AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This chapter will again contain content that may offend or upset people, so sincerest apologises; it's just a story.
Hope this chapter is okay; not 100% happy with it.
Thank you to those supporting my story, and those reviewing; it's very much appreciated.
Chapter 37 – No more cast
Casey had four more days of wearing his bothersome cast left, but for such a young, enthusiastic boy, four days was miles away and his arm was still itching like mad; if not, worse than a week before.
Casey was trying to focus on the television, but his focus was short lived when he started to fidget again and whine at the irritating feel on his casted right arm. Casey rubbed his cast on the couch cushion, but to no avail did it alleviate the discomfort.
Being left by himself in the living room, while Cheryl was fixing up the laundry and Brax was outside cleaning up the mess in the yard; having finished work early, Casey decided he just had to do something about his arm.
Casey hopped up from the couch and wandered around the living room, trying to find something that would stop the itch, until an idea sprung in his head, and Casey moved towards the draw near the wall.
Opening the draw, Casey syphoned through it to find something small and narrow to stick in his cast to scratch his arm. Noting a pen wouldn't work for his itch, Casey pulled out a plastic ruler and put it against his arm, only to conclude that would not work either.
Casey finally laid his eyes on a pair of scissors; they were narrow enough to fit inside his cast and significant enough to scratch his arm.
Casey glanced around to make sure the coast was clear, knowing full well that he wasn't meant to be playing with his cast, but he was only going to stop the itching for a little while. Casey carefully picked the scissors out of the draw.
Casey stretched his right arm out and carefully slipped the scissor blade inside his cast and pulled the scissors in and out to scratch his dry healing skin inside.
Casey felt a sense of relief as the blade overcame the itch inside his arm and he continued, losing all focus on reality, until he heard footsteps enter into the living room. Casey's heart pumped not wanting to be caught for doing something he shouldn't and he quickly stopped shifting the scissors inside his cast.
"Casey, I thought you were watching your shows on TV?" Cheryl asked, having noticed her son over in the corner near the cupboard, wondering what he was doing.
Casey panicked and tried pulling the scissors from his cast to hide them before he got in trouble.
"Casey, what are you doing there?" Cheryl questioned, seeing her son fiddling with something and becoming suspicious of his secret behaviour.
Casey heard Cheryl approach from behind. "Casey, what have you got?"
"Nothing, Mum," Casey replied and turned away to try and avoid Cheryl taking sight of what he was doing.
"Casey, show me," Cheryl demanded, only to have Casey pull away again.
"It's nothing, Mum," Casey repeated.
By this time Cheryl had reached the cupboard and noticed the draw was open and saw Casey quickly shift his casted arm close to his body. Casey gave a wince when he felt the scissors prick his skin as his elbow retracted, causing them to go deeper into his cast.
Casey turned his back to his mother and tried to tug the scissors out but they were now stuck, with one part of the handle inside the cast.
Cheryl kneeled downed to Casey's level. "Casey, what's going on?"
Cheryl grabbed Casey's shoulder and turned him around to face her. Cheryl gasped in shock seeing something poking out of the top of his cast.
"What is that?" Cheryl demanded.
Casey stood silently, trying to hide his arm.
"Casey, I said what is that: show me, now," Cheryl ordered and pulled Casey's arm away from his body and it was now Cheryl could see what looked like a blue handle sticking out from Casey's cast.
Cheryl glanced up at the open draw and briefly stood up to look inside; instantly realizing the scissors that were once in the draw were no longer there but now inside her youngest son's cast.
"What have you done?" Cheryl yelled and pulled Casey's right arm out straight to survey the damage.
Cheryl let out a huff and kneeled down to get closer to her son's level. Casey was terrified that he'd just about lost the scissors in his cast and was terrified of the unknown that he might have gotten the scissors stuck forever and what would happen now to his arm?
Thoughts ran through Casey's head that maybe his arm would fall off or that the scissors would morph into his skin underneath his cast.
Cheryl examined the cast and tried to pull at the scissors. Casey's eyes started to water, as Cheryl's anger grew.
"Is it stuck Mum?" Casey mumbled.
Cheryl glared up at Casey's frightened face. "Yes it is Casey! Now keep perfectly still, while I try and figure if I can get these out or not, or if I have to take you to hospital!" Cheryl yelled furiously.
Casey teared up more at the thought of having to stay at the hospital again; he had hated that.
"I don't want to go to hospital again, Mum," Casey mumbled, shuffling around on the spot.
"Well whether you want it or not, is not up to you. If I can't get these scissors out, you will be going to hospital young man," Cheryl said frankly; her voice still stern and etched with frustration and worry.
Casey whined and wriggled, becoming sulky, more scared, and more upset over what he'd done and the consequences he'd have to face.
Cheryl huffed and stopped trying to twist and maneover the scissors, not wanting to accidently lose them completely inside Casey's cast or stab her son because of his constant moving about.
Cheryl held Casey's arm out tight and lifted his chin with her other hand. "Stop your moving right now and stay still!" Cheryl ordered.
Cheryl's stern tone stopped Casey in his tracks and the young boy remained stationary. Cheryl went back to gently tugging at the one handle on the outside trying to release the other handle that had split apart inside the cast; causing the object to remain stuck.
"Ow," Casey whimpered and pulled his arm back, causing Cheryl to lose her grip on the scissors.
Cheryl let out an exasperated sigh from the frustrating task in front of her and glared up at Casey, and without hesitation gave the young boy a swift smack on his backside.
"I told you to keep still; no more warnings!" Cheryl snapped.
Casey hung his head and sucked in a deep breath as he started to cry further.
"What a stupid, stupid thing to do, putting something like sharp scissors inside your cast, Casey; of all the things!" Cheryl snapped.
Cheryl managed to finally pry the second part of the handle well away from the cast and with slow ease slipped the scissors out from inside Casey's cast. Cheryl sighed with relief; though worry did not skip her mind over whether Casey had already caused some injury under his cast.
Cheryl held the scissors for a brief second; in disbelief her son had taken them to put in his cast.
"Be very thankful I managed to get these out and didn't have to take you to the hospital!" Cheryl scolded.
Casey sniffled and gave a small nod. Cheryl tossed the scissors on the floor and glared fiercely at her son.
"Now that's done you can explain to me what on earth you were doing with a pair of scissors in your cast?" Cheryl demanded.
Casey avoided looking up at his Mum's stern eyes but could feel them boaring into him. Tears dripped over Casey's nose and onto the floor.
"I'm waiting for an answer Casey," Cheryl demanded in a very stern tone.
Casey could only respond with a shrug. Cheryl pushed Casey's chin up so he could look at her.
"Do you have any idea what could have happened? The doctor specifically said not to put things inside your cast and you have been warned not to tamper with your cast several times!" Cheryl lectured.
"You could have caused a serious infection or wound on your arm, impairing healing. You wouldn't have wanted that now, would you?" Cheryl questioned.
Casey hung his head again and shook his head.
"No; I didn't think so. Casey I'd have thought you too old to be playing inappropriately with sharp objects and scissors. Maybe I need to keep everything like this out of your reach because you can't be grown up enough to be trusted?"
Casey felt ashamed that his Mum was treating him like a little kid when he was a grown up boy now. He knew what to do and what not to do; it all just seemed like it worked at the time when he was more preoccupied with his madly itchy arm than thinking straight.
Cheryl raised Casey's chin again. "Well do I need to keep things like this away from you like a toddler; are you a toddler, Casey?" Cheryl asked.
Casey shook his head and mumbled a quiet, 'no'.
"I wasn't playing with them, Mum..." Casey started to mumble; though his voice was incoherent from his sobs.
"Pardon?" Cheryl questioned.
"I wasn't playing with them, Mum. My arm was really itchy. I was only gonna use it quick but when you came in...I didn't want to get in trouble. I'm sorry," Casey mumbled, as his nose began to dribble.
Cheryl angrily shook her head. "It's too late for that. You did not do as you were told with leaving your cast alone and you did something that could have jeopardized your healing or could have hurt you."
Cheryl paused watching as her son listened to her lecture. "After the actions you pulled today, I will be following through on my previous warning and you will be getting a good smack," Cheryl said sternly.
Casey scrunched his eyes and let more tears fall, shaking his head in disagreement of his mother's statement. Casey tried to shift backwards, only to have Cheryl pull him back towards her. Casey whined and fussed, placing his left arm behind him to cover his backside.
Cheryl had a hard look on her face and took no time in slipping one of her thongs off her foot. Taking no nonsense from the young boy's protests, Cheryl took a firm grip on Casey's upper left arm and pulled it away from behind him; using it as leverage to turn him around, so he was facing away from her.
Not wasting another minute Cheryl raised her hand and landed her thong hard over Casey's backside.
"Ow!" Casey screeched.
Casey's cries became harder as he struggled to reach his hand back that was in his mother's tight grip as Cheryl continued firmly punishing her son.
Brax sighed, having finally finished outside doing the yard work. Brax leaned the rake back up against the porch and shifted some garbage out of the walkway before dusting off his hands on his shorts.
Brax wondered what he could do to relax now; not getting ample opportunity to do so very often, and considered maybe playing a video game or board game with Casey, seeing as Heath was out with his mates.
Walking into the backdoor Brax instantly heard Casey's loud cries and barely closing the door behind him, rushed off to the source of the noise.
"Casey, Mum!" Brax yelled out.
Rushing into the living room Brax was stunned to see Cheryl punishing Casey and the young boy stomping his feet and crying.
"Mum, what happened?" Brax asked with concern.
Brax then laid eyes on the scissors on the floor, thinking the worse had happened and Casey had gotten hurt trying to cut something with his left hand, but couldn't fathom why his Mum was punishing his brother.
"Did Casey cut himself or get hurt? Why are you punishing him, Mum?"
Cheryl stopped post Brax's twenty questions and looked towards her eldest. Casey was choking back on his heavy sobs as he tried vigilantly to struggle out of his Mum's grip: if not to avoid further punishment but to at least rub his sore behind, but Cheryl kept her grip firm.
"Casey did not cut himself but he was inches off getting hurt and having to go to hospital, because of a ridiculous antic," Cheryl explained and landed two more smacks, catching the youngest by surprise.
"Ow-wa!" Casey whined.
It pained Brax to see Casey upset. "Mum, I don't get it; what did Casey do?" Brax said loudly, hoping it would make Cheryl calm down enough to stop.
Cheryl gave Casey the eleventh and final smack and stood up; releasing Casey from her hold and dropping her thong back onto the floor and slipping her foot in.
"Darryl, you're brother took it upon himself to shove a pair of scissors into his cast," Cheryl said with frustration in her voice and turned back to attend to her youngest, who had since hid his face against the cupboard crying.
Cheryl attempted to pull Casey in for a hug, but the young boy pushed away, grunting and whining, not wanting comfort from his Mum, and feeling miserable and ashamed that Brax had found out what he did and the young boy was worried his big brother would be mad at him too.
Cheryl sighed. "Casey I know you're grumpy with me and may not have liked what I just had to do, but your safety is my upmost importance and I will not have you doing something silly like you did today."
Cheryl softly moved some hair away from Casey's forehead to see Casey's teary eyes and runny nose. Casey turned away, moaning, not wanting to be seen after he'd been in such trouble; his pride hurting as much as his backside.
Cheryl sighed understanding Casey's reluctance for comfort; never liking to have to punish her youngest. Cheryl leaned down and picked up the scissors, giving a shake of her head and walking out of the room.
Brax watched their mother leave and sensed she was upset and bothered by what happened.
Brax furrowed his brow, clearly unimpressed by what Casey had done and kneeled down to his brother's level briefly watching his brother sulking grumpily.
"Casey, look at me," Brax said softly.
Casey only ignored his brother, crying loudly and choking on his sobs.
"Casey, turn around and look at me please," Brax repeated.
Casey shook his head and whined, "No."
Casey shifted away and shuffled closer to the cupboard, just wanting to sulk and be left alone, but Brax wasn't having any of that, knowing exactly what his brother needed.
"Casey," Brax said more firmly, tapping Casey's arm gently to push his brother around to face him; Casey's whines of protest continuing.
"Casey, what did we talk about the other night?" Brax asked, softly.
Casey avoided his brother's gaze but Brax knew his little brother was listening.
"You're getting your cast off real soon and you don't want to prolong that do you?"
"Mum...said..."
Brax only heard Casey mumble a few words as he began to get more upset again. It was only then that Brax realized that Casey was upsetting himself thinking he was in more trouble.
"Casey, I'm not having another go at you, mate; I know Mum already done all that. I just want you to understand," Brax said softly and with understanding.
"Come here now; you want a cuddle?" Brax initiated.
Casey glanced up at his brother. He did want a cuddle from his brother but he was feeling too miserable to let his stubborn guard down; slowly shaking his head 'no' and turning away to hide his hurt.
Brax gently shoved Casey back around to face him. "Now I know you don't mean that. Come here," Brax whispered in request.
Casey just stared at Brax with tears running down his face and Brax knew Casey wasn't going to come to him by choice, so Brax shuffled closer and gently took hold of Casey's wrist, pulling his hurt brother towards him.
When Casey was close enough to Brax, he flopped himself into his brother's chest, letting go of any sulky feeling he had, and relying on the comfort of his brother's strong arms around his little body.
Brax held Casey tight, allowing the young boy to cry his heart out.
"Mum mean and smacked real hard... It hurts," Casey muffled into Brax's shirt.
Brax gently pushed Casey away from him, looking the distressed boy in the eye.
"You do not say such a thing; Mum did right in punishing you. Nobody wants to see you back in hospital because you do something silly; Mum was preventing that Casey," Brax scolded.
Casey hated when his big brother was mad at him and took his Mum's side, but one thing Casey could never get enough of was Brax's comfort: for no matter how mad he was, Brax would always give out one hundred and ten percent in love.
Casey began playing with his brother's shirt, trying to forget how awful he felt at that moment. Brax held one arm securely around Casey, raising his one hand to wipe away a few tears.
"Come on now; calm down."
Casey shook his head and rested his head back against Brax's chest. Brax sighed and rubbed his brother's back.
"Brax," Casey choked out.
"Y-es," Brax drawed out.
Casey pulled away and looked up at his brother, "Will you still take me to the park like you promised?" Casey asked.
Brax raised his brow. "Of course I will; I promised you I would. But you must promise me you'll be a good boy and let your arm heal properly," Brax warned.
Casey nodded, "Promise."
Brax pulled his shirt up and used it to wipe Casey's face.
"Would you like to spend the afternoon building some of your things from your wooden pieces set? I've finished outside so I'm free to help you," Brax smiled.
Casey gave a weak smile in return and nodded. Brax stood up quickly.
"Okay, well I'll go grab the box and I'll be back in a sec. You go wait in the kitchen," Brax announced and kissed the top of Casey's head before racing down to the bedroom.
Casey shuffled towards the doorway of the kitchen but stopped when he set eyes on his mother.
Brax ran up behind Casey, with the building set and wearing a clean shirt and briskly sat down at the table. Brax scooted his chair back and slapped his knee to encourage Casey over to him.
Casey made his way towards his big brother and allowed Brax to pick him up and sit him on his lap. Casey whined a little over his still tender backside, but soon got himself comfortable in his brother's arms, resting himself back against his brother's warm chest, and with a sniff rubbed his eyes with the back of his arm.
Brax wrapped his arms on each side of Casey and pulled the wooden pieces out of the box onto the kitchen table and started to piece them together.
"Which one do you want next Case?"
Casey pointed to a piece on the table. "The white one, then use the blue one," Casey replied.
Brax connected the pieces together how his brother wanted them. Brax took note that Cheryl was making a start on dinner.
"Did you want a hand Mum?" Brax asked.
"No Darryl; its fine."
Casey looked up at Brax and pointed towards the kitchen cupboard at the cookie jar.
"I don't know Case, you better ask Mum that," Brax responded.
Casey frowned in response, still grumpy with his Mum for punishing him.
"Mum," Brax called, receiving a glare from Casey.
Cheryl turned around from the sink. "Yes Darryl."
"Casey has something he wants to ask."
Casey let out a whine.
"Well Casey, what is it?"
Casey stared down at the table.
"Go on Casey, ask," Brax urged on.
"I don't want too," Casey whined. "Can't you ask?"
Brax only shook his head. "If you want one Casey..."
Brax knew exactly what he was doing, trying to get Casey to stop sulking over their Mum. Casey pouted at his big brother.
"Can I please have a cookie?" Casey whispered, not raising his eyes for a second.
Cheryl gave a hard look. "Are you going to eat all your dinner?"
Casey gave a nod in response, still avoiding his Mum's gaze.
"Well then you may, but just one," Cheryl replied and walked over to the cupboard, grabbing the jar and offering it to Casey.
Casey looked up; still managing to avoid his mother's gaze and stuck his little hand in the jar, pulling out one choc-chip cookie.
"What do you say?" Brax pressed.
"Thank you, Mum," Casey whispered.
"That's alright. Darryl?"
"No thanks, Mum,"
Casey took a bite out of his cookie and glanced at Brax. "You have one too, please," he spoke, spitting crumbs onto the table.
Brax sighed and reached in to grab a cookie. Brax wiped the crumbs off the table from Casey's mess and proceeded to eat his own cookie.
"When's Heath coming home, Mum?" Brax asked after some time.
Cheryl checked the time. "He should be back soon, and he had better be back here before dinner if he knows what's good for him," Cheryl commented.
"Speak of the devil," Brax mumbled, as the front door swung open and Heath walked in.
"G'day all," Heath greeted, walking into the kitchen.
"Is that any way to greet your mother?" Cheryl implied.
Heath responded with a shrug, "G'day Mum?" he smarted.
Cheryl gave Heath a look and raised her eyebrows, clearly stating she was unimpressed with her son's remark. Heath just shrugged of his Mum's look and sniffed the air.
"Hmm, smells good Mum," Heath said, taking in the aroma of the meatloaf in the oven and the sauce on the stove.
"Hey ya Shorty: what ya doing there?"
Casey shrugged.
"Well don't reply all at once," Heath smarted.
Casey still didn't reply and concentrated on playing with the wooden pieces.
"We're building stuff; ain't that right, Case?" Brax answered.
Casey gave a small nod but did not remove his concentration.
"What's up with him?" Heath whispered at Brax.
Brax returned a look that told Heath that Casey had gotten into trouble.
"Why?" Heath whispered.
"I'll tell you later."
Heath shrugged. "I'm gonna grab a shower before dinner!"
"Alright, but be ready in fourty minutes," Cheryl replied.
"Mum, it doesn't take me that long to have a shower."
"Well I guess we better pack this up for now and get you in your pajamas," Brax said to Casey.
Brax shifted Casey off his lap and packed away the bits on the table.
"Go down to your room and I'll be in, in five minutes, Case," Brax instructed.
Brax met Heath outside the bathroom door before the teen went in.
"So what happened?" Heath whispered.
"Apparently Casey shoved some scissors inside his cast and they got stuck," Brax explained.
"Wow, he has guts. I bet Mum was furious and gave it to him good."
Brax nodded, "Yeah you could say that."
"He's okay though, it wasn't like what Dad..."
Brax furiously shook his head. "Nah mate, Mum's nothing like Dad. Case was sore for a while but all good now, definitely nothing like Dad did with us."
"Good. Poor kid though, but we've been there; know what it's like. Now get out of here, because I don't want you seeing me naked while I have a shower," Heath said frankly, shoving Brax in the chest and starting to pull off his shirt.
Brax shook his head. "I have to get Case in his pajamas anyway."
Brax walked into Casey's room and saw Casey sitting on his bed waiting.
"Which pair you wanna wear tonight: your green ones with trucks, or your red ones with lions?"
"Um, green trucks!" Casey called.
Brax grabbed the pajamas and quickly stripped off his brother and got him dressed.
The the brothers sat at the dinner table with their Mum, eating the meatloaf, vegies and gravy.
"This is really nice Mum, thanks" Brax commented, munching on a piece of his dinner.
"You're welcome, Darryl. Is everyone else's dinner alright?" Casey just nodded.
Heath didn't need to reply as he had already polished off his whole plate. "Can I have seconds?" he asked.
"Is all you think about is food?" Brax commented.
"No. I'm just starving," Heath responded.
"Well there's plenty there, go get yourself some more," Cheryl gestured, happy her sons had a healthy appetite.
Heath hopped up from the table and Cheryl gave him a quick slap on his arm as he went to grab himself a second plate.
After dinner Cheryl stood up from the table and began clearing the plates.
"Leave that Mum, I got it," Brax offered and took the plates from her hand.
"Thank you, Darryl."
Cheryl exited the kitchen and went to rest on the couch to watch some television. Heath wandered off to his room, leaving Brax and Casey in the kitchen.
Casey was attentively watching Brax wash up the dishes when Brax looked into the living room and saw their Mum. Brax stopped cleaning and turned his attention to Casey.
"Casey, why don't you go and sit with Mum instead of watching me," he suggested.
"But I don't want to," Casey mumbled in return.
"Well I want you to. I think you owe it to Mum for what happened today."
Casey pouted and shifted on his spot.
"Casey, go please," Brax instructed sternly and pointed out of the kitchen.
Casey made his way towards his Mum, beginning to feel guilty over the day's events. Casey hopped up onto the lounge next to his Mum.
"Mum?"
Cheryl turned to look at her son. "What's wrong, Casey?" Her voice was soft and full of concern for her son.
Casey quickly apologized and accepted a loving hug in return. They spent some quiet time together, making up after the incident that afternoon and swapping 'I love you's' and nightime hugs, before Brax took Casey to bed.
A few days later, it was finally the day when Casey was to get his cast taken off. Cheryl was planning on taking Casey to the hospital herself but Casey insisted his brother's come along too.
"Heath, hurry up! I have to get Casey to the doctor's soon!" Cheryl yelled.
"Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Heath yelled back; running down the hall and tugging on a shirt.
"Finish up Case; you excited to be getting your cast off?" Brax asked as he placed his breakfast plate in the sink.
"Uh huh," Casey replied, scoffing down the last of his toast.
"Come on then; let's go," Cheryl instructed.
"Mum, I haven't had any breakfast," Heath complained.
"You shouldn't have been lazing about in bed all morning," Brax smirked.
"Grab something when we get to the hospital."
"Blech," Heath replied; rolling his eyes and sticking his tongue out.
Casey sat on the hospital bed swinging his legs.
"Calm down, Casey," Cheryl scolded.
Casey sat quietly, despite his attempts at wanting to bounce around.
"Hi there; is this Casey Braxton?" the male nurse asked.
"Yes, this is Casey," Cheryl replied.
"Well I guess we better get to work getting this heavy cast off your arm. Says you've had it on for three weeks; I bet your happy to have it off today then?" the nurse smiled.
"Uh huh, I can do fun things again and Brax said he'd take me to the park," Casey answered.
The nurse turned towards the brothers.
"I said when your better, Casey," Brax reminded.
"That sure sounds fun to me: but you do have to wait a little bit longer once the cast is removed to make sure the bone is healed."
"Did you hear that Casey?" Cheryl questioned.
"Yes Mum," Casey pouted.
"Alright now I have to saw into the cast to break it open okay, so you'll hear a bit of a sound and your arm might tickle from the vibration," the nurse explained.
Casey stared at his brothers, worried.
"Would you like someone to hold your other hand, or are you a brave boy?" the nurse asked.
"Go on Case; tell him ya brave," Heath encouraged.
"No, I don't need no-one," Casey spoke in a scared tone.
Brax secretly smiled at Casey's attempts to be brave.
The nurse took out the small oscillating saw and held up Casey's arm, "Ready to start?"
Casey's eyes never left the saw as he nodded. The nurse began sawing the outer layer of the cast; the sound and vibrations making Casey wince and shiver.
"You doing okay, Casey?" the nurse asked.
Casey nodded; trying to stay strong.
"Okay we'll do the next side now," the nurse went ahead and sawed the cast inside Casey's forearm.
"Good job Casey, the hard parts over. Now just sit still while I split the edges apart and cut the padding," the nurse instructed.
Casey turned towards his family for reassurance; Brax gave a smile and Heath gave thumbs up.
The nurse carefully cut the padding and snapped off Casey's cast. Casey smiled wide as he saw his arm again. He moved his arm around gently, gauging a feel of lightness to the limb.
"Now it's going to be quite itchy and dry for a while, so I want you to apply some moisturizing cream to Casey's arm, twice, maybe three times daily after a gentle warm water bath."
Cheryl nodded.
"I'm just going to do one now. Sit tight Casey while I get the bowl and cream."
"Well it's finally over huh?" Brax stated, sitting himself next to Casey on the bed while Heath took a hold of Casey's cast.
"Geez this stinks! If you keep this thing Case, you're keeping it in your room," Heath stated.
Casey scowled at his brother.
"You stink too!" Casey shot back.
"Hey: I didn't say you stink. I said this," Heath protested.
"No-one is keeping this in their rooms; it can stay in the laundry," Cheryl pointed out.
"I don't stink Casey; I don't know what you're talking about," Heath mumbled a few moments later.
Brax scoffed, "You have to admit he has a point; your room can be pretty smelly Heath, and your feet..."
"Hey: okay, so I smell sometimes, but you don't need to rub it in; remember I'm not the only guy in the house," Heath grumbled; despite the truth of him having a habit of being the most unhygienic of the boys.
"Easy Heath; were just messing with ya," Brax assured.
Heath crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.
"Well it's not nice," Heath grumbled.
"Even if you smell sometimes, I still love you," Casey stated; making the middle brother smile.
"Thanks Shorty,"
"Heath, go and get yourself some breakfast, yeah. You might not be so grumpy then," Brax commented.
Heath rolled his eyes and left from behind the curtain. The nurse came back with the necessities.
"Okay Casey, rest your arm in this bowl of water for me."
Casey did as he was told and the nurse washed down his arm and applied a considerable amount of moisturizing cream.
"All right to go," the nurse announced, "Just remember the proper care for that arm."
Cheryl nodded, "Will do."
The nurse left and Brax helped Casey hop off the bed.
"Now where on earth did Heath go?" Cheryl moaned.
"Here I am, Mum," Heath announced, coming back through the curtain, eating a muffin.
"Heath; look at my arm!" Casey beamed, waving his clean but white-creamed arm in the air.
"Yeah, it's an arm Case, but by the looks of all that, white gunk; it might fall off," Heath snickered.
Cheryl slapped her son across the head.
"Hey; what'd I do?" Heath shrieked.
"Don't you say that to your brother," Cheryl warned.
Heath scowled and rubbed his head. "What; I was joking. So it's okay that he gets to tease me but I can't tease him?" Heath questioned, following his Mum and brothers down the hall.
"Shut up Heath. Don't listen to him Case," Brax whispered.
Casey playfully stuck his tongue out at Heath.
"Boys, just get a move on so we can go home," Cheryl ordered.
"Brax, when can we go to the park, like you said?" Casey asked, on the drive home.
"Soon Casey but not yet," Brax affirmed.
This time Heath stuck his tongue out at Casey.
"Don't!" Casey yelled. "Mum, Brax; Heath is teasing me!"
"I did not!"
"You did!" Casey shouted back.
Thankfully the drive from the hospital wasn't long and by the time they were home Heath and Casey had stopped teasing each other and had since gone to challenging each other to games on the video console.
When Casey was healed enough, Brax took him to the park as promised and it proved to be the fun day that the two had hoped to share; laughing and racing around, playing tag with each other.
By the end of the day Casey was tuckered out, having exhausted from his time at the park with his big brother. Brax grabbed Casey as he slid down the slide for the final time. Casey latched his arms around Brax's neck and laughed.
"Thank you for taking me to the park, Brax," Casey smiled.
"My pleasure, Champ; after all, I promised right, and a Braxton always keep a promise," Brax smiled and placed Casey on the ground.
"You thirsty; wanna go get ourselves a milkshake?"
"Yeah!" Casey shouted and sped off; his energy level sparking back.
"Casey, wait up!" Brax yelled and ran after his brother.
"Brax, can I have a choco-caramello one?!" Casey shouted; his breath heaving in puffs from running.
"Yeah Casey, alright, just wait till I get to the top of the hill, and don't you go near the road until I'm with you!" Brax yelled back.
"I know; I won't, just hurry up please?" Casey sung.
Brax squinted his eyes, I'll give you hurry up, he thought, and with all his might, ran up the grassed hill, catching Casey by surprise, as the young boy let out a shriek.
"Let's go get our milkshakes," Brax said with a smile and resting his hand on Casey's back, they made their way across the street and into town.