Will took his place beside his ailing brother. Jake stuck his hand up in the air. Will grasped it tightly.
"I'm right here Jacob. Just hang on pleased."
Jake started gagging again he forced himself onto his stomach to release the blood from his mouth. Will just rubbed his back gently soothing him. The older brother was also fighting back tears. Finally Jake finished and looked down at the smooth crimson puddle below him.
Exhausted, he would have collapsed in it had Will not caught him and leaned his head on his chest. Will put his palm on Jake's forehead and was shocked at the intense heat radiating from it.
"Jake? Are you listening to me?" Jake just nodded weakly. "I'm going to go and find Anjelika."
Jake forced himself into a sitting position, "No! I won't let you. Will please don't. I can't lose you."
Will tried to calm him, "Jake if anybody should be worried about losing someone it's… Never mind. Look I have to the army will be unleashed and we'll all die if I don't."
Jake was desperately trying to think of a way to talk his brother out of it. His mind was too tired to concentrate. "You'll fail and you'll die." He turned away from Will, coughing a little once more.
Will was hurt. "Well that's just a risk I have to take. Dr. Opper will be here with you. If I'm not back by tonight then he's going to get you out of here."
Jake shook his head roughly, "I'm not leaving this forest without you so just forget it."
Will sighed exasperated, "Jake I am just trying to do what's best."
"But you don't always get to decide what's best. I have thoughts too you know! I'm not a child, you're not my father so just—." The coughing cut him off. Instantly Will's arms were around him trying to ease the shaking. When finally it stopped Will knew what he wanted to say.
"I know you have thoughts and I respect and value them, please believe that. But you are sick, God you're so sick I don't even know what to do let alone are you in the mental state to be in charge."
Jake looked at him for a long time. "Don't leave me alone, I get scared. I have dreams like right after Lotte died."
Will looked at him nervously, "You do?" Will remembered his brother waking up the whole house when he was a child. The screams that came from the innocent boy were haunting.
"How long?" Jake looked away again. "Since I stabbed---. Since you were kille--. Since… Well you know."
Will touched his own chest gingerly. "Yeah," he whispered, "I know Jacob. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to be a bother."
"Jake you're my little brother. You always bother me."
Jake did not find this amusing.
"All right I'm sorry. I just, you need to talk to me if something's bothering you. Maybe if you could learn to come to me sooner we wouldn't be in the position that we are now. You wouldn't be sitting in a cave dying."
Will realized what he said and his eyes darted upward. Will had known this deep down for a while now but had not actually said it out loud to Jake.
Then Jake did something that horrified Will, he sort of smiled. "You're right Will."
"No, no I'm not. You aren't going to die. Jake look at me. It just slipped out. I don't want you thinking that way. You're not dying do you understand me? You have to fight. You have to fight to stay with me. I know there are a lot of crazy things happening to us right now but your dying is not going to be one of them! Are we clear?"
Jake knew he was dying and had basically accepted it but knew his brother was stubborn and it would be long after he was dead to accept it as well.
So he just said, "all right Will we're clear."
"Good, I'm going to go now. Just be here when I get back," Will was reluctant to leave Jake.
Jake frowned, "just as long as you promise you're coming back." Will smiled ever so faintly.
Then he turned and left. Neither one had actually promised the other one anything.
Authors Note: I'm soooooooooo sorry it has taken this long to update. Really, I've just been really swamped. I've only been writing this chapter in bits and pieces, here and there. Anyway some feedback would be greatly appreciated. R&R thanx.