Notes: Thanks for everyone that reviewed, more to come after this chapter, enjoy!
Bobby didn't much feel like going out that night, his mind was still on his baby brother. He grumbled at his non ability to sleep rolling over wrapping himself deeper into his covers. He glanced at the clock, it was two in the morning and their was nothing worse then the pressure of trying to make yourself go to sleep when your heart just wasn't in it. Bobby's door creaked open making him turn his head over his shoulder, it was Jack.
He must have just gotten in, which in no way was allowed in this house but all of the boys snuck out. Jack still wore those heavy army boots and his leather jacket; his feet heavily dragged his body over to the foot of the bed.
"What Jackie?" Bobby asked, he figured he wouldn't be talking to Jack for a day or two after their fight this afternoon, but here he was.
Jack dropped his knees on the end of the mattress pausing there for a long moment then crawled over to Bobby and laid down a foot or two away from his brother.
"Get you shit kickers off my blanket." Was all Bobby could find he could say, he was so puzzled by this whole encounter. With out a word Jack kicked his boots off; they landed on the floor with a thud, the heavy zippers rattling.
"Are we going to spoon or somthin'?" Bobby asked trying to break this horrible dread that lingered in the air with the entrance of Jack.
"Bobby…" Jack softly said his voice cracked and tired as if he had been crying for a long time or just shaken up.
"I'm right here." Bobby said in a soft voice pulling his blanket over Jack. No matter how strange or mean Jack could be Bobby would forgive him in a heart beat with open arms. He had to, half of his brothers mannerisms and habit s were no fault of his own.
"You wanna' talk or go to sleep?" He really did have a soft side for his little brother when he was like this, Jack had a hard shell he didn't show how he hurt to just anyone. Bobby could recall the damaged goods of a little boy that first came to the house, he didn't show any emotion for his first few weeks.
"Sleep." Jack said in that hurt sad voice that always killed Bobby when ever he heard it, Bobby reached his arm out ruffling Jack's hair.
"Then take your coat off, stay for a while." Bobby yawned rolling over facing his back to his brother. He lay there for maybe ten minutes, his mind at ease more now that Jack was here safe for now.
"Bobby…I can't sleep." Jack suddenly stated, Bobby groaned but the way Jack said it made him wonder and he turned the lamp on by his bed.
"Aw shit Jackie!" Bobby moaned looking over at Jack who lay on his side with the remains of a bloody nose dried on his upper lip. His eyes were blood shot and had that wired look to them.
"You can't do that shit like its powdered sugar! Look at you…aw god." Bobby grumbled looking Jack over a bit closer taking hold of his shaking wrist pushing back his sleeve.
There was an old bandage wrapped around his wrist looking crooked as if he wrapped it himself. Jack was a cutter Bobby knew it, that's why he wore those wrist bands when ever he wore a T-shirt, but he could get carried away going all down his forearm at times. Mom kept the kitchen knives locked away in a special drawer because of this but it never stopped him one bit.
"What's happening to you?" Bobby said in his moment of distress sounding so lost, unsure how to handle his brothers self destruction. He rubbed his face in his hands for a moment taking a large breath of air to clear his mind long enough to help Jack.
"Ok, ok…hold on." Bobby said getting to his feet going over to his closet feeling around the top shelf. He knew someone who was a janitor in the local hospital, and around the time Jack started getting into drugs Bobby made a deal with the guy. The hospital carried preloaded shots for their first response teams to give to people that came in high. It was an amazing drug, instantly killing the high for the person. Jack bough a couple from the kid for times like these.
"It might pinch." Was all Bobby said taking Jack's arm firmly giving him the shot, Jack hissed but the loss of his high suddenly hit him far harder.
"Aww…shit." He moaned holding onto his head rolling it side to side as Bobby got back into bed.
"Feel like shit? Gee, I wonder if you knocked off the drugs you'd feel better." Bobby grumbled getting comfortable once again in his bed, Jack moaned at his sudden with drawls.
"Shut up!" He moaned still rolling about in the bed gritting his teeth trying to recall the last time he was this sober, this much in reality again.
"Shut up? Maybe you should get the fuck out of my room if you're going to bitch at me!" Jack snapped back, both of them keeping their voices in check at this hour of the night.
"No Bobby…"
"No? Get out of here fairy, cry in your own bed about your self inflicted misery." Bobby interrupted, he really didn't want Jack to leave he was just being a dick and he couldn't help but be one at times.
"Please stop." Jack begged in that voice and Bobby fell silent with a sigh.
"You're killing me watching you Jackie, you know that?" Bobby sighed pulling Jack over to him wrapping his arms around him.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Jack echoed his voice muffled with his face buried in Bobby's shoulder.
"Shush, shush you'll work yourself up, go to sleep for now, you haven't been sleeping laity." Bobby said releasing Jack, the both of them going to separate ends of the bed.
Jack stood at the sink washing the dishes with Evelyn; he always helped her in the kitchen ever since he came to the Mercer family. In the beginning when Jack wouldn't talk Evelyn would sit him on the counter and she would explain to him everything she was doing when she cooked, just to have something to say to him and to keep him from zoning out for long periods of time.
He didn't help her cook anymore but if she asked he would silently do so, Evelyn was his saving grace he would do anything she ask…well almost.
"Jackie, are you sick?" Evelyn asked him as she dried a dish watching Jack's boney hands shaking and hearing his nose sniffing. Jack paused in his dish washing steadying his hands a bit more with great struggle.
"I think so mom." Jack quietly responded, each day that went by laity Jack seemed to remind her more of the little boy that first came here.
"You didn't want to go play hockey with Jerry, and Bobby this morning?"
"No, I don't feel good." Pulling a conversation out of him was like pulling teeth, Evelyn sighed taking the dish out of his hand.
"Hey- I'm not done with that- Mom! Come on!" Jack said as his mother herded him over to the table making him sit down.
"When was the last time you ate right? You're going to sit and eat a real meal and you're not getting up until your plate is clean." She said in a matter of fact way, Jack grinned at her then looked down at the table scratching a groove in the wood.
"What ever makes you feel better Ma."
Jerry was in the shower when he heard the door whip open with certain urgency and a pair of frantic foot steps to go along with it.
"Jack, what the hell are you doing?" Jerry asked as if he was crazy bursting into the bathroom, Jack dropped to his knees in front of the toilet throwing up.
"Aw…man come on! You're going to make me puke hearin' that!" Jerry said trying to ignore the sloshing sound of the vomit hitting the water.
"Mom made me eat-" Jack began but another wave of nausea hit him. "So much fucking bacon this morning!"
"Did eating bacon make you sick or the eating its self part make you sick?" Jerry asked putting him on the spot with his head in the toilet harshly puking.
"All I can taste is fucking bacon!" Jack snapped back at Jerry in between being sick, he was done in a few minutes after a couple of dry heaves he laid out on the tiled floor catching his breath.
"Mom's one step away from hooking you up to an IV of nothing but bacon fat if you don't put some weight on soon you know." Jerry said standing over Jack as he tied his bathrobe belt.
"Ugh…don't mention bacon right now Jerry." Jack moaned shutting his eyes trying to block out how sick the thought of that damn breakfast meat was making him at this moment.
From down stairs you could hear the front door open, Bobby must have opened it because who ever was at the door he was yelling at.
"What he hell is his problem?" Jerry wondered now putting his attention to trying to hear what Bobby was yelling about.
"Dexter!" Jack suddenly said his eyes flashing open as he jumped up off the bathroom floor running down the stairs to the front door.
"Thank you Bobby." Jack said pushing past his brother meeting up with his friend Dexter who was at the door looking a bit like a deer in the head lights.
"I'm not done Jackie!" Bobby yelled but Jack pulled on Dexter's arm to tell him to run and the two of them took off down the street.
"One of these day's your brothers going to shoot me, I swear!" Dexter said giving a weary look as the two of them ran down the street, Jack spat at the comment.
Evelyn came behind Bobby just in time to see the small spec that was Jack and his friend rounding a corner going out of sight.
"Look at him, he's a frigin' Jack rabbit when he wants to be." Bobby grumbled waving his hand up in the air.
"I hate that kid Ma, that friend of his… him and his goofy nose ring and gay green hair, god I wanna kill him." Bobby said each insult a little more passionate then the next, he shut the door with more muscle then needed.
