DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!
AT SUMMER'S END
CH 1
Summertime. Late August and the dread of school loomed. Henry and Nathan Lavelle were eking the most out of their remaining vacation days. The day was a warm one and the sun was barely in the sky, by mid-afternoon it was sure to be a scorcher.
Henry ran down the stairs a sleeveless t-shirt and cut off jean shorts the chosen attire. He carried his tennies and dropped them by the door next to Nathan's. The older brother with dark brown hair in need of a school cut and brown eyes sat at the table eating his cereal. He watched his tow-headed brother race to get his breakfast together his blue eyes filled with anticipation.
"Don't leave without me Nate," he begged as he poured cereal into his bowl, spilling some on the counter in his haste.
Nathan snorted a laugh, "I won't. Slow down. And you'd better clean that up before mom sees it."
"I will," Henry nodded after he put the milk away. He took his seat at the table and quickly started on his breakfast.
The older brother stood to rinse out his bowl. "You're going to make yourself sick if you don't chew," he admonished Henry. He left to change into his shorts and t-shirt. The guys would be gathering in the lot soon. By the time he got down Henry was waiting at the door nearly jumping up and down.
He smirked, "Alright, let's go."
"Yes!" his brother cheered racing out the door. Nathan gave his little brother a gentle shove but it knocked him to the ground regardless.
"No fair," the young boy screamed as he picked himself up from the ground. He took off trying to catch up to Nathan who had four inches and two years on the six year old.
Nathan glanced back making sure his brother wasn't hurt, though he thought he had hardly bumped him. Satisfied that he was alright enough to be angry and chase after him, he kept his pace running toward the lot where he and his friends were planning to play a game of football. There were six of them, so he'd tried to discourage Henry from tagging along the night before. But being Nate's 'shadow' he insisted on going so he could watch.
He'd teased Henry about being the cheerleader, but his quick witted brother retorted, "Yeah, for the other team."
Nathan would never admit it aloud, but he loved his little brother. Sure he could be annoying with always wanting to tag along. Even when his friends would grumble, he could tell they didn't really mind too much. Henry was good natured and didn't go crying if they teased him. He would shoot out his own comebacks and laugh along with everyone else.
When the older boy reached the corner across from the lot he stopped. There never seemed to be any traffic on this part of the neighborhood, but it gave him a chance to let Henry catch up while he wiped the sweat off his brow.
He could hear his brother's feet slapping the pavement and his breath sputtering. He grinned picturing him coming up behind him planning to give him a retaliatory shove. What actually happened seemed to be happening in a bad dream. Nothing and everything registering all at the same time.
As he felt Henry right behind him, he stepped to the side to avoid the attack while in his peripheral vision a glint of sun reflected off an object approaching down the street. As planned, Henry missed him, but his momentum carried him straight into the street. Nathan tried to grab a part of his shirt to pull him back and his friends were screaming for Henry to stop.
Maybe that was what they were screaming but it was incomprehensible to Nathan. His hand never made purchase on his brother. One second he was in front of him; the next he was tossed into the air as a light colored sedan made contact. The time in the air seemed to last an eternity, as if he found a way to defy gravity.
For one incredible moment Nathan held hope that his brother had developed a supernatural power and had avoided the horror that played out in front of him. The next sound was Henry hitting the cement followed by the car screeching around the next corner and out of sight.
Nathan thought he'd gone deaf. He could see his friends' mouths moving but couldn't hear anything they were saying. As a matter of fact his eyesight must've been affected as well, because their faces blurred and he could hardly focus. Except for on Henry.
He knelt beside his little brother willing him to be okay. He picked up an arm that was bent unnaturally and found it was limp in his hand. He smoothed the hair from his forehead that had a nasty bloody gash across it. At some point his hearing returned as a siren blared and someone was screaming.
It wasn't until the paramedics arrived and one gently lifted him away from Henry that he realized he was the one screaming. He watched as the other paramedic quickly assessed his brother and waited for him to start making him better. The look he gave his partner still holding Nathan tightly told the story that the big brother feared. He was gone. Henry was dead.