He's Ain't Heavy, But He's A Pain In The Ass
Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.
A/N: For Whumptober 2022 #11 911, what's your emergency -sloppy bandages
Cameron Black, famed magician, climbed through the window. His unusual entrance had nothing to do with magic and lacked his usual grace. He dropped to the floor with pained panting. His injured leg refused to continue holding him up and sent him sprawling to the floor in an ungraceful heap. He bit down the moan, holding it in the back of his throat. Johnny was going to kill him when he found out. It had been Johnathan's night to go out. They switched off to preserve the Black twin secret. He didn't begrudge his brother the freedom, especially since he had to go out as his brother instead of himself. He was perfectly content staying in and working to perfect a new trick for an upcoming show. He had been in the middle of it in a darkened room, blindfold tied and chains locked around him when he heard screaming from outside his window. Fumbling and yanking at the handcuffs he had hurriedly freed himself. With chaffed and bleeding hands he had pulled down the fabric covering his eyes and rushed to the window. Squinting through the darkness he could just make out a couple of men chasing after a woman. He had the presence of mind to adjust the blindfold over his lower face like a cheap imitation of a vigilante from days gone by. He was out the window and down the fire escape chasing after the trio as the men cornered the girl in a dead-end alleyway.
"Come on, come on," He told the bleeding wound trying to get it to stop the steady flow of blood escaping from between his clenched fingers. The girl had fled away, safe, while the men turned on the illusionist. Cameron had held his own against the two opponents, he had one down with a few well-placed punches, taking more than his fair share in return from the duo. He turned to the other who pulled out a knife and stabbed him deeply in the leg. Cameron pulled the knife out, unleashing a fountain of blood, and let it fly from his fingers. The blade caught its owner in the shoulder. Once the threat was eliminated he melted into the shadows. He watched the would-be attackers support each other as they limped out of the alley. He had no one to support him as he limped back to his fire escape. It took one painful, bloody step after another to drag himself back up. He didn't have the energy to make it as far as the bathroom and first aid kit. His fingers scrambled across the floor from his prone position on the floor under the window. His fumbling finger found a balled-up dirty shirt and a roll of duct tape. He was losing too much blood, he needed to stop its flow. He bit down hard on his lip, drawing more blood, as he pressed down tightly on the wound with the shirt. Using his red-stained teeth he bit off long strips of tape and secured the make-shift bandage as tightly as his shaking fingers would allow. It was sloppy and unhygienic but the redneck DYI from hell held, slowing the bleeding.
"I figured out what you have been doing," Johnny confronted him, a shadow leaning against the door jam, "All the unexplained injuries."
Cameron was startled at his brother's voice, his body jumping up slightly. He bit back a moan, "Don't worry about it, Johnny," He waved him off, thankful the dark room hid the signs of blood.
"You've always been the better performer," Johnny continued conversationally.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Cameron pushed himself upright, biting his tongue to keep from crying out in pain.
"It can't happen again."
"It's not what you think."
"It's exactly what I think it is," Jonathan's fist hit the door, "You can't keep doing this Cameron."
"What was I supposed to do, Johnny?" Cameron felt the world whirl around him in a dizzying array of shadows, "They had her cornered in an alley."
"You were supposed to walk away," Johnny roared, "You are a damn magician. Not a cop or a superhero. Magic can't save you from a bullet."
"I'm fine," Cameron shook his head trying to erase the vertigo.
"Your gonna get yourself killed playing hero."
"Don't worry, that's not gonna happen?"
"What the hell were you thinking?"
Cam winced, "That I'd get away with it."
"So what was your plan?"
"My plan was to rescue the girl without getting my ass kicked."
"All without getting caught," Johnny studied the horrible bandaging job, he could just make out an uneven lump on his brother's leg through the gloom, "And how did that go for you?"
Cam smiled, "It worked," Deflating under Johnny's glare he felt more than saw, and he shrugged, "Fine, it almost worked perfectly."
"Your bag of tricks is not always going to save you."
"That's where you're wrong, Johnny boy," He held up the blood-soaked roll of tape still clenched in his hand, "Gotta love duck tape."
"You can't actually catch a bullet," Johhny hissed angrily.
"It was a knife."
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"No, no. I was just trying to help."
"What am I supposed to do if you get yourself killed?"
"You don't gotta do anything," Cameron tried to keep the limp out of his step as moved to brush passed his brother completely. Johnny was too fast to escape, he grabbed his brother before he could sneak past him, "I'm fine."
"Stop," Jonathan hissed between clenched teeth.
"John, leave me alone," He weakly fought against his twin. He knew the whole thing was pointless. He would find out about his leg soon enough. Yet he couldn't stop himself from fighting against the inevitable. Johnny reached for the light switch with one hand while he held his brother in place with the other. The light illuminated the room and the state of his injured twin. His jaw clenched and face darkened as he took in the picture Cam painted. Bruised and bloody.
"Look at me," Jonathan ordered, "Did you do it on purpose."
"I've made a lot of mistakes, but I've never done that." Cam straightened up to look his brother straight in the eye. No matter how shitty their life was he had never hurt himself on purpose or put himself in the position to make sure he got hurt. Their life was hard, full of danger, and shitty enough without trying to harm themselves.
Johnny held his gaze just as strongly. He studied his twin for any hint of deception, trying to discover every hurt that littered his body and soul, "You need to tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Cam grunted out, the fire in his leg grew the longer he was upright, "I'm just gonna go to bed. I'm kinda tired."
"Stop tricking yourself, Cam," Johnathan didn't lose his grip on his brother's arm, "You're hurt."
"I don't need your help, Doctor Black. I'm fine."
"Prove it."
"Tada," Cam spread his arms out wide with a grimace he was trying to pass for a smile. He promptly fell over when his injured leg refused to keep holding up his weight. Jonathan caught him before he could hit the floor. Carefully he maneuvered the injured man into a nearby chair.
"I don't know who did this," Johnny paced in front of him, "But I know you did something stupid first."
"Relax," Cameron waved off his growing agitation, "I can't believe you are so worked up about this. I've gotten hurt worse in show rehearsal."
"Did you?"
"Did I what?"
"Did you do something stupid, Cameron?"
"I'm not an idiot Johnathan, I know how to fight," Cam snorted out a little laugh, hoping to get his brother off his case. He didn't want to admit that he had done something stupid. He had focused on taking down one man and left himself open to the knife of the other. He was so used to being part of a pair that sometimes he forgot how to be alone.
"I wouldn't bet on that," Johnny huffed out. He crossed his arms not ready to let his injured brother off the hook just yet. Cam was like lightning, fast and unpredictable, but he often lost sight of the bigger picture. Getting lost in the moment he often forgot about the other moving parts happening all around him. Johnathan hadn't been there to keep track of what his brother couldn't and his twin had gotten hurt. He could have died and Johnny wouldn't have known until his face showed up on the news. He continued to glare down at him, his body tight with anger. His rage boiled just below the surface and he was a hair trigger away from snapping.
"Look, Johnny, no offense but I'm not a child and you are not..."
"Who," Johnny snapped out, "Dad?"
"I wasn't going to say that," Cam couldn't meet his twin's eyes.
"Sure you weren't. That man made both of our lives a living hell. But at least you weren't out trying to kill yourself playing the hero in the middle of the night when he was alive."
"Come on Johnny, that's not fair."
"No, you know what's not fair. Not having a life, living as your brother for decades."
"I...I never wanted you to be me," Cam whispered, practically melting in the chair. His face had taken on a grayish hue and small tremors were running throughout his body. It looked like fresh blood was pooling under the duct tape. Cam needed help, not a lecture or argument.
Johnathan sighed, releasing much of his anger. He ran a hand through his hair, "I know Cam," He gipped his brother's shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Cam mumbled weakly.
He dropped his head not meeting his enraged brother's eyes. He opened his mouth to say something more but closed it without uttering a sound. What could he say to defend himself? He knew what he was doing when he did it. He didn't mean to get stabbed but he knew was going into unneeded danger. He should have just called the cops. He not only endangered his life but Johnny's as well. He and Johnny only had each other. Nobody else even knew Johnny existed, they were meant to be the same person separated into two bodies. He may be Cameron Black but it was more of a title than an identity. If he stupidly died in some alley where would that leave his brother?
"Johnny, I promise I'm fine."
"I don't want to hear any more promises," Jonathan was tired to his bones as he knelt before his injured brother. He studied the sloppy bandage, trying to determine the best plan of action to help his bleeding brother.
"I promise I'm not going anywhere," Cam shot him a weak grin, "You're stuck with me."
"Don't be cute with me, Cam."
"I'm always cute."
"An acute pain in the ass."
"I am amazing," Cameron slurred out with a smile.
Johnny couldn't help but give a small smile in return, "Sure you are."
"You're going to have to remove the duct tape?" Cam looked down at the mess on his leg. He swallowed down bile at the sight.
"Yep."
"It's gonna hurt like hell, isn't it?"
Johnny hummed in agreement as he found a likely edge of the tape to pull free the easiest.
"You ready?"
"That's a hard no," Cam closed his eyes with a moan.
"Cam, you're so dramatic," Jonathan yanked the tape free as his brother yelped when it caught some leg hair, "I thought you liked duct tape."
"You're a sick bastard, Jonathan Black."
"Maybe you should think twice the next time you want to play hero."
"You're not the boss of me," Cam huffed out, "Besides I'm fine."
"You will be fine," Johnny emphasized. He would make sure of it.