Eliot had thought he was going to fall. Eliot's hands slowly lost their death grip on Alec's shoulders as he relaxed. Alec walked down to Eliot's room and laid him down on his side. " I'm gonna go grab that cream." said Alec. Eliot knew he also wanted to see just what he'd thrown up. Alec walked out and back down to the bathroom. He walked in and went straight to flush the toilet. He stopped in his tracks as he saw just what was in the bowl. Little white specks dotted the bright red and Alec cursed as he recognized what had happened. Nate had pumped Eliot's body full of medication and then beat the crap out of him. He'd thrown up blood along with the medication. Eliot's body had only now began to reject the medication in his system.
Alec flushed and then went over to the medication cabinet. He typed in the code on the key pad and slid the door back. He reached inside and grabbed the jar of cream off the shelf. He slid the door closed and walked out of the bathroom. He walked back down to Eliot's room and walked in. Eliot didn't need to see him to know he was furious. " What did he give you?" asked Alec. The thinly veiled rage did not go unnoticed by Eliot. " A blood thinner. The medication that makes my blood sugar drop, and Morphine." said Eliot. As Alec heard the list, his face darkened.
Alec walked forwards and stopped by the bed. He reached out and rested his hand on Eliot's ribs, but pulled it back when Eliot gave a cry. " Can I see what he's done?" asked Alec. Gently. Eliot looked at him and Alec's heart broke. He set the cream down on the floor by the bed and then slipped his arms underneath Eliot. He lifted him and then sat him down so he was sitting up in bed. He climbed in the bed and knelt in front of Eliot. He reached out and slipped the t-shirt off. What he saw, would haunt him for years. Eliot's chest was painted in splashes of black and blue. Eliot flinched as he saw Alec's face and cowered down.
Alec snapped out of it, losing the look of horror as his face softened. Alec reached out and tipped Eliot's face back up with a finger. " Look at me, I'm am not blaming you for this. This isn't your fault, it's Nate's." said Alec. He wondered just how many people had blamed Eliot for deeds and mistakes that weren't his own. The small spark of denial in Eliot's eyes was quick to disappear as he accepted what Nate had done. Alec dropped his hand and leaned over the side of the bed to grab the jar. He came to settle back in front of Eliot and unscrewed the lid. He dipped his fingers into the jar and started spreading the cream on Eliot's chest. A bloodcurdling scream left Eliot's lips as Alec's fingers touched his chest and he tried to shrink away. Alec's hand came to rest light as a feather on his shoulder to keep him in place.
He finished up with his chest and moved him so he was on his stomach. His hands were gentle and quick as he applied the cream to Eliot's back. When he was done, he got off the bed and went over to the closet. He grabbed a sweater off a hanger and walked back over to the bed. He stopped by Eliot's head and smiled as he saw him so relaxed. The thought was shattered as he heard Eliot's raspy breathing.
He dropped the sweater and quickly flipped Eliot over on his back and moved him so he was propped up by the head of the bed. He slipped in behind him and pulled him so he rested at an angle against his chest. He wrapped his arms around him and waited as Eliot got his breath back. " I hate this." whispered Eliot. " What?" asked Alec. Gently. " The pain I'm in. I feel like someone took a blowtorch to my skin and a horse decided to tap dance on my lungs." said Eliot.
Alec winced at the analogies and his arms tightened a bit around Eliot. " Your lungs are bruised so I'm not surprised. Also, We need to get some sugar in you. Hot chocolate OK?" asked Alec. " Yeah, listen, thanks for all this. Really." said Eliot. " That's what brothers are for." said Alec. Eliot froze, not knowing how to respond. He knew he'd revealed what he'd thought before falling asleep in Alec's arms, but he never dreamed it'd be re-compensated. " Yes, but brothers can also be a pain." said Eliot.