Title: Dilution
Note: I'm having a wee bit of a problem with paragraph separations when I upload my documents onto here, so the ------ are just separations of paragraphs in some places....go with it. A/U .... Bosco is a druggie, yada yada yada, you've heard it enough.....Gracias to Fyre for letting me use Mercedes, and for making me write another chapter.
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Mikey ran a hand through his hair as he watched the doctors push his brother into a trauma room. Licking his lips, he turned from the scene – unable to watch. Bosco had been cold – ice cold by the time the ambulance got there. His lips had turned a pale shade of blue, his skin was white, his eyes never opened.
It was busy in the ER, people were running around, some cops and paramedics were coming and going. Mikey looked around the area of Mercy, feeling overwhelmed, the whole room spinning. He heard a nurse talking to him, but he just sat down in a plastic waiting chair. He put his head in his hands, and pulled at his hair. Mercedes. He had to get a hold of Mercedes. No, if he told her that his brother was in the hospital because he overdosed, she would freak and call it suicide, and get him into rehab.
It wasn't that he didn't want his brother to go into rehab...well, it was, but he knew that his brother didn't need it. He was a junkie too after all, and to him, Bosco was fine. It was just an accident that happened, and Mercedes didn't even have to know about it.
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Mercedes and Faith laughed as they pushed a perp inside the doors to Mercy. The guy was drunk, and had been complaining of his knee hurting – courtesy of Mercedes tackling him when he had tried to get away.
"You like, jumped on him." Faith told her, "Like some kinda big cat jumping on it's prey."
Mercedes scoffed at her, "I did not! I just....tackled him. Besides, he was running away."
They just finished checking the drunk in when Faith turned around and glanced at who was waiting in the chairs. Her jaw practically dropped the floor, and she swallowed hard. "Cede..." She said quietly, pulling on the younger cops sleeve and nodding over to the chairs with her chin.
Mercedes turned around, a dull look in her eyes until she saw who Faith was pointing too. Her throat closed up, and her whole body filled with fear from seeing her brother sitting twenty feet from her.
"Mikey?" She said harshly, "Mikey, what are you doing...."
Mikey looked up, and panicked when he saw his sister. He got up on his feet, trying to think of what to tell her, what lie he could come up with.
"Oh. Hey."
"What are you doing here, Mikey?" Mercedes asked, slowly walking towards him.
Mikey's eyes scanned around for the nearest exit, he wasn't going to stick around for when she found out that Bosco was there. He was too late though, because one of the nurses working on his brother came up, ruining his chances of escaping.
"We managed to stabilize your brother," She started, "He's not awake yet, but he should be in a few hours. We're putting him in a room down here, and you can go in and see him in a little bit."
"Uh..." Mikey glanced over at his sister, wishing that he hadn't. Her whole face had gone pale, her eyes were full of anger and fear. "Thanks."
The nurse nodded, and walked away. As soon as she was gone, Mercedes was up in Mikey's face, screaming at him.
"What the hell is she talking about, Michael? Where's Reese? What did he do?"
"Nothing. Nothing. It's nothing, I swear...." He tried to tell her, but her hand was now grasping the neck of his shirt, and her eyes looked like they could shoot daggers out at him. "I came home and found him, that's it, I swear!"
"Found him, how?" She asked, tears filling her eyes. She didn't want to have to see him in a hospital bed, his wrists wrapped up in gauze because he tried to kill himself again. She couldn't go through with that. Not again.
"He just OD'd, Cede. It was an accident." Mikey pleaded with her, trying to wither away from her grasp.
"You said you came home and FOUND him, you don't know that!" She shrieked back at him.
"It was strong stuff, really pure, he didn't know Mercedes, He didn't know, I swear. I swear." He held his hands up defensively, "You know the stuff on the street if better and cheaper than ever, I swear."
Mercedes let him go, a few tears spilling from her eyes. "Tell him that when he wakes up, he's not welcome to stay with me."
Even though she was younger than Mikey was, she was stronger, and she shoved him backwards before walking out of Mercy, Faith following her. Mikey only stared after them, trying to regain his composure.
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"She's mad, Mo. Real mad." Mikey told his brother as they walked out of Mercy.
Bosco only nodded, leaning up against his younger brother for support. He was still shaky on his feet, wishing that he hadn't signed out AMA. "Stuff happens..."
"She's pissed off, like she's ready to kill you. She started crying and just left when she found out you were here." He told him, giving him a sad look. "She said you couldn't go to her place anymore...whatever that means."
"Got booted from my new place." He told him, talking slowly. "Cede said I could stay with her."
"Not anymore."
"Does she hate me?"
"Hell if I know." He raised his arm up, signaling for a cab. One pulled up to the side of the road quickly, and Mikey helped his brother get in before he did.
"But she doesn't want me staying with her.."
"Would you want you staying with you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why not, I'm great company." Bosco told him, grinning, "Ain't I?"
"I'll let you stay with me. But you can't be stupid." Mikey told him, feeling like he was the older brother. Granted they were both users, Bosco was just...more open about it to other people. He also had the tendency to start fights with anyone and anything – which was the fact that normally got him kicked out of apartment complexes. Mikey on the other hand, just got kicked out for being caught selling drugs out of his room. "You start one fight with anyone in the building, and you're out, got it? This is the last place I got a chance at staying at, you know."
"I know. I know."
"Good."
The cabbie pulled the car up in front of the apartment complex, and Mikey looked over at his brother. "Here," He said, handing him an extra key, "I gotta be someone, I'm late as it is already causa you. I'll be home later."
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55-David had been full of silence for too long, and Faith was beginning to squirm in her seat. Mercedes had stopped crying awhile ago, but she was still looking out the side window, not talking, not moving.
"You okay?" She finally asked, shattering the stillness.
Mercedes breathed in deeply, her breath out shaky, like she was going to burst into tears again. "Fine."
"Really? Cause you don't seem fine."
"Well, I am. So just drop it, okay?"
"You should have stayed..."
"Ya? What the hell do you know about it?" She snapped, turning to look at her partner, "I've spent HOURS in the hospital just because he overdosed, or he tried to kill himself, or because he got beat up, or Mikey OD'd. I'm sick of it! I don't CARE anymore."
"Then why were you crying just now?" Faith asked, ignoring the fact that Mercedes was yelling at her. "If you don't care, why are you crying?"
"I'm not!"
"You were. Don't lie. I saw you, Mercedes."
"I'm sick of having to worry about them!" Mercedes told her, tears coming again, "I'm so sick of all of this shit. I've tried to get him into rehab centers so many times. I'm so worn out, Faith. I'm the youngest kid, I'm not supposed to be taking care of my older brothers, they're supposed to be takin' care of me...."
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Walking into the building, Bosco dug his hands into his pockets, his head pounding. His numb fingers felt a sharp metal object in his jeans, and his face scrunched up as he pulled it out.
He figured that the nurses had taken in, but they hadn't. Either they missed it, or they didn't check, but whatever it was, he still had his pocket knife. What his brother told him about how his sister was pissed off at him ran through his mind, and he swallowed hard.
His mind was dark, clouded. The only thing he ever felt was his body throbbing for a hit, a rush. He wanted to feel again, he did. Pain made him feel, it made him feel whole again.
Swallowing hard, he slumped into a hallway corner, and flipped the blade open, the metal glistening in his eyes. His sister hated him – again, if she ever stopped in the first place. He was a disappointment, wasn't he? Mercedes hadn't even waited around to see if he was okay that day in the hospital, she just left. She didn't care about him. The only person he always had didn't care about him. Sure, Mikey was there, but not all the time. He left him to himself, let him figure out all the hard stuff, let him deal with his pain. Mikey didn't care.
He pressed the cool metal to his flesh, and pressed down. Hard.
Note: I'm having a wee bit of a problem with paragraph separations when I upload my documents onto here, so the ------ are just separations of paragraphs in some places....go with it. A/U .... Bosco is a druggie, yada yada yada, you've heard it enough.....Gracias to Fyre for letting me use Mercedes, and for making me write another chapter.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mikey ran a hand through his hair as he watched the doctors push his brother into a trauma room. Licking his lips, he turned from the scene – unable to watch. Bosco had been cold – ice cold by the time the ambulance got there. His lips had turned a pale shade of blue, his skin was white, his eyes never opened.
It was busy in the ER, people were running around, some cops and paramedics were coming and going. Mikey looked around the area of Mercy, feeling overwhelmed, the whole room spinning. He heard a nurse talking to him, but he just sat down in a plastic waiting chair. He put his head in his hands, and pulled at his hair. Mercedes. He had to get a hold of Mercedes. No, if he told her that his brother was in the hospital because he overdosed, she would freak and call it suicide, and get him into rehab.
It wasn't that he didn't want his brother to go into rehab...well, it was, but he knew that his brother didn't need it. He was a junkie too after all, and to him, Bosco was fine. It was just an accident that happened, and Mercedes didn't even have to know about it.
----------
Mercedes and Faith laughed as they pushed a perp inside the doors to Mercy. The guy was drunk, and had been complaining of his knee hurting – courtesy of Mercedes tackling him when he had tried to get away.
"You like, jumped on him." Faith told her, "Like some kinda big cat jumping on it's prey."
Mercedes scoffed at her, "I did not! I just....tackled him. Besides, he was running away."
They just finished checking the drunk in when Faith turned around and glanced at who was waiting in the chairs. Her jaw practically dropped the floor, and she swallowed hard. "Cede..." She said quietly, pulling on the younger cops sleeve and nodding over to the chairs with her chin.
Mercedes turned around, a dull look in her eyes until she saw who Faith was pointing too. Her throat closed up, and her whole body filled with fear from seeing her brother sitting twenty feet from her.
"Mikey?" She said harshly, "Mikey, what are you doing...."
Mikey looked up, and panicked when he saw his sister. He got up on his feet, trying to think of what to tell her, what lie he could come up with.
"Oh. Hey."
"What are you doing here, Mikey?" Mercedes asked, slowly walking towards him.
Mikey's eyes scanned around for the nearest exit, he wasn't going to stick around for when she found out that Bosco was there. He was too late though, because one of the nurses working on his brother came up, ruining his chances of escaping.
"We managed to stabilize your brother," She started, "He's not awake yet, but he should be in a few hours. We're putting him in a room down here, and you can go in and see him in a little bit."
"Uh..." Mikey glanced over at his sister, wishing that he hadn't. Her whole face had gone pale, her eyes were full of anger and fear. "Thanks."
The nurse nodded, and walked away. As soon as she was gone, Mercedes was up in Mikey's face, screaming at him.
"What the hell is she talking about, Michael? Where's Reese? What did he do?"
"Nothing. Nothing. It's nothing, I swear...." He tried to tell her, but her hand was now grasping the neck of his shirt, and her eyes looked like they could shoot daggers out at him. "I came home and found him, that's it, I swear!"
"Found him, how?" She asked, tears filling her eyes. She didn't want to have to see him in a hospital bed, his wrists wrapped up in gauze because he tried to kill himself again. She couldn't go through with that. Not again.
"He just OD'd, Cede. It was an accident." Mikey pleaded with her, trying to wither away from her grasp.
"You said you came home and FOUND him, you don't know that!" She shrieked back at him.
"It was strong stuff, really pure, he didn't know Mercedes, He didn't know, I swear. I swear." He held his hands up defensively, "You know the stuff on the street if better and cheaper than ever, I swear."
Mercedes let him go, a few tears spilling from her eyes. "Tell him that when he wakes up, he's not welcome to stay with me."
Even though she was younger than Mikey was, she was stronger, and she shoved him backwards before walking out of Mercy, Faith following her. Mikey only stared after them, trying to regain his composure.
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"She's mad, Mo. Real mad." Mikey told his brother as they walked out of Mercy.
Bosco only nodded, leaning up against his younger brother for support. He was still shaky on his feet, wishing that he hadn't signed out AMA. "Stuff happens..."
"She's pissed off, like she's ready to kill you. She started crying and just left when she found out you were here." He told him, giving him a sad look. "She said you couldn't go to her place anymore...whatever that means."
"Got booted from my new place." He told him, talking slowly. "Cede said I could stay with her."
"Not anymore."
"Does she hate me?"
"Hell if I know." He raised his arm up, signaling for a cab. One pulled up to the side of the road quickly, and Mikey helped his brother get in before he did.
"But she doesn't want me staying with her.."
"Would you want you staying with you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why not, I'm great company." Bosco told him, grinning, "Ain't I?"
"I'll let you stay with me. But you can't be stupid." Mikey told him, feeling like he was the older brother. Granted they were both users, Bosco was just...more open about it to other people. He also had the tendency to start fights with anyone and anything – which was the fact that normally got him kicked out of apartment complexes. Mikey on the other hand, just got kicked out for being caught selling drugs out of his room. "You start one fight with anyone in the building, and you're out, got it? This is the last place I got a chance at staying at, you know."
"I know. I know."
"Good."
The cabbie pulled the car up in front of the apartment complex, and Mikey looked over at his brother. "Here," He said, handing him an extra key, "I gotta be someone, I'm late as it is already causa you. I'll be home later."
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55-David had been full of silence for too long, and Faith was beginning to squirm in her seat. Mercedes had stopped crying awhile ago, but she was still looking out the side window, not talking, not moving.
"You okay?" She finally asked, shattering the stillness.
Mercedes breathed in deeply, her breath out shaky, like she was going to burst into tears again. "Fine."
"Really? Cause you don't seem fine."
"Well, I am. So just drop it, okay?"
"You should have stayed..."
"Ya? What the hell do you know about it?" She snapped, turning to look at her partner, "I've spent HOURS in the hospital just because he overdosed, or he tried to kill himself, or because he got beat up, or Mikey OD'd. I'm sick of it! I don't CARE anymore."
"Then why were you crying just now?" Faith asked, ignoring the fact that Mercedes was yelling at her. "If you don't care, why are you crying?"
"I'm not!"
"You were. Don't lie. I saw you, Mercedes."
"I'm sick of having to worry about them!" Mercedes told her, tears coming again, "I'm so sick of all of this shit. I've tried to get him into rehab centers so many times. I'm so worn out, Faith. I'm the youngest kid, I'm not supposed to be taking care of my older brothers, they're supposed to be takin' care of me...."
----------
Walking into the building, Bosco dug his hands into his pockets, his head pounding. His numb fingers felt a sharp metal object in his jeans, and his face scrunched up as he pulled it out.
He figured that the nurses had taken in, but they hadn't. Either they missed it, or they didn't check, but whatever it was, he still had his pocket knife. What his brother told him about how his sister was pissed off at him ran through his mind, and he swallowed hard.
His mind was dark, clouded. The only thing he ever felt was his body throbbing for a hit, a rush. He wanted to feel again, he did. Pain made him feel, it made him feel whole again.
Swallowing hard, he slumped into a hallway corner, and flipped the blade open, the metal glistening in his eyes. His sister hated him – again, if she ever stopped in the first place. He was a disappointment, wasn't he? Mercedes hadn't even waited around to see if he was okay that day in the hospital, she just left. She didn't care about him. The only person he always had didn't care about him. Sure, Mikey was there, but not all the time. He left him to himself, let him figure out all the hard stuff, let him deal with his pain. Mikey didn't care.
He pressed the cool metal to his flesh, and pressed down. Hard.