It's been three days since the battle.
I can't feel anything below my waist.
D****t.
Yukio opened the door to his brother's hospital room, calling out softly to see if he was awake.
There was no response, so he must be.
The brunette let himself in and eased the door shut behind him. He swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump that always appeared when he came to see Rin. He didn't understand why he was so nervous to see his own brother. . . Maybe it had something to do with his violent mood swings, the way he was devoid of that once cheerful attitude, or maybe it was. . .
Rin was lying in the hospital bed, propped on a pillow and staring out the window. Academy Town stretched out before them, a mass of color beneath a polluted sky. A sea of dreams and promises the young demon would never fulfill now. . .
Yukio tried not to stare at the numb legs hidden under the blanket.
He concentrated on his brother's face: vacant blue eyes, dirty hair, flushed cheeks stained with tears.
For some reason, his wounds had decided not to fully heal; Yukio couldn't help but wonder if that was partly Rin's doing. . .
"You just gonna stand there or what?"
Yukio forced himself not to flinch at his brother's tone. Rin's words had been cruel before, but back then, he could still hear that undercurrent of familial love; there was none of that now.
"I came to see how you were doing."
Silence so thick you could feel it, squeezing.
"I brought you some sukiyaki." The younger twin tried to smile convincingly, but it felt more like a lopsided grimace.
A bitter smile twitched at the corner of Rin's mouth. Yukio was silently wishing for more, but it was better than nothing.
The hold of the silence loosened just a bit.
Rin seperated the chopsticks and held them in his right hand. He was deftly aware of the soft wood between his fingers as he moved them to pick up the food.
He was also aware of Yukio's eyes boring a hole into him.
He put a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed.
Yukio held his breath.
It didn't taste like anything.
His heart shriveled when Rin put the chopsticks down after the first bite.
"Brother. . ."
Rin exhaled loudly. "Yukio, you don't have to pretend like you wanna be here."
He froze. What?
"That's ridiculous! You're my brother of course I want to be here!"
Rin shuddered violently, eyes trained on his numb legs.
"I want to help you through this! I know it's really hard for you, but I-"
"Don't patronize me!"
Yukio flinched and stared at Rin. At the bared teeth and huge, angry eyes. At the pockets of blue flame popping on his skin and hair. He really looked like a demon.
Rin breathed in raggedly, staring at his brother's terrified face.
He felt like a monster, but he couldn't apologize. Couldn't humble himself any more than he already was; lying paralyzed in a hospital bed, broken dreams scattered about his numb legs.
Rin softly told him to leave.
He figured no one had time for him anyway.
The young demon remembered that night.
Rin steadied himself on shaky arms and took in the group huddled around him. Five Exwires, previously friends of his, but now, he wasn't so sure.
He gazed into each of their eyes in turn, daring, just daring one of them to speak up.
Say something. . .
Say something to me!
Only Izumo held his gaze.
Bon studied the ground, eyes full of shame.
A small part of him felt satisfaction, "Good, he should suffer," but he pushed that rancid thought away with a shake of his head. He forced a casual smile and made his voice move like play. "You guys just gonna sit there or what? Let's blow this dump."
They startled to life and forced smiles of their own.
It was getting so easy to lie these days.
Rin pushed off the ground in an effort to stand, yelping as a shard of white hot pain rocketed up his spine. It spread to the nerves in his arms and forced him back to the ground, gasping.
What the h**l was that?
He suddenly became aware of something, of nothing, to be exact. He could feel nothing, as if the legs beneath him no longer existed.
He panicked.
Clawing at the churned up earth in an effort to find purchase, but there was only pain and the pathetic sight of Rin dragging himself along ground, his legs leaving a muddy rut.
Bon and Shiemi rushed to his side, wanting desperately to help but not knowing how. They had momentarily forgotten their incapacity in the wake of Rin's situation. Soon, the others clustered around the young demon as well, fearful.
His eyes grew wide in desperation, he gave another shriek, then collapsed in the dirt.
Shiemi screamed.
Bon shook the kid's shoulder in an attempt to wake him, but Rin's eyes remained glazed and unfocused.
"I - Is he dead?"
Bon whirled on Konekomaru, angry and scared and confused.
His eyes seemed to be begging for answers:
What do I do?
What do I do?
Shiemi fell to her knees beside the unconscious demon, screaming and crying for him to wake up.
There was a loud gasp.
He's still alive. . .
Rin struggled to stand again, his ragged breathing permeating the air.
Screaming over and over that he couldn't feel his legs.
A/N~ I hope you lovely readers are somewhat pleased by this update, which took forever I know. Your guys's encouraging reviews rekindled my interest in this story, so kudos to you all! After reading, please go to my profile page and vote on the poll I will be making shortly, it's about how you think the story should end.