3rd person POV

Bobby sat beside his unconscious brother, holding his hand tightly. Bobby's eyes were glued to the machines that were hooked up to Jack's body.

Dr. Mult looked at Jack's chart, then spoke. "Mr. Mercer as you know, we done everything we can for him. He lost a lot of blood and for forty-eight minutes had no oxygen. For that, there might be a chance of brain damage-."

"Yeah, yeah I know. He'll need a lot of care if that happened." Bobby cut off the doctor.

"As I was saying. If he wakes up he'll need a lot of physical therapy. There might be a chance he may not walk again, but if he does walk he can't do a lot of thing like: run, play hockey (ice or rollerblade), ride a bike, skateboard, surf, extra. Also once he does wake up he'll show a flow of emotion. Anger, hate, and depression. He might ignore you and your brothers, might be distant, and might not talk much." Dr. Mult wrote down the list of things that jack wouldn't do for a while and life time. He handed it over to Bobby. "Make sure you and him follow the rules."

Bobby took the list. He hated doctors, hospitals over all. They never really helped people. They just say they do, but they don't. sometimes they make it worse. They leave stuff inside you, or not care for you. The reason Bobby hated the hospital is because they didn't save his mother. They told him they did everything they could but she still died of cancer. Little did he know, there's was not much you can do for cancer, he was only four.

"I'll have a nurse to check on him later." The doctor said then left the room.

Only Bobby and his brother was left. The only sound was the machines beeping. Jack had no color to his skin except his eyes. The were an orangey brown, like the vampires in queen of the damned. His hair a mess from the people moving him around. Tubes and I.V.s were all over him. He looked like shit. Worse than shit, like death. He looked like a grim reaper but in a young body.

Bobby didn't look too good either. He was pale and had bags under his eyes. He too was thinner from not eating much over the three weeks his been in the hospital. Bobby neglected to slick back his hair too. He hasn't done much of anything but stayed near he brother. Bobby didn't spend all his time there, he got a at the market near the basketball court. He got the job to pay the medical bills and pay for the housing bills.

Bobby squeezed his younger brother's hand. "Jackie.. I." He bowed his head. "I love you. That day you got shot… I thought I lost you. A that moment my whole world fell apart. I murdered Sweet in cold blood. He crew dumped his body in the lake. We went to the police. Ha we, Jer, Ang, and I got our asses kicked. I felt so alone that day. Angel had La Vida Loca and Jeremiah had Camile, I had no one. I felt so alone… abandon like. You abandoned me Jack. You were the good in me, you held the evil within. When you left the evil broke through.

Every night I had nightmare that you came back and blamed me for your death and everything that happened to you. When I got the news that you were alive I broke down. I don't think I cried so much in my life. When I was gone for those three or four years I felt empty, lost. Just a soulless being. Then I found out mom died. I came home, then I saw you at the funeral. I was still lost, till you gave that speech. It brought back good memories of the first time I saw you, the first time mom left you alone with me, the time I taught you how to play hockey, and all the other times I taught you stuff. Hockey, I was so funny now of how you played. You didn't know a stick from a puck. It took you a year to skate and barely hit the puck." Tears swelled up in his eyes.

Bobby laid his head down on the bed. Tears fell from his eyes and onto the white bed sheets. Remembering the good times brought up November twenty-ninth, they day he though he lost Jack. It pained Bobby to see his brother all hooked up. He wants to just put him out of his misery. There's a slim chance that he'll wake up. Jack's body isn't even fighting to live, it just there, doing nothing. Bobby was almost tempted to just pull the life support plug.

Bobby couldn't take it anymore seeing someone he loved like this, so he got up and went down the four fleets of stairs to get some coffee.

Jack's POV

A pressure of air sounded in my ears followed by a steady beeping. I slowly opened my eyes to a pure, bright white room. Am I in heaven. No I couldn't be… could i? I don't remember anything that happened to me. Did I hurt myself or did someone hurt me? My leg hurt and my arm too. What happened?

I tired to breathe in but couldn't. Something was blocking my air way. I was getting air to my lungs though. How? I moved my head slightly to the left and I felt something in my throat. I took my left hand up and pulled out the long clear tube from my throat.

It hurt to pull it out. It hurt my throat and my right shoulder. An image of a gun pointed at me, came across my eyes. What was that, a memory? The gun went off hitting in the shoulder. I fell to my knees in pain. Blood poured out of the bullet wound. Again the gun was pointed at me but this time at my head. Blackness then the gunner was on the ground dead. I got up as a group of men with guns got out of a van. Pain in my right knee. I fell into the snow. Screaming voices and guns, then nothing. A man kneeled over me crying and talking. Vision blurred and then to see nothing.

I remember now. There was a shoot out the house. I got shot twice. My brothers fought, with guns, and killed them. Bobby and everyone tired to get help for me. They couldn't do anything to save me.

The brightness faded. I saw tones of needles in my arms. The tube I pilled out of my throat was clear. Lots of machines next to the bed. A chair was to the left of the bed, someone must of sat there. The walls were an off white, but the door was gray. I had no idea were I was or who was here.

I ripped out the needles that were imbedded into my skin. Blood slowly flowed out of the little holes. I swung my legs off to the side of the bed and down till my feet touched the floor. I pushed up with both of my arms, hurting my right one. I had to get out of here. Go find Bobby or Angel or Jerry. Once I was finally up I took one step and fell to the ice cold titled floor, in pain. Tears came to my eyes. The pain wasn't extreme though.

I went to pull myself again but I heard foot steps near the gray door. Fear ran through my veins. There was no place to hide fast except under the bed. I crawled under with my good arm and leg. The knob turned making a clicking noise. I held my knees tightly to my chest. All that ran through my head was 'please don't find me. Don't look under the bed.'

The pair of feet didn't move from the door. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. All I could think of was that this is Victor Sweet. He kept me alive to trap and kill my brothers. Wait if knows that I'm gone he'll go after them again to get them defenseless. I couldn't do that to them nor can I possibly let them torture me to get to them. Either was I felt trapped and ten times more scared then before.

The feet moved closer as did I to the wall. I held my breath and shut my eyes expecting the worse to happen.

"Jack." The voice sounded familiar. I couldn't place whose voice it was. One thing I did know was that it wasn't sweet. I never heard his voice. "Jack! Jackie! Jack were are you?"

No one calls me 'Jackie' except Evelyn and my brothers. It couldn't be Evelyn she's no longer here. It either Bobby, Angel, or Jerry. Or this could be a trick. I'm so confused, I don't know weather to got to the person or just stay here. I couldn't tell if this person is one of my brothers or Sweet's guys.

"Jackie!" my body started to shake bad. "Here you are. Jack come here." I shook my bed. "It's me Bobby."

I opened my eyes. There was Bobby, except he looked extremely tired and thinner. I didn't fully trust my eyes. I could be seeing him cause I wanted to see him. That's happened before when I was younger. I saw everyone as scary demons only out to hurt me, or people that looked like an angel but was a demon. What made this any different from then? I did the only thing I could think of.

"H-how do… I kn-know it's real-ly you? H-how do… I-I know th-at your n-not an im… pos… poster?" I said through a horse voice. It was horse because for however long I was out.

"Well, you were nine going on ten when mom took you in. You hated to be called Cracker Jack, and you are currently nineteen." I'm still not sure. Anyone who hung around us Mercers knew all of that. "Damn, Jack I wish you would come here. I love you. You know it's me. If you're not sure then you have that scar going down from your left shoulder to the center of your spinal cord."

No one knew the but Bobby. He saw it when I was changing my clothes from the orphanage. He scared me because I thought I was alone and he just slammed opened the door. I got that scar from the last family before Evelyn. That man had a butcher's knife and he threw it at me. The was longer than it was now, but I was hospitalized for two weeks. I had nerve damage, I couldn't fell anything on my back. Slowly that went back to normal.

I dragged myself to Bobby's welcoming arms. I cried because I was happy and I didn't care if he knew and cracked a joke. Nothing could spoil this moment for me. "B… obby."

"Jack." Bobby picked me up and placed me on the bed. He pulled the blankets up to my chest. "Jack, I… I though I lost you. I was nothing without you. You are my salvation from this hell hole. We missed you."

Bobby broke down crying. This is the second time in my life I seen him cry. Both times were because of me. That made me feel bad. I've caused everyone so much pain. I hated that. Everyone I met I caused them pain, emotional. I'm useless. No good to this world. I should have died. I know I said that I wanted to be with them. That was a lie. I wanted to die for a while now. I had nothing to live for.

"Jack," Bobby embraced me. "I want you to stay with me. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you, I'll go crazy. You're the only one who is keeping me sane. You're my light in the dark. I know it sounds stupid, but true."

I never knew I meant so much to him. I'm the only to keep him in check. Part of me is glade I mean so much to him the other part doesn't believe. I never fully trusted anyone nor wanted to be a part of them. The reason is I been hurt so much when I started to like or trusted someone, so I shut myself from them. I'm just a wondering soul waiting to leave, but Bobby… having so much, uh what do you call it faith, trust in me. What should I say? What should I do? I just sat there, staring at the wall.

"I killed Sweet." I felt a pair of eyes on me. I verted my eyes towards his. "Cold blood. We dumped his body in the lake. I did it for mom and for you. We fixed up Ma's house. We had to replace a lot of stuff. Your room is the same. I haven't changed a thing. I couldn't. I was too painful. Jack. We all couldn't stand what happened three weeks ago."

My eyes widened. I've been out for three weeks. I was in a coma. I couldn't believe it. Bobby has been with me the whole time? He sure does look like it.

"Have you-." I was cut off by the door opening up.

A tall man in a white lab coat walked in. he had a note pad in his hand. He looked up at us. When he did his eyes grew ten times their normal size. "It's good to see you awake Mr. Mercer." The man tired to hind his shock but it didn't work. Inwardly I laughed. "Uh, I'll need to examine you to make sure everything is good."

The man walked towards me. He pulled out a stethoscope and put it on my back. "Breathe in." I did as he said. "Now out." He made a grunting sound then moved it to my chest. I repeated the process.

The man looked at my eyes, my reflexes, and my wounds. Everything checked out then he asked me to speak. I did but it sounded horse and raspy. I also stumbled over a few words but other than that all was good with my speaking. The wrote down how my examination went.

"Alright Mercer, everything is good except you'll need a lot of physical therapy. If you can walk it wont be for a month to two months. Now I told your brother this but I'll tell you too. You wont be able to run, play hockey, roller blade, extra. Also you will experience lots of moods swings. Other than that you will live a normal happy life."

Normal? Happy? Not doing anything is normal. I'm going to become a couch potato all my life. This sucks. How much more is my life going down the drain? I'm not going to have no social life. I'm not going to get married, leave this city, or have kids. God should just kill me now, let me leave.

"Dr, Mult? I can't afford hiss therapy, hell I can barely pay his medical bills. If we did the therapy I'll have to sell the house." Bobby said bitterly at the Doctor.

"Okay. I'll give you a list of the things he'll need to do for his leg and arm, but I want to see him once every two weeks. Alright? It will be free of charge." Bobby nodded. Again going to be a couch potato plus being stuck with Bobby till I can sort of be on my own. That's just peachy. "Okay. He can go home tomorrow… at noon." With that the Doctor left.

I sat there, my eyes felling heavy. I don't know why I slept for three weeks. I slowly fell into a dreamless, dark sleep, hoping it wasn't jus an illusion. That I was alive.

The next Day

Why was my whole body vibrating? This isn't normal. I know most beds don't vibrate. I opened my eyes. A dark brown leather seat was in front of me. I looked out the window, trees and building flew past. I'm in a car, but who's. my eyes moved to the driver seat. A man with a beard and a beanie on his head was driving. Bobby. I was in Bobby's car and he's taking me home so I'll be a fucking couch potato my whole life.

Why did I have to get shot and live? Why not, not get shot or get shot and died? I really don't want to be this way my whole life. I want to go out and do stuff. I want to be a big time rock star. I want to travel the world with my future girl. If I ever get one. The more Bobby cracks gay jokes the more I think I am. Deep down I'm not gay but my head isn't sure. I guess you can call it undecided, but I've always been attracted to women. I don't know. I guess I have plenty of time to figure it out.

"Hey there Cracker Jack. Did you have a good dream of your future boyfriend, Christian Slater?" Who the hell is Christian Slater? I never even heard of him.

I looked out the window ignoring him. I was happy to hear him call me 'fairy' when I thought I was going to die. Now I hate it like always. Some days I wonder if the reason Bobby calls me gay is because he is. I have never seen him with a woman let alone talk to one, except Sofi and Camille. He always wants to play hockey or some sport with just guys in it. I guess I have time to think about that too.

"This world will never be

What I expected

If I don't belong

Who would of guessed it

I will not leave alone

Everything that I own

To make it feel right

Because it not too late

It's never too late," I started to fade in my singing but continued in my head. Singing always makes me feel better when I was down or mad.

The rest of the car ride was quiet. No one talked, the radio wasn't on. The only sound was the car. I was glade it was quiet. I really didn't want to talk or hear Bobby's voice. All I wanted was peace and I got it right now.

We pulled up the driveway. Jerry walked down from the house to the car. He opened up the passenger door. Jerry put down the seat to give me room to get out. I carefully moved myself to the passenger seat. Jerry grabbed hold of my left arm. He pulled gently and I pushed with my left leg. My leg gave out and I fell down onto my knees.

I leaned forward with my right arm to support my weight. I saw a pair of feet step towards me. I lifted myself up. The gun was pointed right between the eyes. I closed them. A gun fired. I opened them up to see my shooter with six bullet holes in his chest. He fell down onto the street.

A roaring sound neared to where I was kneeling. A group of me in masks with guns in there hands. I got up and ran towards my brothers. I was half way to the side walk when bullets hit my knee. A sound came out of my mouth was I fell. My right arm stretched out to break my fall but it gave out. I grabbed hold of the pole.

"Bobby!" I yelled. All I could feel was pain.

Tears fell down my face. Slightly freezing do to the cold.

"Jack."

"Bobby!"

I fell away from the pole and onto my back in agony. I was screaming. Pain filled my whole body. Life was draining, my life out on the snow. I turned my head towards the house.

"BOBBY!"

"Jack!" A pair of strong arms wrapped around my back. "Jackie, it's okay. I'm here. It's just a bad memory."

My vision cleared to normal, not terrifying scene. The house wasn't shot up. It was fixed. It was just a bad memory. I took a deep breathe as I grabbed hold of Bobby's Jacket tightly. Remembering that day scared the shit out of me. I don't, I don't want that memory. It just brought up a lot of pain and heartache. I wish that I would of forgotten it when I woke up. If it did it probably would came to me sooner or later.

"I promise you Jack that nothing will ever hurt you again." Bobby whispered in my ear then kissed it.

"You truly promise, Bobby?" I looked into Bobby's eyes to see if would lie or not.

"Cross my heart, Jackie." He was telling the truth. I smiled at knowing that. "Jer, go clean off the couch. Jack's going to sleep there for a couple of days."

"Alright." I watched Jeramiah go into the house.

An odd feeling came over me as I was in Bobby's arms. I felt safe, warm, and very protected. I loved this feeling. For the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged. I belong here with the only people who truly care for me. For the longest time I wanted this, except for death. I wanted this, this moment to last forever.

"Come on, Jack. Let's get you out of the cold." I nodded as Bobby picked me up bridle style.

He walked up to the steps of the porch. Along the way Bobby stumbled here and there do to my weight. I wasn't that heavy it was just that I weight a few pounds more than he was use too. Bobby made it up the steps and into the house it's self. He walked into the living room.

Jerry was sitting in an arm chair as we entered. Bobby placed me down on the couch then took a seat on the arm rest next to my head.

Later that night I was up crying. My pain medication wore off two hours ago. I've been keeping my crying quiet. I didn't wont Bobby to rush down here for something stupid. He would make fun of me, I know he would.

I greeted my teeth and held on tightly to the blanket. The pain was so intense that I thought my wounds were opening up and bleed. I wanted to scream and rip something apart. My whole body shook, finally a loud scream left my mouth. The tears flowed down my cheeks faster than before. I hated this, it felt worse than that day three weeks ago.

I heard foot steps coming down the stairs. Damn, here comes Bobby. Great here came all the cracks about how I'm such a baby. I'm a man I should tuff it up. I really don't want to hear him make fun of me. I just want to be left alone.

"Jack, are you alright?" Bobby asked with sleepiness in his voice. He stopped right in front of the couch.

I didn't answer him. I didn't even look at him. I just stared at my feet crying.

"Are you in pain?" Still didn't answer. "Jack I want to help you." Bobby lifted up my upper half the sat down. I elbowed him. I did want him near me. "I'm not leaving you. I want to help you. Can you just let me help you?"

" I don't want your help." I said through tears. "why do you want to help a little pussy like me?"

"because you're not, and I love you." There was something in his voice when he said 'I love you'. It didn't sound like a love like family but more of like a couple would say. Did he really love that way? Or did it just come out that way? I guess I would find out, now's not the time. "I'll always be here if you need anything now or ten years from now. Don't be afraid to ask my anything and I mean anything."