need to have a good stiff drink. Five times Chosaku and Shoji needed one.
Chosaku usually took his time with his drinks, not wanting to waste them. A good drink was something to savor, in his opinion, and not something just to throw down one's mouth in an attempt to get drunk as quickly as possible.
Which was why at the moment, he drained the can of beer in his hand and tossed it into the recycling bin without another thought, then went to get another one. Shoji had already finished three himself, and looked to be a bit woozy on his feet. The perils of only being nineteen, the elder Manjoume brother supposed through the pleasant haze that was already weaving its way through his thoughts. Shoji wasn't technically old enough to drink at all, but in the Manjoume mansion, it was Chosaku's word that governed, ever since their parents had retired and gone off to live in Aruba. And if Chosaku wanted his younger brother to drink, and if Shoji wanted to, then he would drink.
"Any word yet?" He was quite proud of the fact that he wasn't slurring his words together just yet. After all that he'd had to drink, he was also a little surprised about it. But it wouldn't take much longer. Another few beers should do it.
Beer wasn't his drink of choice, either, even the tasty and expensive Kirin brand. He usually preferred nihonshu, finding the refined rice wine to be much more suitable to his tastes. But at the moment, he really didn't care, not so long as it had alcohol in it, and he could get enough of it in him.
Shoji shook his head a little at the question, then winced some and pressed one hand against the side of his head. Chosaku didn't think he was having a hangover quite so soon, but what was going on in his brother's head was his brother's business.
Both of them looked down the hallway of the mansion at the sound of harsh coughing. Neither could remember having been this worried about anything before, not even when the results of Chosaku's first election had been hanging in the balance. He hadn't wanted to get drunk then. Now, it was all that he wanted to do.
Pneumonia. One of the worst cases that Chosaku had ever seen or heard of in his life. And it was his little brother who had it. All of the family's money couldn't get a cure for it. He couldn't get a law passed against it.
It wasn't likely that Jun would die. He was, usually, quite a healthy boy, but it had been going on for a while. He thought it had been a week, maybe even two weeks. The doctor came and visited regularly, and had encouraged them a couple of times to let him take Jun to the hospital. Chosaku refused. He wasn't that badly off, it awes just pneumonia, even if it was a bad case of it. He could shake it at home.
Besides, Chosaku hated hospitals and didn't want to go near any of them if he could avoid it. He would not put his brother in a place where he couldn't go and see him if the mood struck him.
With another cold beer in hand, he strode down the hallway. He could've done his drinking anywhere, and made certain that he didn't hear that noise. He hadn't had a good night's sleep since Jun had come home from school coughing, since his room and Shoji's were on the same hallway as Jun's. He could've had better soundproofing installed, but to be honest…he didn't want to. He wanted to hear those coughs. They reassured him that Jun was still alive.
Not that he thought that to himself, of course. Nor would he have said anything to Shoji or Jun himself. Shoji didn't need to know, and Jun…Jun was thirteen. He really didn't need to know. He just needed to get well again.
He paused outside of the door, which was slightly cracked, and drew in another breath before he looked inside. He could see Jun on the bed from where he was. His brother had always been slightly pale, but now he was burning red with fever, and coughed more than he did anything else.
Maybe we should take him to the hospital. He really didn't want to do that. Jun was his brother and the doctors would take care of him here or he'd know the reason why.
White broke up his vision for a moment, and he blinked a bit before his sight cleared and he could see the nurse had moved closer to his brother. She had brought him some water. Good. That would help him. It seemed to be time for his medicine as well.
Chosaku wasn't sure how long he'd been there before Shoji was as well, a beer can held tightly in his own grip. Both of them had been drinking a lot more since Jun had fallen ill. Not enough to affect their performances at work. Neither of them could afford that. Chosaku needed to remain respectable and sober in public, and with Shoji being six months underage, it was better simply to avoid the issue and act normal in public.
He shifted over to the side so his younger brother could get a look at what was going on. Shoji said nothing, only stared for a few minutes, before finishing his drink and starting back down the hallway.
Chosaku followed him, a very pleasant buzz filling his mind. He supposed he was drunk now. He wanted to be; it gave him something to think about that wasn't Jun for the moment. They would probably have to go buy some more beer soon, at the rate they were drinking it. He wanted Jun to get well, not just for his brother's sake, but for the sake of the beer as well. He didn't want to develop a taste for it.
"He's going to be all right." Shoji spoke the words, his voice harsher than normal. Chosaku only nodded. What other answer could he give? Of course Jun would be fine. They were the Manjoume Group. The Manjoume brothers. They were going to rule the world someday. Nothing could stop them. Not even pneumonia.
To Be Continued
