New chap! MacManus POV! Next chap will be Dixon POV.
Two Sides Of The Same Coin
Part 1| Boston
Chapter Two - Invincible
There had never been a time where Murphy didn't think that his brother was invincible. Even back in the days when they had been kids and Connor had been very ill, his brother wouldn't stop fighting. Murphy knew that they spent most of the time arguing over who was the older brother, but deep down the dark-haired twin knew that Connor was his big brother. And big brothers were invincible. So Murphy was even more surprised when he got the call that Connor was in hospital because he had been attacked on his way home.
It didn't take Murphy a second to get outside. He started running and wouldn't stop. He just wanted to be with his brother. The hospital wasn't far away so it only took him a couple of minutes to get there. When he finally entered the facility he grabbed the next best nurse who crossed his way.
"Where te hell's my brother?" he yelled and tried to catch breath. He could feel the adrenaline rush. It felt like he was on fire.
The woman looked at him in surprise.
"If you'd please calm down sir, I'm sure we'll.."
"No I won't calm the fuck down! You called me cos my brother's here so I came as fast as I could! Now where. the hell. 's my brother?"
"Mr MacManus?" he heard another woman say and turned his head.
"Aye, that's me, now, where's Connor?"
The receptionist got up and nodded.
"I'm Patricia, I called you since you were.."
"I don't care fer Christ's sake, just show me where m'brother is!" he snapped and let out a relieved sigh when she asked him to follow her.
Connor was in one of those overcrowded rooms where they kept all the people with no health insurance. Problematic cases, that got a pink band-aid on their wounds and were released the same day they opened their eyes. Once the nurses had made sure that they wouldn't die the moment they got out of bed.
"What happened?" Murphy asked the nurse when he saw that Connor wasn't awake.
He had bandages around his right arm and leg and a nasty cut just above his left eye.
"He got into a fight with two drunk men. One of them had a knife."
Murphy sighed and shook his head.
"Fuckin moron. Where's that fucker?"
"The police arrested him. It doesn't look too bad. The cuts weren't deep. We only had to suture two of the wounds, the one above his eye and the stab wound over here."
She said and lifted Connor's shirt up so he could see another cut on Connor's side.
"Why isn't he awake?"
"He fell asleep soon after we took care of his wounds. Just the exhaustion and pain killers. Nothing to worry about."
Murphy took a deep breath and grabbed one of the plastic chairs to sit down next to his brother.
"I'll wait fer him ta wake up."
When Connor woke up he felt that there was something lying on his right thigh. Something heavy. It was noisy and when he opened his eyes he saw why. He was in hospital and there were others in the room as well. He sighed and rubbed his eyes only to hiss when he felt a sharp pain right above his eye. It took him a moment but then he remembered. The alley. Those rednecks. The knife. He turned his head to see what was lying on his thigh. The Irishman smiled happily when he saw that it was his brother. Murphy lay there with his head resting on his thigh. Although is eyes were closed he was still facing Connor, as if to make sure that the moment he opened his eyes he would be the first thing he saw. Connor tried to move without waking Murphy up. He failed miserably. When he shifted his leg Murphy's eyes snapped open.
"Easy" Connor murmured and started grinning.
Murphy sat up and rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Well aren't ye a sight fer sore eyes" the older twin said but winced when his younger half started hitting his thigh.
"Are ye. fuckin. mental." Murphy said with each slap to which Connor answered with a reproachful "ow!"
"You fuckin scared the shit outta me, Con! I send you out ta get some fuckin cigarettes, nat stab wounds!"
"Ow, stop hitting me!" Connor complained.
Murphy wouldn't listen and continued slapping his brother's thigh a little bit more.
"No I won't, have ye got any idea how fuckin scared I was when I got the phone call? That's nothing compared ta what kinda beating you deserve fer that!"
Connor managed to grab his brothers hands and held them tight.
"Jesus, Murph! 't was jus a silly fight with some drunk fucker down the street. 'ts nat like that didn't happen before! Now stop fuckin hittin me" he said and hit the back of his brother's head.
"Course that's different, I wasn't there!"
Connor felt how Murphy's grip changed into something that was a little less angry. It turned into some sort of affectionate squeeze instead.
"Don't ye ever fuckin do that again" the younger said and Connor smirked.
"Aye."
"Promise" Murphy demanded and Connor squeezed his hand once more.
"By the name af the lord I swear."
The younger snorted and let go of his brother's hand.
"Uh uh, there comes te grumpy face" Connor said with a smirk on his face and Murphy rolled his eyes.
"Shut up."
"Come on, I see it. That's yer grumpy face."
Murphy shrugged and his brother snickered.
"Oh yer nat shitting me. I know yer nat mad at me."
"Af course I am, yah fucker" the younger growled and hit Connor's thigh once more.
"No, here it comes, here it comes..come on. Smile fer me. I'm in fucking hospital, I'm the one that's seriously injured. It's not exactly polite ta be mad at an injured person."
Although Murphy tried hard not to, he just ended up smiling and snickering. He could hardly ever be mad at his brother and not smile or laugh when Connor was around. He only remembered the one single time he'd been seriously mad at his brother. That had been when they were eight and Connor had slept over at Jimmy Lynch's. It had been their first and only night where they didn't sleep in the same room, the same house. Even Connor's charm couldn't make up for it the next day. Murphy wouldn't talk to him for the next 15 hours until his other half was a sobbing mess. The younger twin had forgiven his brother then, and they'd spent the night cuddling in the same bed to make up for it. This was just like that. Murphy couldn't possibly be mad at his brother for long, so he just shook his head with a soft giggle and nudged his twin.
" Seriously injured my fucking ass. What happened anyway?"
Connor sighed and looked at the ceiling.
"I come out af the drugstore and walk down the alley when I hear those two dickheads screaming down the neighborhood. Ye know me, I got a little curious, so I peek around the corner only ta see this massive bald nazi prick beating the shit outta this other kiddo. 't wasn't like the other was some sorta flatbread but when I heard him talking..."
The older twin shook his head and Murphy frowned.
"What?"
Connor turned his head and looked at his twin.
"I thought it was you."
Murphy snorted.
"Are ye fucking stupid, why would that be me? I sent you ta get some cigs, so why would I go outside? I was home watching tv."
Connor nodded.
"Aye but I swear ta god, that kiddo had yer voice, yer face. Just a different accent and blonde hair but other than that, 't was like he was yer fuckin twin or something."
The younger twin chuckled and nudged his brother.
"Yer my fucking twin, stupid. I haven't got another one. At least I don' think so. Should we call Ma?"
The blonde started laughing.
"Are ye mental, she'd scream me fucking ears off if I told her about that. You know how she much she hates us fighting."
Connor thought about that Redneck who had Murphy's face and wondered where he was. He probably owed that guy his life.
"So why did ye do it Con?" Murphy asked.
It snapped Connor out of it.
"Jus because you thought 't was me or because ye thought you need ta be tough and play the superhero again? Cause if you did I'll beat the shit outta ye fer that."
Connor shook his head.
"You fuckin know I'd never do that ta you. I really thought 't was you, brother."
Murphy smirked and looked at the clock.
"I think we should go back home now, before they ask fer money."
Connor nodded and sat up. He groaned when it pulled the stitches.
Murphy helped him with his clothes and once they had made sure that there was no nurse around they left the room and headed for the elevator.
"Just...maybe I should ask the nurse about that other guy?" Connor said and stopped walking.
Murphy shook his head and grabbed him by his pea coat.
"Fuck 'im, they did that ta you. They're better off hiding somewhere."
The older twin turned his head to search the hallway, somewhat hoping he'd see the stranger that looked so much like his brother.
"But that guy saved me life" Connor murmured but Murphy dragged him inside the elevator.
"Fucking ferget about that now, Con. We need ta leave now. We'll discuss that shit when we're home."
"Aye" the blonde said but couldn't stop thinking about those two guys from the alley.
Dixon.
He remembered the name. And what was it? Mark? Marl? Merle? Something like that. Nazi prick. Connor thought and tried to remember the other guy's name. He couldn't. He was pretty sure his brother had called him by some woman's name. Darla? Donna? Dori? Darlyna? He didn't have a clue. Connor didn't like owing someone something. All he had was one name: Dixon. As they headed back home the Irishman made a decision: He would find that guy. Maybe to thank him, maybe to break his nose. Or something. He just needed to find him.
