::Chapter Four::
Nosedive stirred gently, the pounding in his head that he'd felt early was back, but thankfully not as intense. As his eyes focused he realized that he was in the infirmary. That makes sense, he thought, especially with how I'm feeling right now. Turning his head slightly to his left he saw his brother dozing in a chair. A small grin made its way onto Nosedive's face, if he wasn't feeling like he'd been run over, he would have been planning some sort of joke on his brother before he woke up. Raising himself up to his elbows he glanced for the clock at the farther end of the room. Man, I must have been out of it for at least a day! He said to himself as he checked the time. Glancing over at his brother again he paused a moment in thought. Has Wing been here this whole time? It wouldn't surprise him, and he felt a pang of guilt at the thought of how much his brother must have worried over him this time.
Nosedive sighed quietly. It had crossed his mind more than once that perhaps he was too much of a burden for the team . . . for his brother. Wing spent so much time looking after him, protecting him and making sure he'd be all right. For the most part he could take care of himself, but he knew his brother was just trying to fill the role of a brother, as well as a mother and father. That thought made him swallow hard and he chuckled bitterly to himself. He knew Wildwing thought he had know idea about what had happened back on Puckworld, but he'd been able to find out on his own. He loved his brother for trying to protect him, and he didn't want to worry his brother more by letting him know that he also knew that their parents were gone. That was one reason why Dive always acted the way he did. In general he really was just a regular teen with a wicked sense of humor, an optimistic, happy-go-lucky personality and a love for life; in general he just liked to have fun. But he also tried to do his best to help people, especially his brother. Being happy made his brother happy, and though they'd never admit it, he knew the rest of the team secretly enjoyed him breaking the tense moods that so often crept in.
All this thinking was making him feel a little woozy again. Reaching back to gingerly rub the back of his head, Dive knew that Siege had enjoyed their encounter a lot more than he had. Stupid ugly lizard, he thought to himself. The slight rustling sounds he made as he moved woke his brother in an instant.
"Dive!"
Wildwing said with a start, jumping up from his chair. Nosedive gave a small grin.
"Mornin' bro.or is it afternoon..night?"
Wildwing sighed, dismissing his brother's joking around as he looked him over.
"How are doing?"
"Well, except for the slight headache . . . my ankle feeling like it's had a wrench used on it . . . . my chest hurting even when I think of breathing, and just an overall feeling of being sore as heck . . . then I'm just peachy, yourself?"
His brother smiled,
"I'm just fine, Dive. And Tanya said you had a slight concussion from hitting the wall, but that your headache's would be gone in a day or so."
The smile faded and a look of worry crossed over Wildwing's face as he brought his chair closer to Nosedive's side and sat down.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"No worries, bro. I'll be just fine."
An awkward silence fell between them for a few moments. Nosedive staring down and Wildwing staring intently at the wall.
"Bro, I'm so sorry."
They both began in unison. Nosedive stared oddly at his older brother, who was returning the same look.
"What?"
Wildwing asked. Why in the world should his brother be sorry? It just didn't make sense to him. His younger brother swallowed, continuing to look downward.
"I'm sorry for getting hurt. I mean, I really shouldn't have allowed Siege to get hold of me, I'm so much faster than he is . . I'd hope a lot smarter too . . . he . . he just took me by surprise. I'm sorry for making you worry about me too. You're always looking out for me and all I do is get in one mess after another, always getting in over my head or something. You shouldn't have to worry about me, and I only seem to make it worse for you . . . . I'm really sorry Wildwing."
His older brother was completely dumbfounded. It had never once crossed his mind that his little brother might have thoughts similar to his - Duke had been right when they'd spoken earlier. Here he was worrying that he didn't look after his brother enough, that he'd failed, and yet his little brother was thinking that all he did was cause problems and was more trouble than he was worth. Wildwing didn't see it that way at all, and he felt bad that his brother was thinking that way.
"No, Dive. It's my fault, I'm the one that should be sorry."
Nosedive shook his head,
"But why?"
"Because I'm your big brother, Dive. I'm supposed to look after you, to keep you out of trouble. I wasn't able to do either of those things last night."
"But Wing, you're not going to always be able to watch me, you know."
Wildwing nodded in agreement.
"I know that, baby bro. And I also know that I don't need to look after you as much as I do. You're not that little anymore, and I shouldn't always treat you like you were. You're really responsible when it counts. But, well I worry about you . . . it's my job to, you know . . . . and I can't help but want to make sure that nothing bad happens to you."
His little brother finally glanced up with a smile.
"So, you're sorry . . and I'm sorry too . . . but neither of us should be?"
Wildwing let out a laugh. What his brother had just said pretty much covered it, and he couldn't believe how ridiculous it sounded to him now. He nodded,
"Yeah, I think that just pretty much covers it."
Nosedive shifted over as his older brother settled down next to him on the bed. Wildwing wrapped his arm around his little brother's shoulders.
"I love you, you know that, Dive?"
"Even when I put worms in Mallory's shoes?"
Wildwing bit back a smile. He scolded his brother whenever he did it, but he had to admit that he found it a bit amusing himself.
"Yeah, even then, little bro."
Nosedive let out a small sigh, leaning back against his brother, his eyes closed. Wildwing assumed he'd fallen asleep, and now that his brother had woken up and he knew he was okay, he was feeling rather exhausted himself. He leaned back against the wall, resting his head against it, and closed his eyes. Nosedive stirred slightly, his head lying against his brother's chest.
"I love you too, big bro."
THE END
Nosedive stirred gently, the pounding in his head that he'd felt early was back, but thankfully not as intense. As his eyes focused he realized that he was in the infirmary. That makes sense, he thought, especially with how I'm feeling right now. Turning his head slightly to his left he saw his brother dozing in a chair. A small grin made its way onto Nosedive's face, if he wasn't feeling like he'd been run over, he would have been planning some sort of joke on his brother before he woke up. Raising himself up to his elbows he glanced for the clock at the farther end of the room. Man, I must have been out of it for at least a day! He said to himself as he checked the time. Glancing over at his brother again he paused a moment in thought. Has Wing been here this whole time? It wouldn't surprise him, and he felt a pang of guilt at the thought of how much his brother must have worried over him this time.
Nosedive sighed quietly. It had crossed his mind more than once that perhaps he was too much of a burden for the team . . . for his brother. Wing spent so much time looking after him, protecting him and making sure he'd be all right. For the most part he could take care of himself, but he knew his brother was just trying to fill the role of a brother, as well as a mother and father. That thought made him swallow hard and he chuckled bitterly to himself. He knew Wildwing thought he had know idea about what had happened back on Puckworld, but he'd been able to find out on his own. He loved his brother for trying to protect him, and he didn't want to worry his brother more by letting him know that he also knew that their parents were gone. That was one reason why Dive always acted the way he did. In general he really was just a regular teen with a wicked sense of humor, an optimistic, happy-go-lucky personality and a love for life; in general he just liked to have fun. But he also tried to do his best to help people, especially his brother. Being happy made his brother happy, and though they'd never admit it, he knew the rest of the team secretly enjoyed him breaking the tense moods that so often crept in.
All this thinking was making him feel a little woozy again. Reaching back to gingerly rub the back of his head, Dive knew that Siege had enjoyed their encounter a lot more than he had. Stupid ugly lizard, he thought to himself. The slight rustling sounds he made as he moved woke his brother in an instant.
"Dive!"
Wildwing said with a start, jumping up from his chair. Nosedive gave a small grin.
"Mornin' bro.or is it afternoon..night?"
Wildwing sighed, dismissing his brother's joking around as he looked him over.
"How are doing?"
"Well, except for the slight headache . . . my ankle feeling like it's had a wrench used on it . . . . my chest hurting even when I think of breathing, and just an overall feeling of being sore as heck . . . then I'm just peachy, yourself?"
His brother smiled,
"I'm just fine, Dive. And Tanya said you had a slight concussion from hitting the wall, but that your headache's would be gone in a day or so."
The smile faded and a look of worry crossed over Wildwing's face as he brought his chair closer to Nosedive's side and sat down.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"No worries, bro. I'll be just fine."
An awkward silence fell between them for a few moments. Nosedive staring down and Wildwing staring intently at the wall.
"Bro, I'm so sorry."
They both began in unison. Nosedive stared oddly at his older brother, who was returning the same look.
"What?"
Wildwing asked. Why in the world should his brother be sorry? It just didn't make sense to him. His younger brother swallowed, continuing to look downward.
"I'm sorry for getting hurt. I mean, I really shouldn't have allowed Siege to get hold of me, I'm so much faster than he is . . I'd hope a lot smarter too . . . he . . he just took me by surprise. I'm sorry for making you worry about me too. You're always looking out for me and all I do is get in one mess after another, always getting in over my head or something. You shouldn't have to worry about me, and I only seem to make it worse for you . . . . I'm really sorry Wildwing."
His older brother was completely dumbfounded. It had never once crossed his mind that his little brother might have thoughts similar to his - Duke had been right when they'd spoken earlier. Here he was worrying that he didn't look after his brother enough, that he'd failed, and yet his little brother was thinking that all he did was cause problems and was more trouble than he was worth. Wildwing didn't see it that way at all, and he felt bad that his brother was thinking that way.
"No, Dive. It's my fault, I'm the one that should be sorry."
Nosedive shook his head,
"But why?"
"Because I'm your big brother, Dive. I'm supposed to look after you, to keep you out of trouble. I wasn't able to do either of those things last night."
"But Wing, you're not going to always be able to watch me, you know."
Wildwing nodded in agreement.
"I know that, baby bro. And I also know that I don't need to look after you as much as I do. You're not that little anymore, and I shouldn't always treat you like you were. You're really responsible when it counts. But, well I worry about you . . . it's my job to, you know . . . . and I can't help but want to make sure that nothing bad happens to you."
His little brother finally glanced up with a smile.
"So, you're sorry . . and I'm sorry too . . . but neither of us should be?"
Wildwing let out a laugh. What his brother had just said pretty much covered it, and he couldn't believe how ridiculous it sounded to him now. He nodded,
"Yeah, I think that just pretty much covers it."
Nosedive shifted over as his older brother settled down next to him on the bed. Wildwing wrapped his arm around his little brother's shoulders.
"I love you, you know that, Dive?"
"Even when I put worms in Mallory's shoes?"
Wildwing bit back a smile. He scolded his brother whenever he did it, but he had to admit that he found it a bit amusing himself.
"Yeah, even then, little bro."
Nosedive let out a small sigh, leaning back against his brother, his eyes closed. Wildwing assumed he'd fallen asleep, and now that his brother had woken up and he knew he was okay, he was feeling rather exhausted himself. He leaned back against the wall, resting his head against it, and closed his eyes. Nosedive stirred slightly, his head lying against his brother's chest.
"I love you too, big bro."
THE END