AUTHOR'S NOTE:
The following handful of chapters will surround Heath, Brax and Kyle's feelings and from this chapter you'll see why and post incidents on the show may mean these chapters may be a bit touchy. (But I promise it won't be the end).
In response to my first Guest's review to ch10, if you read this, thank you for your kind words, it means a lot to me and to answer your question, I am able to write the emotions that Casey feels because they were a tweaked version of my own emotions and experiences.
So I hope this story can do justice for those out there that do deal with these situations.
Enjoy and feedback is much appreciated :)
Chapter 11 – Dice with death
NORMAL POV
Casey saw Kyle behind the bar and stopped. He needed that alcohol. Kyle noticed Casey looking unsettled.
"Hey Case. Are you okay?"
Casey nodded quickly, too overcome in his own thoughts to be listening. Kyle left the counter and was about to approach his brother when someone called him over for an order. Kyle watched Casey intently until he reached the customers table.
When Casey saw Kyle was out of sight, he sneaked behind the bar and grabbed two bottles of alcohol from behind the counter and raced to the door. Kyle caught a glimpse of Casey rushing out the door with the alcohol.
"Casey! Casey!" Kyle called and dropped the order book onto a table and quickly ran out after Casey.
Kyle followed Casey down to the beach and saw his younger brother drink down one bottle of alcohol, choking over the strength and tossing the bottle aside, ready to open the next bottle. Casey was already half way down the beach when Kyle reached the stairs.
"Casey stop! You don't have to do this! What's going on?" Kyle yelled.
Casey sculled down the next bottle of alcohol. "Mind your own business Kyle! I need to do this!"
"Why Casey?" Kyle yelled.
Casey ignored Kyle and tossed the second bottle on the sand and had run far enough down the beach that no matter how fast Kyle ran he would not reach him in enough time. Casey grabbed his surfboard and ran out into the ocean.
"Casey!" Kyle yelled out as he watched Casey go into the water.
Kyle ripped his phone out of his pocket. "Brax! You have to get down to the beach now!" Kyle shouted.
"Kyle what's wrong?" Brax asked.
"I just caught Casey running out of Angelo's with two bottles of alcohol and I'm down on the beach now and he's drank the entire two bottles and gone out into the surf." Kyle explained with panic in his voice.
Kyle scanned the water and could still see Casey. "Casey!" He yelled, but Casey was too far out to hear.
"Kyle keep an eye on him and I'll get there as soon as I can!" Brax yelled.
Brax was about to hang up when he heard Kyle gasp and yell.
"Kyle! Kyle!" Brax yelled into the phone to get his brother's attention. Brax heard Kyle yelling in the background.
"Somebody help my brother, he's fallen off his board, and he's been drinking!" Kyle shouted.
John Palmer heard the commotion and had seen Casey wipeout and immediately ran into the water to save him.
"Kyle! I'll be right there!" Brax shouted into the phone.
"Brax hurry up!" Kyle yelled.
Brax shut off his phone and grabbed his car keys rushing down towards the beach.
KYLE'S POV
As I waited for Brax to arrive I watched helplessly as John Palmer rushed into the ocean to help Casey. If only I had been fast enough to stop him going into the water, let alone drinking two full bottles of alcohol in a few hits. I couldn't help but feel I was to blame for this.
I now knew what Heath and Brax had felt when Casey went into hospital the first time. I was beginning to feel really scared this time that I was going to lose my brother. I knew the dangers of drinking and going into the water and Casey had drunk far more than any other person ever had and gone into the water.
Casey wasn't surfacing and John searched through the water. I hoped Brax would get here soon because I honestly did not know what to do. I saw John finally come to the surface with his arm around Casey.
I breathed a sigh of relief but it quickly faded when John push Casey on the sand and yelled out for someone to call an ambulance. It was then I realised Casey wasn't breathing. John started CPR but it was to no avail. Casey was not responding. I knew if Casey didn't get help soon he was going to die.
NORMAL POV
Heath was walking back to his house with Bianca when Brax raced past him. "Hey big fella what's up?" Heath asked, stopping his brother.
"Casey's been drinking and went out into the surf. He's been knocked out." Brax replied through heavy breaths.
"Come on let's go then." Heath said and quickly ran after his brother to Brax's car.
When they arrived at the beach they ran up to Kyle and saw Casey being loaded into an ambulance.
"Mate what happened?" Brax questioned.
Kyle however was in too much worry to answer properly. John Palmer ran up to them soaking wet.
"I tried mate, but I just couldn't..." John gasped.
"What?" Brax demanded.
"John ran into the water to save Casey. Brax, the ambulance officers said his heart had stopped and so had his breathing, they had to restart his heart...John tried to revive him before they came but..." Kyle tried to explain but Brax couldn't stand to hear anymore and Heath had run his hand through his hair frustrated and scared out of his mind.
Brax shook his head. "Come on we have to get to the hospital." Brax finally said.
Heath, Brax, and Kyle waited anxiously at the hospital awaiting the prognosis on their brother. It felt like hours before they had heard any news and none of them wanted to be in the familiar surrounding again. Becoming annoyed at not hearing any news Heath snapped.
"What the hell was the kid doing out there?" Heath yelled.
"I should never have let him go out. I knew something wasn't right with him. He has been acting too weird the past few weeks. I should have been keeping a better eye on him." Brax stated in a frustrated tone, he blamed himself for not picking up on his brother's hidden behavior, it was his responsibility.
"Did he not say anything to you when he came into Angelo's?" Heath asked Kyle in an angered tone.
"No, I was just lucky I saw him run out with the alcohol, I just wish I'd stopped him in time."
"No-one is to blame from something like this."
The three heard a voice behind them and turned. The doctor stood behind them.
"I assume you are the family of Casey Braxton?" Brax approached the doctor.
"Yeah we're his brothers. How is he?" Brax asked.
"My name is Doctor Nate Cooper and I have been the one seeing to your brother's case."
"So how is he?" Heath snapped.
Nate gave a sigh. "Your brother has sustained a nasty blow to the head when he fell into the water, he had also sucked in quite a lot of water, and with the effects of the alcohol in his system...Casey is very lucky to still be alive. I'm sure you know the ambulance had to restart his heart."
Brax nodded, trying to process what he was hearing. "But he is alright now, right?" Brax questioned.
Nate sighed. "Your brother has slipped into a state of coma and it is unsure as to when he will wake up." Nate explained.
"Don't you let him die doc! Ya hear me!" Heath shouted.
"Please calm down. We are doing everything we can." Nate tried to reassure the brothers.
"Can we see him?" Brax asked still in shock.
Nate nodded, "but I must warn you, we had to cut his wet suit off to put him in a gown and I can say I am very concerned about Casey's self harm." Nate said.
"What?" Heath questioned.
"You mean his drinking?" Brax asked.
"No. I mean his self inflicted wounds over his arms." Nate explained.
"What?" Brax queried. Nate encouraged the brothers into Casey's room and walked over to the bed.
The three saw Casey strapped to machines and an ET tube down his throat, helping him to breathe.
Brax stood beside Nate as he pulled the cover off Casey to reveal his injured arms. Brax gasped, as did Kyle. Heath ran his hand through his hair in shock and turned away before storming out of the hospital room, Kyle following close behind.
HEATH'S POV
I knew I should have knocked that kids head in last time he drunk himself stupid, then he wouldn't have done this again! Seeing those cuts on his arms shocked me, I've never seen anything like it and to be so stupid to do that in the first place! I hated to admit it but I was real scared. My little brother was falling apart and I had no idea on what to do anymore.
I couldn't stand looking at the marks on his arms and him lying on the hospital bed in a coma! I can't believe the doc said he doesn't even know when Case is going to wake up! How can he say that? Isn't he supposed to know all the answers? I don't know how Brax, Kyle, or myself, would manage without the little kid. He brought so much fun into our lives. I wasn't going to let Case die on us! Not while I was around!
BRAX'S POV
I couldn't help but stare at the numerous cuts over Casey's arms, the left was far worse than the right. I felt so angry with myself for not noticing Casey was hurting so badly to resort to cutting himself. I was snapped out of thought when Nate approached me.
"I take it you had no idea he was doing this?" He asked.
I could only shake my head, not moving my eyes off Casey's arms.
"The wounds look to be 2-3 weeks old tops. Do you have any idea as to why Casey would be doing this?" Nate asked.
I just couldn't answer Nate right now, it would just make everything more real, and I just wanted everything back to the way they were.
"Brax please, if you know you have to tell me so we can do what's best for your brother."
"I...I can't...Can I just sit with him?" I asked.
Nate nodded. "Sure. Take all the time you need. I'll be just outside if you need me. A nurse will be in to check on him again soon."
I knelt down next to Casey's bed and gently took a hold of his hand. "Why did you do this Case? You had everyone believing you were okay. Damn it Casey, why didn't you talk to me?" I shouted as I squeezed Casey's hand before collapsing against the bed.