Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Mercer's though I'd like to marry a few of them.
I thought something might be wrong when I walked out front and saw his hand shaking as he fumbled for his lighter. The boy had been smocking as long as I'd known him, and lighting up was second nature to him. Yet I was willing to shrug this off as even I was shivering at the biting wind that tore at any exposed skin. He was wearing nothing but a thin jacket, without gloves, so I was willing to overlook it.
Until he pressed the smoke to his lips and the shaking didn't cease.
There were two ways I could handle this. Walk up to him and demand to know the problem. That almost always worked with the other two, and usually worked on him depending on what the problem was. However, if it was really bad, then he'd make up some lame excuse and avoid me until I moved onto option B, talking it out of him.
I was in a bit of a hurry, so I started with option one. "Where you been all night?"
There was the barest hint of a twitch, one you wouldn't notice unless you were watching for it. Sadly, our family had learned to watch for it a long time ago, though we hadn't seen it in years. Okay so it was really bad. Maybe I should use the preferred option and just beat the shit out of who ever I think is causing the problem and leave it at that. First I need a gist as to who was causing it. Whatever 'it' was.
"Around," he finally answered, taking another long drag from his cigarette, the shaking in his hand almost stopping by then. There was still a small twitch however, so I knew he was trying to keep it suppressed from me. A little late for that.
"Well next time you feel like going 'around' why don't you let someone know." I stated casually as I sat down on the step beside him, propping my hockey stick down at my feet and crossing my arms to hug in just a bit of warmth.
"You going out to play then?" He asked, still keeping that forced casual calm about him. He just had to know that I wasn't buying it, especially since he hadn't even looked up at me yet.
"Nope," I replied, "I was going to go do some charity work and decided to bring along some decoration."
He snorted quietly under his breath, a breath of smoke coming with it before shaking his head and replying, "and I wasn't invited?" In a mock hurt tone.
"You ain't been here to invite," I reminded him, still watching his every move.
He finally looked up at me then, a small smile dancing at the edges of his features, "well I'm here now," and then just sat there, staring at me.
"And since when do you need my permission to do anything?" I demanded of that smirk. "Go on and get your damn skates. Be back down here in ten or you're walkin'."
With practiced motions he stubbed out his smoke, put the rest in his ear, and hustled up the stairs, while I shook my head and looked at the heavy overcast sky. Jack was hiding something, but hopefully a game of hockey would loosen his tongue.
"Yo, Ray-Man! How's it been boy?" I skated out to meet one of my very best friends in this shitty little town, Raymond, who hadn't changed a bit in my absence. He met me half way and gave me one of those stupid ass grins that had gotten us into almost as much trouble as my temper had. "Hey Bobby-O, long time no see man. You break out of the penthouse then?"
"Nah man, they let me out on good behavior," I snorted, knowing damn well no one in there right mind would believe that.
"Right man, and I'm the damn Easter Bunny. Really, how did you get out? Thought you were stuck there till summer?" He prompted, throwing his stick over his shoulder and beginning to circle me in laps to stay balanced on his skates.
"Fucking community service man, can you believe that? I told them that's what put me in there in the first place." I laughed, remembering the look on that guys face as he recalled what had got me put in there.
One of my other friends laughed and made kind of the same face before piping up, "Dude, putting a guy in the hospital for a joke ain't community service. Especially not when the cops show up and you don't let up."
"First off, that wasn't no joke. Damn idiot should have known better then to say that to my brother. Ain't my fault he forgot how I earned my title. Second, the cops wouldn't have even shown up if I hadn't been ratted out." I glanced around at my old crew, prompting when no one spoke up. "So, did anyone manage to figure out who done it?"
"Sorry man?" Ray shook his head sadly from side to side, stilling in front of me and leaning on his stick. "We put a few guys down ourselves, but no one's talking. Don't worry though, we'll find the bastard that punked you."
I just rolled my eyes, knowing damn well who it had been, but just deciding I'd handle that as a personal matter myself later. Taking another good look around at my assembled team, I did notice one missing though. "So where's Green?"
One of my other friends snorted in disbelief, "Can't believe you haven't heard about that. He joined the academy!"
"Are you serious?" I demanded, and when they all gave me the same look all I could mutter was, "damn, knew he was a softie, but I never pegged him for a pig." My friends all had mutual looks of disgust on there faces, which I couldn't blame them fore. It was like a sin in our gang, one that would have to be handled carefully. Then I smirked to myself, realizing I might have just made quite the opportunity in this town. "No biggie, good thing I brought along back up."
My friends looked behind me and for the first time noticed Jack hanging around the edges of the ice, tying up his blades and checking up the tape on his stick. He seemed to glance up at all of us staring at him, then made quite the face. Seeming to think the look on our faces was towards him, he put it in gear and skated out to the rest of us. "Alright already," he mumbled, pulling his hat down a little farther on his red ears, "I'm ready, let's get this game goin'."
As the teams began to split up, I remembered my original reason for bringing Jack along. I had hoped that, like many other times before, bringing him onto the ice and letting him vent a little would help. As the game began, it dawned on me that it was making things worse. He was avoiding the majority of the game, not making nearly as much of a show as he usually did, and favoring his left side. Which was weird in itself, because Jack was right handed.
The puck flew past me so fast that I reacted on instinct going after it, but internally I was now debating on whether to call the game off and take Jack home. Looked like plan B was the only plan left.
I never saw it happen, one minute I was making a slap shot on the goalie, the next a cry of pain rang throughout the rink. I was by his side in a second, pushing Ray and anyone else who was in my way until I was by his side. Jack lay on the ice, almost as pale as the background. He was breathing way too fast, but in quick little puffs like it hurt all the same. His left arm was hovering over his other, like he wanted to grab it, but was unable to finish the motion.
"Jack? Jackie, you alright man?" When he didn't answer, or give any kind of response, I stopped bothering with niceness, and bent down to haul him to his feet. I was taking his butt home, and Ma could decide what the problem was. Then he screamed in pain again.
I hadn't taken notice of what I was grabbing, my one goal in mind to just get him up, but I now realized I'd grabbed his arm that he'd been trying to shield. At some time during the game, he'd taken his jacket off, leaving nothing but a loose fitting shirt I recognized as mine. That wasn't what made me see red. Just beneath the sleeve of the shirt, there was a blossoming black shape on my brothers arm.
With a gentleness that I never possessed, I pushed the sleeve up the rest of the way, and had to stop myself from spinning on the spot and punching every single person within reach. There was a bruise on Jack's upper arm, mottled but clearly new. The problem was, it was to new to have just happened. The kicker was, I recognized the shape, it was a hand print.
Jack was starting to seem to focus on his surroundings again and his eyes were blinking slowly up at me with clear confusion. Then abject fear, probably from the look on my face. "Can you get up?" I hissed through clenched teeth. He just laid there, seemingly frozen to the ice for what felt like years until finally, his head gave the briefest of nods. Paying attention to every jerk of my muscles, I eased him up into a sitting position, then swiftly removed his skates and my own.
We walked with slow measured steps back to more solid ground, then I walked him to my car with the same speed, matching his. When we got there and I realized the passenger door was already open, I took in the rest of my surroundings for the first time, and realized that Ray and the rest of the gang had followed me and were now standing around us in a semi circle.
"Did any of you see who hit him?" I demanded, while easing Jack into the seat. Even this simple walk had stolen the kid of whatever color had been left on his face.
"Nope," Ray said, avoiding eye contact in probably abject terror, "we were watching you." I grumbled a few particulars under my breath as I stared around at the rest of them, but when no one spoke up I decided to deal with it later. I slammed the door shut hard enough to make the window rattle and trudged around to my side, putting the car in drive.
Jack hadn't said a word the whole way to the hospital, I'd even been the one to explain to Ma and the others what had happened. The doctor had given him something for the pain which had made the little fairy pass out by the time we got back home. Me and Angel had to carry his butt to bed, the princess was heavier then he looked, then Jer and Ma came up stairs to make sure he got settled in right. As soon as it was clear Evelyn had everything under control my two conscious brothers dragged me outside of the house where we wouldn't be easily overheard. "Alright Bobby, which mook's arms are we tearing off for breaking Jack's one?" Angel demanded, while Jerry crossed his arms and listened intently to me.
When I was done, Angel was dancing in place ready to get going while Jeremiah uncrossed his arms and shook his head in disbelief. "Never would have guessed it." I was already headed back to the car with Angel in tow, only half listening, "I thought that one had more sense."
The three of us had just opened our car doors when the front door opened and our mother poked her head out, a stern look on her face already. "Now you boys listen here, I've already got one boy in bandages this month and I don't need the rest of you joining him." She paused and her face softened as she continued, "while you're out pick your brother up a can of soup, give him something easy on his stomach when he wakes up."
"You got it Ma," I promised sliding into my car, my brothers joining me for the hunt.
You would have thought the idiot would have a sense of self preservation and try not to be in the exact same spot I left him, but there he was, still skating on the ice with the rest of my old friends. I knew exactly which ones to pinpoint my icy glare at too. However when they caught sight of the three of us they all split so fast the ice nearly melted behind them in there haste. Raymond took notice too late. The Michigan Mauler left his mark on that ice.
...
"Ma's going to cut your tongue out when she catches you again."
He puffed out a ring of smoke while opening one eye for my benefit. "Her invalid? Nah, besides how's she going to know?" He quirked a brow accusingly at me.
"The smell numb nuts," I retorted, smacking his legs out of the way so I could sit on his bed.
"Didn't Ma say you were going to bring me up some soup?" He asked, closing his eye once again and bringing the cigarette back up to his lips.
"Sure did," I told him pleasantly, making his eyes snap open in alarm at such a tone just in time for his good arm to come up and catch the can. "Good," I said, satisfied, "your reflexes are still intact."
"Jerk," he grumbled placing the can on his nightstand and reaching over to dust off his light, that he held gingerly with his caste arm, into an old soda can. We sat in silence for a moment longer before he asked quietly, "did you kill him?"
"Nah," I responded pleasantly, "takes too much of an effort to get rid of a body. Let's just say he knows better then to mess with a Mercer now."
"How did you know any way?" he asked, eyes lighting on me curiously.
"Green," I told him honestly. "He came looking for me second he heard I was back in town and told me why he wouldn't be hanging around any more, he also mentioned that Ray was the guy who got in touch with the police last month about me jumping that other idiot." I narrowed my eyes at my kid brother and continued accusingly, "surprised someone else didn't tell me first though."
He sighed before closing his eyes again and tipping his head up towards the ceiling. "I'm not going to be able to play my guitar for weeks-"
"Jack."
"-and why did this have to happened during Christmas break? By the time school starts up again the cast will about be ready to come off, so there goes my no homework pass."
"Jack!" I snapped again more sternly this time. He stopped babbling but still wouldn't look at me. "Why didn't you at least tell Angel or Jer?" He sighed then reached over and picked up the soup can again, twirling it around in his bad hand, then continued avoiding me. "Jackie," I said, almost kindly, "talk to me bro."
He sighed again before finally meeting my eyes and muttering, "didn't think you'd believe me."
I blinked once, twice, then punched his knee, hard."Ow!" he yelped, jumping hard, then twisting his face as he resisted grabbing his wrapped arm that was sitting on a mound of pillows. I felt kinda bad, but it didn't lessen my scowl.
"What?" he exclaimed at the look on my face, "it was my word or your best friends, and I've got no proof."
I leaned forward, pressing the palm of my heel into the knee I'd just punched, eliciting a yelp of pain from him again. "I will always believe my brother," I told him seriously, making him look up and meet my eyes as I continued. "I can find other friends, but I'm stuck with you guys." He grinned at me until I finished with, "and you little fairy." He scowled at me this time and faster then I would have thought with a busted arm he chucked the soup can at me. I ducked which only made the can hit the wall.
"Bobby Mercer!" Our mother called up the stairs. "No picking on Jack until that cast comes off."
Jack began laughing at the look on my face and after a moment, I couldn't help but join in.
Sorry I didn't add in the brothers beating up Raymond, in my revisions I always made it to violent or too soft, I couldn't come up with a happy median so I just deleted it. Hope your imagination makes you feel better then mine did.