True Disaster

BANG!

A single shot rings out in the midst of the dark night. Eliciting shouts and screams of terror from people who were previously milling around on the streets. They scattered like ants, running for cover. Some of them immediately fished out their phones and dialed the police while others held and tried their best to comfort each other in the middle of all the chaos.

But not everyone was concerned with running for cover.

Alone in the middle of the road, surrounded by the fleeing masses of screaming people, sat an older man. He was hunched over, cradling a younger blonde close to his chest as if he were nothing more than an infant. Tears were streaming down the older man's face as he begged the blonde in choked whispers to stay with him until help arrived.

"God, Mac, please. Please just hang on." He begged brushing the kid's sweaty bangs from his forehead, trying to forget the awful wet squelch his jacket made as he bundled the material tighter in his blood soaked, shaking hand and applied more pressure. The bloody hole was way too close to the kid's heart for Jack's comfort. Thick red liquid started to coat the lower part of his arms as it continued to pour out of the wound as if on it's own accord.

The bleeding wouldn't stop.

Mac whimpered against the pain in his chest. He was sure he was hallucinating but he couldn't help but imagine feeling the bullet dig deeper and deeper with every little twitch of pain he did. The constant screaming of those around him brought forth godawful spikes of pain shooting throughout his skull. Tears of pure agony spilled out the corner of his eyes. A gentle calloused thumb wiped them away a moment later.

"You're gonna be ok, Mac. I promise you will." He heard Jack whisper softly from somewhere above him, adjusting his hold so Jack could cup the kid's cheek with his hand. That same calloused thumb gently caressed his cheek in comfort.

Mac weakly shook his head. He could feel something just wasn't right. Something told him it wasn't going to end like every other time he's ever been severely injured. Through the fog, Mac already managed to somehow calculate the amount of time it would take the ambulance to get here. With how fast he was bleeding out he'd already be too far gone. He just had one problem.

Mac just didn't know how to break it to his partner.

Mac hated the amount of fear he put on his partner's face. The never ending rivers of tears streaming down his cheeks. Jack wasn't the one that was supposed to be sitting here like this, even if he was the more emotional one in the team. It felt weird. Jack was the muscle, the protector. To see Jack like this only made Mac feel even more guilty. In that very moment, he wanted so badly to just agree with Jack, that everything would be alright. But he'd be lying to him.

Mac couldn't do that. Not to Jack.

It amazed him slightly of how difficult it was to find the strength to find and latch on to Jack's hand that had been gently carding through his hair. Jack's eyes - oh he'd never forget those tearful brown orbs that used to be so full of life - quickly met his. Emotions swirled and flashed behind them, but were gone before Mac's hazy mind had a chance to identify them. Mac took a deep breath, ignoring the sharp pain in his chest and met his brother's eyes. His own tears making the Texan's face a little blurry.

"Jack, I'm-" he swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry, big guy."

Jack frowned through his tears, a sudden nervous foreboding look in his eyes. "Why? What do you have to be sorry for? This is all my fault, Mac. I...I should've protected you better."

Mac shook his head, wincing. He gripped Jack's hand a little tighter. He needed Jack to understand that he never has and never will blame him for this and that this most certainly wasn't Jack's fault.

"No that's not what I meant." He fought to keep his eyes open with a shuddering breath. The blackness seeming to get ever closer. "Jack, I...I need you to know...something...before I go."

Jack's eyes widened fractionally. Ice suddenly flowing through his veins. "No. No, Mac don't talk like that. You'll be fine. Help's almost here. I promise." Jack said, desperation jumbling his words slightly. He didn't believe it was humanely possible for a human heart to pound as hard as his til that very moment. Jack closed his eyes and gripped Mac's hand, silently willing his brother to hang on a little longer. Jack ignored the feeling of hopelessness spreading in his chest. Like fucking hell he was about to let his brother die by the hands of some cowardly bastard.

"Hey, Mac's incredibly soft and weakened voice brought him out of his trance. The blonde gave their joined hands a little squeeze, though it wasn't much. "Everything's ok, Jack. It's alright."

Jack shook his head and bowed it low. "No it's not." The Delta whispered before meeting his partner's eyes. "How can you say that? Mac, what am I supposed to do without you? What am I supposed to do? You're too damn young to die, kiddo. I can't lose you, brother. I can't-" The older man broke off with a sudden sob that shook his whole muscular frame.

Mac tried to give his partner a small smile, though he was pretty sure it ended up being more of a pained grimace. "You're not gonna lose me, big guy. I'm always right here with you. I'll never leave you. You've always been my rock when my whole world was crumbling down around me. You saved me even when I probably didn't deserve it. When I was broken, you were the first one there to save me and put me back together piece by piece until I was whole again. No matter how long it took." Mac's hand shook as he gripped Jack's shirt front with all the remaining strength he had. "You've done so much for me, Jack and I can't thank you enough, brother. I love you so much."

The Delta didn't say anything for a while. There was an odd mix of awe, pain and pride in his shining eyes. Finally he smiled and started sobbing, holding Mac closer and tucking the blonde's head under his chin. The older man started to gently rock his kid, keeping up a stream of softly murmured nothings, even if it did help them a little. Mac stayed silent and closed his eyes, focusing in on the strong heartbeat against his ear. The blonde could feel the empty blackness reappear in the back of his mind, threatening to consume him.

He couldn't find the strength to fight it.

It was a weird feeling. Mac could almost feel his very nerve ending tingle before going silent. His heart slowed dangerously, barely pumping at all. Mac's lungs started to seize in his chest. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, Mac fuzzily noticed. Mac opened his eyes only to find they turned into led weights. The fact that he couldn't even open his own eyes should've scared him, should've made that famous stubbornness kick in and fight.

But he was fading.

A few tears slipped out the corner of his eyes. A wet tiny inhale of breath was all he could muster before surrendering to the appealing darkness and going limp in Jack's strong arms. A small trickle of blood spilling out the corner of his mouth.

The last thing he heard was Jack's frantic scream of his name.