A/N) HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hopefully.
As promsied, I am back! Here's the next update, stuff are getting screwy now.
Enjoy and let me know you're there!
Motivation is your Superpower!
Boomer can't put his finger on it – but something's wrong with Brick – besides the fact that Butch was sedated yesterday and he's running a fever, so high, professor said it could kill him if they didn't bring it down.
Blossom was hunched over the blood tests and a weird magnifying thingy – he doesn't know what it's called, Brick was hovering around, face set in a scowl – an odd chill around him, he doesn't talk to Blossom at all, she looks upset too - Butch is out, shivering and sweating in the cage next to Mitch who was grunting in his sedated state.
Boomer shudders – they have two potential killers in there, and one of them was his brother.
"'Scuse me!" Bubbles rushes past him, a bucket and some water in it with a grey rag soaking.
"Here, I've got this." She says with a small smile and crouches down, squeezes the rag out so it's damp instead of dripping and starts wiping at Butch's sweating face through the bars. "Shhh – don't cry – "She whispers softly and Boomer's stomach clenches.
Butch doesn't cry – not really, not unless. . . The last time he's seen Butch cry was when they thought Brick was dying.
Now he's crying because he's in pain and Boomer he can't help him – Brick can't help him, he's suffering alone. The young boy grips at his shirt, stomach tight, it won't loosen – the anxious knot in his stomach gets worse before it loosens. He hates how hard it makes breathing.
He's useless – Bubbles was even helping and she was shaking with fear as she wipes at Butch's forehead slowly, humming something. She was afraid, terrified he'd wake up and eat her or something.
But Brick said Butch wasn't a Zombie – not yet – normally it takes a few hours but Butch . . . it's been two days and he's still mostly normal, his eyes were still green, though, except for the small tinge at the edges of yellow and the screaming and the spider web of grey growing from his infected wounds up his arm.
Boomer swallows down a thick lump.
"I – I can help –B-bubbles?"
"Ok, sure, here, hold his arm please." She says gently as Boomer nods and crouches, gripping Butch's arm as she wipes at the wound, he grimaces at the gross squish sound it makes and the yellow strands of puss that latch onto the rag.
Bubbles hides her revulsion well. Boomer wishes he was so brave.
"Stop hovering." Blossom hisses suddenly.
Boomer and Bubbles look up – no, don't do this now.
"I'm not hovering; I want to study the component too. "
"You don't have enough knowledge of cells and mutations." Blossom counters, pink eyes narrowing, she's apparently run out of patience.
Don't, you two – not now. Please.
Brick's own eyes narrow, his lips twisted into a hard scowl, seriously, what's wrong with him lately? He's stressed, Boomer knows this but this seems more directed at Blossom than anything else. . . But why would he be angry at Blossom? She was helping them, right?
Boomer gets the disturbing thought maybe Brick knows something he's not saying. Probably - he never tells me anything – but what isn't he saying?
"Are you saying I'm incompetent?" Brick's voice is level and he is not impressed as he glares down at the pretty red haired girl like she's committed a crime.
Blossom sighs, "I didn't say that. We're running out of time Brick. I need to- "
"Oh are we? Gee, I hadn't noticed, it's not like it's my brother in that cage or anything." The sarcastic bite is apparent.
Boomer flinches with Blossom at that, Bubbles' eyes bounce between the two – her wet rag forgotten in her hand, her bottom lip starts to shake and her eyes are starting to water.
"I know that – what's the matter with you, why are you - ?"
"Forget it." Brick snaps and turns away, eyes landing on Butch shivering and sweating in the cage floor.
Bubbles looks away from them and resumes her work, less bravely, the gathering tears in her eyes falling, one on either side as she takes in a stuttering breath. Boomer swallows that lump in his throat and doesn't meet Brick's eyes.
What's happening right now?
Blossom opens her mouth to say something, please don't, then, as if she's heard Boomers thoughts, she closes her mouth again and turns back to the blood samples with a frown.
Brick leaves the tent abruptly.
Boomer watches him go and then looks at Bubbles, what do I do?
She smiles at him gently and gives him a soft push. "Go, I don't think he should be alone." She whispers to him.
Boomer gives her a grateful nod and rushes after his angered brother. What's up with him, really?
"Brick! Hey Brick!?" He runs to catch up to his stomping brother. "What's eating you?" He asks, grabbing onto Bricks' shoulder.
"Get off Boomer!" Brick lashes out and yanks his arm out of Boomers grip, stunning the younger boy.
"I - I'm sorry I - ?"
Brick takes in a deep measured breath, closes his eyes and rubs at his face, suddenly looking much older than his age. "No – sorry Boomer. I'm just – "
Yah? You're what? What's happening? Boomer swallows, not sure if he should voice his questions.
"I – Listen Boomer." Brick turns to him and grips his shoulders, looking him in the eye severely. "If – if something happens – you gotta listen to whatever I tell you ok?"
Uh – that doesn't sound –
"Ok?" Brick shakes him a little, trying to hide his desperation with one of his stern masks.
Boomer looks at him, hard. "No."
"Boomer – " Brick's tone is warning.
The blond boy shakes his head and gets out of his oldest brother's grip. "I said no – whatever's wrong, I am not about to just . . . agree with everything you say. You won't tell me what's got you so stressed – "
"I – Butch is – "
"It's not that!" Boomer explodes. Successfully scaring himself and shutting Brick up for once. Whoa – I didn't know I could do that. But his anger is clear, his fists shake and he feels like throwing up, helpless and angry at being left in the dark as if he hasn't been through all the same crap they've been through. "I'm not an Idiot Brick! Stop treating me like one!"
"Boomer I – "
"No! What's going on? What won't you tell me? C'mon Brick! I deserve to know too – you can't just keep everything to yourself and think I'll be ok with whatever you tell me to do anymore." There, I said it, now Brick was probably going to just kick his butt but still – he's sick of feeling so left behind and weak.
"They're talking about moving the Haven Boomer."
WHAT?
Boomers eyes raise instantly, wide with shock. "Moving – where?"
"I – I don't know but that's not the issue, the issue is they don't think we can take Mitch and Butch with us." Brick's teeth clench and he looks away, fists balling as he crosses his arms.
Boomers head spins, leave butch behind? Move the haven? Go where? Where would they even – Leave Butch behind!
"We can't – they can't – who said – "
"I overheard Blossom and Buttercup and – dammit Boomer – " Brick turns away, covering his eyes, digging fingers into the lids. "I didn't want to tell you because nothing is certain."
"S'that why you're angry at Blossom?"
"Yes – no – I don't know. I – I'm . . ." Brick's eyes make the mistake of letting Boomer look into them.
Scared.
Boomer swallows. Brick is scared and he's scared and they're all scared – so – so what now?
"Blossom! Professor! Code G41, Code G41!" Buttercups raspy voice startles the brothers out of their individual internal freaking out.
"What's Code G41?" Boomer whispers as they watch Buttercup run like mad for the tent,
Professor and several other adults catch her.
"What's wrong Buttercup?" Professor asks, holding the short dark haired girl as she catches her breath.
"The supplies – we – we can't find anymore, it's gone. It's all gone. The run was a failure" Buttercup says, face hard and eyes blazing. "It's all gone."
"What do you mean, gone?"
"What I said Blossom." Buttercup looks annoyed now at her sister, Boomer sees the pointed look she gives her and Professor turns whiter.
"We need to start making plans." The tall man mutters.
Boomers heart flips, blood rushes down his feet and he feels cold all over. Plans? Plans for what? What's he –
Brick hand lands heavy and grips his shirt. "We need to get Butch."
What? "Brick how are we – "
"There's no time Boomer. If Butch doesn't get better, he's going to Zombied and then we have to – " He doesn't finish that sentence, he doesn't have to, Boomer can hear the words, clear as anything.
We have to kill him. Mercy killing – save him from himself and – Boomer yanks himself out of Brick's grasp and runs to the tent getting startled looks from the gathering concerned group as he does.
"Butch – Butch wake up now! Come on, please, get up, you can't die not like this! You aren't supposed to die like this!" Boomer gasps, reaching through the bars and grasping Butch by the shirt, giving him a hard shake. "Come on dammit!" He cries out, tears springing into his eyes as he shakes his brother again. "You can't die like this! You can't!"
"Boomer – stop." Bricks voice is calm and level and – and dead.
How can he just turn off his feelings like that? It drives Boomer insane, he hates it when Brick does this – It makes him feel so useless.
"Boomer!"
"Get up Dammit!" Boomer shouts as Bubbles rushes into the tent, sky blue eyes wide.
"Boomer please – " She grabs his hand and gently pulls his grip off of Butch who falls limply, still shuddering, onto the floor. "Shhh – don't do this Boomer. It won't change anything." She says, voice low and soft as she wraps he arms around Boomers head and hugs him tight.
Boomer's arms wrap around her as he hides his face. This can't be how Butch dies – please, please –
"I'm sorry." Professors voice startles the three young people in the tent.
Boomer doesn't want to look at the man – he might be in charge of moving them after all.
"I truly am. But if we cannot find a solution to these in the next ten days . . . there's nothing else we can do. My sedatives aren't unlimited and – "
"Stop." Brick's voice is icy fire when he speaks. "Stop. We aren't abandoning our brother."
"I'm not asking you too – but Brick, you are wise enough to understand, they don't die from this disease – they live as beings infected and trapped in their own minds. They know what they're doing Brick, they just can't stop themselves. It's torture, internal and external for them." Professors tone is unnaturally heavy, he hasn't spoken like this to them before, like a stone, grey eyes hard as he speaks. "They'll suffer if we let this go on and if they don't feed – they'll suffer until they die."
"But – "
"Then you must make the choice – whether to let him suffer in torment – or die to have peace."
Oh dear. Professor is getting serious now.
What do you guys think about this chapter? To be honset, I struggled a lot - I'm still struggling with the next few Chapters too - there's so many things I have to fit in before I move on to the next arc.
Anyway, as always, let me know what you thought - your reviews make my days!
See you next week!