The Beginning of the End – Part 3
"Oh god. Please help me." Lincoln whispered, tears streaming down his face as he sat on the floor of the abandoned warehouse he and Michael had taken refuge in. "Please help me."
Lincoln let out one more exasperated cry before wiping the tears from his face with the back of his sleeve. This was no time to lose it. Not now. He needed to hold it together and be the big brother that Michael needed. The one he should have always been. The one, he unfortunately never was.
He ran his still shaking hands over his head before glancing across the room to where Michael lay in the darkness with Lincoln's crumpled up jacket beneath his head. It was all Lincoln could offer him to make him more comfortable. There was nothing he could do for the pain… nothing he could do for the bullet wound Michael was now suffering from. And that broke his heart.
Michael hadn't made it very far during their dash from the parking garage. Maybe a few city blocks and Lincoln had to drag him along most of the way. Luckily, it was Friday night and most people they passed just assumed Michael was in a drunken stupor. After all, it's not unusually to see young men or women for that matter being dragged back to their homes after a night of heavy partying.
Fortunately, Michael had stayed on his feet until Lincoln was able to break open the door of the abandoned factory and drag him inside. Once inside, however, Michael just couldn't take any more and collapsed to the ground, exhausted and weak.
Lincoln carried him up the three flights of stairs and it was a long and difficult climb. Every muscle in his body protested as he dragged himself and his brother up the stairs, talking with Michael all the while. Geez Michael, when did you get so heavy? He had joked. No more nachos for you my friend. Michael of course didn't answer, but Lincoln kept it up anyway, hoping that even if Michael wasn't responding, he could hear his voice, and it would somehow comfort him.
Looking back on it, Lincoln wasn't really sure why he felt it necessary or any safer to go upstairs rather than remain on the ground floor. After all, if they needed to get out quickly, the third floor probably wasn't the best place to be. But what was done was done and Lincoln decided it was best not to dwell on it. He needed to figure out how to help Michael. He was getting weaker by the minute and Lincoln knew he had to something quickly or risk losing his little brother forever, but he didn't have many options. There was only one he could think of and it wasn't very appealing
"Linc."
Michael's faint whisper caught Lincoln's attention and he immediately rushed to his little brother's side. Michael lay on his side, with Lincoln's jacket under his head. He had his arms wrapped around himself tightly as he shook uncontrollably.
"Yeah Michael. What's up?" He asked as he knelt down next to him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder to comfort him
"I'm co…cold." Michael managed to stammer as he looked up at his brother through half open eyes.
Lincoln's heart was breaking and he had to fight to hold back his tears. The room was far from cold. In fact, Lincoln was sweating bullets. He wasn't a doctor but he knew that Michael was losing too much blood. He was dying right before Lincoln's eyes and he felt terrified and helpless.
"OK. C'mere." He said, reaching out to him.
As gently as he could, he slid his arm underneath Michael and raised him up enough so that he could slide between his brother and the wall. He then sat down and rested Michael back against him so that his head was just beneath his chin and wrapped his arms around him tightly.
"There." Lincoln said, using his hands to rub Michael's arm in the hope that the friction would warm him. "Is that better?"
"Yeah." Michael nodded, allowing himself to relax in his brother's arms. He actually wasn't any warmer, but he felt better in Lincoln's arms. He felt safe.
"I'm going to get us out of this Michael." Lincoln said, resting his cheek on the top of his brother's head. "You just gotta hold on a little bit longer. OK?
It was at that moment that Michael began to laugh. A strange reaction, Lincoln thought, given situation they found themselves in.
"What's so funny?" Lincoln asked quizzically.
"Nothin'." Michael replied. "I was ju…just thinking."
"So what else is new?" Lincoln replied sarcastically before adding…"What are you thinking about?"
Michael smiled again.
"I was just thinking about the first award I ever got."
Lincoln furrowed his brow as he struggled to remember. Michael had gotten so many awards in his lifetime it was nearly impossible for him to remember the first.
"I was…I was the Red Light/Green Light champion of my kindergarten class." Michael reminded him.
"O…kay?" Lincoln replied, confused. "And that's funny how exactly?"
Michael shrugged.
"Well, I just think it's kinda funny that a guy who mastered the game of Red Light/ Green Light at five years old, can't understand the concept of 'Freeze! Don't Move!'" Michael said and began laughing again.
Lincoln frowned.
"That's not funny Michael."
"Oh, come on." Michael replied looking up at his brother. "It's a little funny."
"No." Lincoln insisted shaking his head. "No, it's not."
"Geez Linc." Michael teased. "You gotta lighten up. All this stress…it's not healthy."
Finally, Lincoln cracked a smile. He couldn't help it.
"Quit being a smart ass." Lincoln said gently nudging Michael's arm.
Michael smiled once more at his brother, before his eyelidsbegan to droop once again and he started to drift off.
Panicked, Lincoln shook him.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Michael, come on. Stay with me buddy."
"Lincoln, please." Michael replied, his eyes still shut. "I'm tired."
"I know. I know." Lincoln said, pressing his lips to the top of Michael's head. "But I need you to listen to me. OK?"
Michael groaned weakly in protest.
"Michael? Are you listening?" Lincoln asked, raising his voice.
"Yes." Michael replied, sounding a bit annoyed.
"OK good." Lincoln replied. "Listen…I have to leave you Michael."
That got Michael's attention and he stiffened in Lincoln's arms, his eyes darting open.
"What?"
"Just for a few minutes. OK? I promise you I'll be back."
"No!" Michael swallowed hard, shaking his head furiously.
"Michael…"
"You can't…."
"Michael, I have to!" Lincoln insisted. "You're bleeding too badly. I gotta to get help."
"Lincoln, there are cops all over the city looking for us. They'll catch you."
"I know." Lincoln replied. "I know. But we don't have a choice Michael. I'm not going to let you die."
Lincoln started to move Michael so that he could get up, but Michael grasped onto his arm tightly and squeezed with all the strength he had left.
"Lincoln…"
"Mike! Come on!" Lincoln said, trying to release himself from his brother's grip. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of going back to prison, but if meant Michael would live, he was going to do it . No matter how much his brother protested.
"Look…" Lincoln began, trying to remain calm. "It's gonna be OK. Veronica has so much evidence now…"
"Innocent or not. We escaped from a maximum security Prison Linc." Michael reminded him. "And to make matter's worse, I took murderers and a pedophile with us."
"I know but…" Lincoln began.
"But nothing Linc! I can't go back there for another ten years. I can't!
The desperation and fear in his brother's voice, stopped Lincoln cold. He was so wrapped up in wanting to get help for Michael, he hadn't really thought about the full ramifications of his actions. Yes, Michael would be alive…but he'd be back in prison. They both would. Of course, Lincoln wasn't worried about himself. The other cons pretty much left him alone and those that didn't he could handle. But Michael was a different story.
Lincoln had spent many sleepless nights in Fox River worrying about Michael. In the yard during the day, it wasn't uncommon for him to overhear conversations among other cons as he walked along the fence, trying to catch a glimpse of his brother. And more often then he cared to remember, those conversations had to do with Michael and what they wanted to do to him. Of course, very few cons new that "Linc the Sink" was related to that "New Fish" in gen pop., so they spoke openly and were very graphic in their detail. The things he heard made his blood boil and there were times when Lincoln wanted to reach through the fence and rip their throats out. But he knew that would only make things worse for Michael.
After overhearing those conversations, he found himself watching Michael very closely whenever they were together in PI. Looking for a sign…something in Michael's eyes…anything that would indicate that something was wrong. That someone had gotten to him. But Michael was very good at keeping his emotions in check, so Lincoln was usually left to wonder and worry.
Now, as he held Michael in his arms, and could feel him trembling with fear at the thought of going back there, he began to wonder again, just what had Michael had to endure in prison. And the images that were now flooding his imagination were enough to make him sick.
"I can't do it again Linc. I just…I can't." Michael's words interrupted Lincoln's thoughts.
"Michael…"Lincoln replied, tears now streaming down his cheeks. "You'll die if I don't do this."
"I'm gonna die anyway." Michael shot back.
"Don't say that." Lincoln said angrily.
"I'm just telling you the truth Lincoln. Here or there… I am a dead man."
"No!" Lincoln insisted. "They can protect you! We can get Veronica to petition…"
"Lincoln! You're not listening to me!" Michael was getting angry now. "I'm trying to tell you…if they send me back there… I'm not going to make it. One way or the other, I will die."
Lincoln shook his head incredulously.
"What are you saying Michael?"
It sounded to Lincoln like Michael was threatening to kill himself. But he didn't want to believe Michael would do that. He didn't want to believe that after all they had been through, Michael would just give up.
"Just let me go Lincoln." Michael begged, ignoring Lincoln's question. "I'm not afraid to die. Not here. Not with you."
"No" Lincoln replied shaking his head furiously. "No, I won't do that. I can't do that."
"Yes you can Linc! You can! It's OK."
Lincoln wrapped his arms around Michael tighter as he began sobbing uncontrollably. He couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his brother.
"I don't want to die alone Lincoln." Michael continued, choking on his own tears. "And I'll be alone in Prison. I'll be alone and I'll be afraid. I'm not afraid with you here. Just wait a little longer."
"Michael…" was all that Lincoln could manage between sobs.
"Please Linc. Please." Michael replied, wrapping his arms around his brothers.
Lincoln continued to sob as he tightened his grip on Michael and kissed the back of his head once again. He knew what he had to do. But it broke his heart to have to do it.
"I'm sorry Michael. I'm so sorry."
To be continued
