Every second feels just like a year,
Every moment you're not here.
It's like a lifetime of lonely,
Please, hurry baby…
"Matthew…" Gilbert's voice sounded broken over the phone.
"Gilbert? What's wrong?"
"I-it hurts…" Gilbert whimpered. He held an arm against his abdomen, which hurt the worst. "Mattie, you… c-can you come g-get me?"
"Of course, Gilbert." A pause. "Are you okay?"
"It h-hurts so b-bad…" Gilbert whispered, screwing his eyes closed against the pain. "C-come in through the w-window… o-okay?"
"Gilbert, what's wrong?" Matthew asked, worry lacing his words.
"Please… hurry…" Gilbert answered, ignoring Matthew's attempts to keep the injured teen on the phone. He hung up, and curled in on himself, wishing the memories would stop assaulting him.
"You have nowhere to go, Kerstin!" His father screamed at the dirty-blonde woman standing in the doorway. He was lying on the couch, while a much younger Gilbert hid behind his mother.
"Anywhere is better than here." Kerstin said coldly, picking up the little blue-eyed boy next to Gilbert. "And, now I'm taking the boys."
Before Gilbert could do anything, he was suddenly in his father's grip, the cold steel of a knife pressed against his throat.
"If you take the boys, I'll kill him." Gilbert let out a cry of terror, eyes pleading with his mother. Kerstin's blue eyes were obviously conflicted, but she set Ludwig down.
"Can I at least say goodbye to them?" Kerstin asked, pointing at the boys. The man nodded, and left the room, knowing she wouldn't take them.
Gilbert ran up to his mom, and hugged her legs tightly. "Mutti, please don't leave…" Tears were already streaming down the six year old's cheeks. "Vati's so mean…"
"I'll come back for you… I promise." Kerstin whispered, kissing each of their foreheads. "Just remember mutti loves you."
A tapping at the window jerked the albino from the memory. Biting his lip against a pained cry, he crawled over to unlock it. The reaction to Gilbert's wounds wasn't what he expected, as Matthew opened the window and started climbing in.
"Who did this to you?" Matthew demanded as he crawled the rest of the way in.
"I did." Gilbert replied, trying to sound snarky. He only sounded wounded.
"Liar." Matthew growled, glaring at no one in particular. "Who?"
When Gilbert didn't answer, he guessed a few. The second he said the word 'papa,' Gilbert cringed. Before the albino cold say or do anything in reply, however, the door opened, and Ludwig stood in the doorway, looking as stoic as ever.
"H-hey, Lud… Luddy…" Gilbert rasped, though he was secretly terrified; what if Ludwig hurt Matthew?
"He passed out." Ludwig grunted, and hoisted Gilbert into his arms, carrying him out. The albino protested, and gritted his teeth against the pain as Matthew followed them out to Ludwig's car. "Take the car. I'll make sure Vati doesn't know where you are."
Gilbert stared up at his brother, confused. "Why are you helping?" Only hours before, Ludwig had been cruel to him.
"You're my bruder." Ludwig placed him in the backseat of the car. "I'm not going to just let you get hurt."
"Mein gott, now you sound like you're the older bruder." Gilbert coughed, moaning before he continued. "Thank you, Ludwig."
"I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother before now…" Ludwig closed the door, and turned to Matthew as he handed him the keys. "Take good care of him."
Matthew nodded, and got in to drive the wounded teen to the hospital.