As I was about to take the largest breath I could to dive back down, Goodfellow unexpectedly popped up beside me.
"Robin, where's Nik?" I croaked, coughing and yet still accusatory. I already knew the answer and now how I'd mysteriously gotten free.
"Cal, I had to, you...he's pinned by the wheel"
That was all I needed to know. I dived. Fuck my leg and fuck Robin. Time was running out. I had to get him out, now.
I pulled myself down, forcing myself deeper and deeper, blinded by the cars lights which by some miracle had remained on, pointing errily skyward and illuminating the murky water. I reached him in moments even with my leg now leaking blood like a sand-timer. Was I too late? Had Robin's judgement call cost me my brother? He came in to view. Conscious. My brother was alive. Right now he was alive.
Our eyes locked as I reached him. As always so many things passed between us in seconds. Of course he was alive, he was my ninja-brother, 'could probably hold his breath all day, no problem. He brought my vision down to his predicament as I slid alongside him as best I could, the wheel of the Ferrari had been pushed so far towards him he was totally pinned, the spent air-bag was also not helping matters. He was well and truly pinned. He looked calm. Only my goddamn brother would be calm. We'd only been metres away from each other but being at the surface, able to breathe had felt like a galaxy away. We reached toward each other at the same time, grasping forearms.
I'm pretty sure he saw the panic in my eyes then.
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Like a bad smell, Robin appeared again beside me. We didn't look at each other, he instead immediately got to work ripping away the air-bag so we could see what we were really dealing with.
Nik had closed his eyes, his head tilted back against the headrest. That was bad. That was really bad. I felt sick and it had nothing to do with my own pain. How badly had he been injured? I felt him grip my arm tighter. Pain. My brother was in pain.
He couldn't have had much air left. It had been minutes. It must have been minutes. Goodfellow was hacking away at the bag, and at the wheel, careful not to catch Niko in his efforts but each knife strike more desperate than the last. It seemed futile. We had to do more.
Nik gripped my arm hard one more time, bringing my gaze back to him. I didn't like what I saw in the grey eyes looking back at me. I didn't like it at all. His arm was now slipping from my own. That was fucking it, we were out of time. No time left for careful. I didn't want to let go but I let his arm fall from my own so I could bring my working leg up as best I could to kick out at the wheel, hoping desperately to dislodge it, anything to release its death-crush on my brother, my family, my life.
I pulled at the seat from behind, shake, shake, shake. The desperation was overwhelming. I grabbed for his hand, his arm again but there was no strength to grip me back. Robin was pulling with all his Puck strength on the wheel, his feet braced against the hood. Who knew what damage this was doing to my brother internally but we had to get him out. We had to. I stilled for a moment, sliding a hand against my brothers face, trying to get him to stay with me, shaking, gently, insisting. He had to stay with me. I wouldn't lose him, not like this.
Nik, you bastard, come on! Look at me, just look at me, open your eyes, stay with me!
Like a mantra I said it in my head.
Open your eyes. Look at me. Stay with me.
I could hardly bare to look at his far too pale face, turning a bluish hue.
Open your eyes. Look at me. Stay with me, brother.
I used the last of my air to breathe what I could into his still lungs. I would give him my last breath. Always. He was my only reason for life.
Robin was tugging at me again. I reeled back ready to unleash hell on him if he even tried to drag me away. He stilled my now pretty-goddamn-panicking form and managed to convey to me that he would take over on the breathing side while I filled my own lungs again from the surface. I saw the hurt and desperation reflected in his own eyes and after squeezing his shoulder in something resembling understanding I reluctantly pushed away to refill my bursting lungs.
I was not leaving my brother. My brother was not leaving me. That was how it would be. It was the only way it would be. I could do this all goddamn night if I had to.
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