"Uhhhhhhhhhhh..." I groan as I'm yanked from the sweet bliss of drunken sleep by my very insistent phone. "What now?" I answer.

"Hey, Sully," says an antsy sounding Nate. "Did I wake you?"

"What makes you say that?" I roll my eyes. When Nate doesn't snicker or make a snippy comeback, I know it's something serious. "What's wrong, kid?"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with me, but um... Do you remember that job I was telling you about? In Delhi?"

I force myself into a seated position. "Yeah, the one with that Hindu figurine? Someone double cross you? Did you get shot?"

"No, no, no, I'm fine. Really, there's nothing wrong with me. It's just that I might have left out one important detail..."

"...Which is?"

"Sam and I were partners."

All I do is sigh. I think I know where this is going.

"I know you guys don't always see eye to eye-"

"That's putting it lightly..."

"-but he could really use your help."

"What kind of help? I had a long night, so I can't exactly exert any effort right now."

"I just need a loan for his bail."

"Oh lord..."

"Please, Sully? I'll pay you back with interest when I get the money."

"You don't have to do that. I'll transfer the funds to one of your accounts. I'm sure I'm repaying you for something I've done over the years."

"Okay, but this bail isn't exactly going to be... legal. I've got to bribe the officials, and you know I'm no good at face to face negotiations."

"So you want me to fly over there?"

"Well you can't swim over here," he jokes half heartedly. After a pause, he asks, "So... are you coming?"

"Of course I am. I wouldn't leave you out to dry."

"I know, but... it's for Sam, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. I'll be over within 24 hours."

"Okay, thanks Sully. You're the best." He sounds relieved.

I smile and throw the covers off. I'm going to need to scramble to get to Delhi in my time limit. "I'll see you soon, kid."

I step out of the crowded baggage claim and place a hand over my eyes to block out the sun. I smile and make my way over to a frantically waving, 18 year old Nate. "How's summer break been treating you?" I tease when I get close enough.

He laughs tersely and relieves me of my duffle bag. "Eh, I've had better. Let's drop your stuff off at the hotel, then we can head to the bank and get the cash, then go to-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. How about we take it one step at a time. Hotel first."

"Right, hotel first," Nate breathes. "Sorry, I just don't want to keep him in there longer than he has to. Indian prison isn't pleasant."

"Trust me, kid. I know."

If I had to summarize Nate's behavior in one word, I would say: frantic. He jitters whenever we come to a stop, producing a wild look to his eyes. I lay a hand on his shoulder as we sit in the waiting room at the prison. "It's going to be okay."

Nate stiffens, the opposite of my intentions. "I hope you're right. What if something happened to him in there? What if the guards beat him up or... took advantage of him?"

"Your brother's a tough guy. He can take care of himself, alright? I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah," he sighs. "Yeah, you're right. Sam would probably punch me if he were here for doubting his abilities."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

Our conversation is cut short at the entrance of the head warden. "Showtime," I whisper to Nate as I stand. I then address the warden and the deal making begins.

Nate stays out in the waiting room as I work my magic. The head warden has got to be one of the most gullible and spineless people who have ever been associated with prison. Honestly, Nate could have made a decent deal with this guy in his current state and still made off like a bandit. Needless to say, the deal went off without a hitch.

Nate looks relieved as he watches me and the head warden shake hands. He even cracks a smile as I make my way over. "So when can we pick up Sam?" he asks.

"They're going to release him within the hour."

"Did they say anything about what state he's in?"

"No, but, like I said before, I'm sure he's fine. He's more than capable of looking out for himself."

"That doesn't mean he won't be all bruised up."

"Nate, he's only been in there for maybe 72 hours. He's fine."

"Yeah, you're right." He exhales and drops his head into his hands. "He's the strongest - uh, one of the strongest guys I know," he quickly corrects before I can say anything. "But I can't help worrying, though. He tends to be a little hot headed."

All I do is nod in agreement.

We wait in silence for another twenty minutes, then are suddenly jerked out of our thoughts by one of wardens gathering us to collect Sam. We're lead down a winding hallway and up and down a few flights of stairs. In short, it's a work out. I'm about to ask for a break when we come to a full stop in front of a barred door. The warden tells us to wait there while he retrieves the prisoner.

I watch Nate shift nervously from foot to foot. He immediately brightens at the sight of his brother. He's looks a little scuffed up and a little grimy, but other than that looks no worse for the wear.

Once his handcuffs are removed, he's bombarded by one of his brother's strong hugs. "Whoa, okay, little brother. I'm out of prison, not home from the war front."

"I know, but I just felt so terrible about the whole thing, and I didn't want you getting hurt because of my stupidity."

"For the last time, it wasn't your fault. There was no way to know the guards decided to change up their routes that night. And I'm fine, Nathan. There's nothing wrong with me. Do you see anything wrong with me?"

"...No."

"So there you go."

"Look, I hate to cut the reunion short," I butt in, "but I'm starving. We can continue this over a nice meal."

Sam seems startled by my presence, as if he didn't see me there before. "Victor. What a... surprise. What brings you to India?"

"I called him to pay your bail," Nate answers. "I didn't have enough money, and I'm no good at haggling. I hope that's okay."

"Of course it's okay. I'm out of prison, aren't I?" Sam says with a hint of displeasure that Nate doesn't catch. I see the question in his eyes, but it's not surprising. Our mutual care of Nate brings us together while also causing us to butt heads.

"Sully, can you pass me the pitcher?"

"Sure, kid."

Nate pours himself a glass of water and stabs a fork into his food. "Sorry about the long wait, Sam," he says. "It took some time to fly Sully over here."

"Nathan, I told you it's fine," Sam laughs. "If it weren't for Victor, I would still be in there. Thanks for that by the way."

"Eh, don't mention it," I say, waving my hand through the air dismissively.

It's silent for a moment, then Nate speaks up again. "So, we only have one hotel room with two twin beds for the night. Who wants to take the couch?"

"I will," I volunteer. "I'm the new arrival, I should take it."

"No, no, no," Sam interrupts. "I've been sleeping on a rock hard cot for the past two nights. I'm used to it, I'll take the couch."

"That's exactly why you should take a bed. You deserve it."

"But you paid my bail. You deserve the bed."

"But I'm not even paying for the room. I will take the couch."

"Guys, if you can't decide, I'll take the couch," Nate says, but is quickly shut down.

"No, of the three of us, you deserve a bed the most," Sam assures him. "You're the one who coordinated all this, and you just got accepted to one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Victor should take the other bed since he's a little older than we are."

My brows furrow slightly. "So what if I'm older? I can handle the couch."

"Nothing, I'm just saying it could be bad for your joints."

"My joints are just fine, thank you very much. I don't need you worrying about them."

"I won't worry if you take a bed!"

I lean forward and fix Sam with a look. "Oh, keep talking. Maybe you should be worried."

Sam mirrors me then growls, "Try me."

My jaws clench and fists tighten as the elder Drake tenses, but further action is halted by his brother. "Guys!" Nate shouts, slamming his hands on the table. He continues when our startled eyes find his fierce gaze. "I know you're not best friends or anything, but could you please not make a scene whenever you get together?"

Sam and I keep a guilty silence.

"Now, I'm going upstairs to study for my math proficiency exam. I don't want to see either of you until you can learn to deal with each other."

And with that, he forcefully pushes his chair back and stalks off towards the elevator and our room.

Then silence.

Then more silence.

Then more silence.

It's only broken by me striking my lighter to start a cigar. Sam looks glumly at the line of smoke rising from the end of my cigar. "Need a light?" I ask, holding out my lighter.

He shrugs, takes it from my palm, then lights up. "Thanks." He tosses the lighter back to me and lounges back against the back of his chair. "Does he get on you about smoking, too?"

I huff a laugh then nod. "Yeah. Something about it being bad for your lungs."

"Heh, yup. That sounds like Nathan alright. He's a handful, huh?"

"Eh, not as much as his brother," I say, raising an eyebrow. "Nate's off to college in a month and a half, and you're still dragging him halfway across the world on some wild goose chase."

Sam just grunts and avoids my gaze. "Thanks for bailing me out by the way," he says quietly after a few seconds of silence. "You didn't have to, but you flew all the way over here anyway."

"Well, you're welcome," I sigh, stretching my arms over my head. "But I didn't do it for you."

Before Sam can say anything, I stand and make my way over to the elevator. Sam joins me just as our ride arrives. We travel upwards in silence. Sam opens the hotel door with his key and lets me in behind him. We both stop short as we turn the corner.

We find Nate curled up on the couch, head resting on his algebra textbook, already sound asleep. Wordlessly, without eye contact, Sam and I slip Nate's shoes off, cover him with the spare blanket from the closet, and replace his textbook with a pillow. We don't even glance at the twin beds. Sam takes the spinning, wooden desk chair for the night, and I take the strangely oily bathtub.

In that moment, it's understood between Sam and I that Nate always comes first. He deserves the best, and maybe we're not the best but we should try our damnedest.